Fishing's correlation to Relaxing

For my second academic post, I want to look at the article that I referred to earlier in my "Research" post. I used the article to support my paper that was an elaborated version of my Credo. The article, "Physician connects 'relaxation response' to mind-body health" by K. Kersting  in Monitor on Psychology.

The main idea that Kersting attempts to get across is that relaxation techniques can improve people's health. He states, "Stress hormones, produced when the body's "fight or flight" response is triggered, play a role in a host of ailments including hypertension, anxiety, depression, infertility, hot flashes in menopause and insomnia". Relaxing helps relieve these hormones and reduces the negative affects they can have on a person's body. Kersting refers to the "three-legged stool" a couple times in his article. He believes this stool is made up of drugs, surgery, and relaxation techniques to develop the ideal health-care model.

Although it is a short article, it efficiently covers the essential points. In everyday life we are all bombarded with stress. Stress has a negative affect on the human body and it is important to de-stress in effect ways. Relaxation techniques were defined by Kersting as meditation or prayer, but I think it can go much further than that. The song I mention in a previous post "The River Just Knows" by Rodney Atkins depicts how the river can be used as a form of meditation to help deal with stress. I think, whether it is fishing or some other activity, everyone should take part of relaxing to help improve their health and well-being. Honestly, I think if stress is effectively managed by relaxation techniques, then the concept of the "three-legged stool" is not necessary. People should not be intimidated by the term "relaxation techniques". It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It can be something as simple as going for a walk or fishing, or anything that enables one to empty the mind of thoughts, or concentrate the mind on one thing, in order to aid development, contemplation, or relaxation.

Picture above is from one of my fishing adventures on Hwy 34, I stumbled across a waterfall and had to capture a few pictures of it!