Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, April 08, 1982, Page 15, Image 15

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    Page 4 Section II Portland Observer, April 8, 1962
Simons-McWilliams joins
board
public
M r. and M rs. E lm a r and Lois J ac ks o n p ro u d ly a n n o u n c e th e e n ­
g ag e m en t of their d au g h ter. M a rily n , to M r. H erm an Riles. M an a g e r
o f Friday's Beauty Supply. The w ed din g w ill be held on M a y 1. 1982
at M o u n t O livet C hurch.
(Photo: R ichard B row n)
Portland resident Ethel Sim on-
M cW illiam s has been reappointed
to (he state Commission on Public
Broadcasting by Gov. Vic Atiyeh.
Dr. Simon McWilliams, who holds
a doctorate o f education degree
from the University o f South C aro­
lina, has been on the commission
since December 22, 1981. She w ill
serve a four-year term officially be­
ginning July I , 1982 and expiring
June 30, 1986. The appointee is sub­
ject to Oregon Senate confirmation.
The 11-member commission
supervises Oregon Public B ro ad ­
casting, the state-owned public tele­
vision and radio stations.
D r. Sim on-M cW illiam s is the as­
sociate d irecto r o f the N orthw est
Regional Educational Laboratory,
Portland. She previously served as
laboratory educational services divi­
sion director and Alaska telecom­
munications program director.
She was an assistant professor at
the U n iversity o f South C a ro lin a
(1975-1979) and was a program spe­
cialist for the South C arolina State
Department o if Education (1975).
She was director and coordinator
for Chester County Public Schools,
Chester, S.C. (1971-1975), and was
a teacher and assistant principal for
D istrict o f C o lu m b ia
Public
Schools, W ashington D .C . (1964-
1971).
To your mental health
In a d d itio n to her d o cto rate o f
education degree from the U niver­
sity o f South C aro lin a, C o lum bia,
S.C., (1977), she also earned a mas­
ter of education degree from George
Washington University, W ashing­
ton. D .C . (1971), and a bachelor o f
science degree from District o f C o l­
umbia Teacher’s College, Washing­
ton. D C. (1964).
Constant rush and pressure have
become a way o f modern life .
Relaxation techniques are one way
to deal w ith these stresses. These
techniques are skills to learn and a
habit to practice. Many people think
of their recreational activities as re­
laxation. Recreation is an important
aspect of stress management, but, in
this article, relaxation refers to the
reduction o f the body’s physical ten­
sion. Decreased muscular tension
may or may not result from recrea­
tional activities.
Physical tension has many causes.
The human body reacts to stress in
what is called the “ fight or flig h t”
response. When there is a perceived
th rea t, the body prepares to con­
front or escape the attack. Blood is
drained away from the extremities
and to the brain to be able to think
better. Eyes open wide and hearing
becomes acute to take in more infor­
mation in the environment. Heart
and breath rate increase to support
increased activity. Skeletal muscles
tense for the possibility o f fighting
or running. A ll these reactions are
preparation to meet the challenge.
W hen the danger has passed, the
body processes return to norm al.
H o w ever, the person who exper­
iences chronic anxiety will be in a
constant state o f tension. People
who face excessive or constant stress
may not have sufficient time to re­
cover from them, and so also are in
a constant state o f stress. In these
cases the body never receives the
message that the danger is over, that
one can relax. People find them ­
selves unable to release this tension.
Some people may even get used to
this state o f tension and cease to be
aware o f it.
To learn to relax, you must first
learn to recognize what body parts
carry tension, which muscles are
tense. A chieving this awareness
takes practice. Before you read fur­
ther, take a minute to focus your at­
tention on your body. Check your
breathing. Notice your heartbeat.
See if you are sitting in a com fort­
able position. See if any muscles are
unnecessarily tense, are doing more
work than they need to do. Close
your eyes now and systematically
check through your body for about
a m in u te. H o p e fu lly , you have
made yourself more comfortable a f­
ter making this body check. N o w ,
take a few deep breaths and see if
that fu rth e r alters your physical
state. This is a first step towards re­
laxation. It takes only a few minutes
and can be performed several times
a day, in almost any situation.
Progressive relaxation, breathing,
m editation, and self-hypnosis are
several techniques o f systematic re­
laxation. A ll involve regular prac­
tice for 20-30 minutes once or twice
a day in a quiet setting, free from
interruptions. The techniques may
be practiced while sitting in a com­
fortable chair or while lying down.
I f lying flat on your back causes low
back discomfort, place pillows un­
der the knees to raise them to a com­
fortable height. P erform the exer­
cises with eyes closed to further re­
duce distractions.
Progressive relaxatio n involves
tensing major muscle groups indivi­
dually, briefly holding the tension,
and then releasing it. The purpose is
to develop a conscious awareness of
the process o f tensing and relaxing.
After assuming a comfortable posi­
tion, begin with a few moments o f
slow, regular breathing. Then start
by m aking a fist w ith one hand,
keeping the rest o f the body as re­
laxed as possible. Squeeze the fist
and then release the tension. Repeat
both actions. Repeat with the other
hand. Tense the upper arms, one at
a time, by pressing against the chair,
bed or floor. Hold the tension brief­
ly and then release it. C ontinue in
this manner, alternating tension and
relaxatio n . Shrug the shoulders.
Press the head back to create ten­
sion in the neck. Clench the teeth to
feel the jaw muscles. Squeeze the
eyes Raise the eyebrows. Hold the
breath to feel tension in the chest.
Pull in the lower abdom inal mus-
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5510 N. Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97217 • 283 6014
La Prat's
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W a lk ins are w e lc o m e
Relaxation techniques help to lower stress
by Martha Landowne. M.M. T.
Interstate Tax Service
cles. Tighten the buttocks. Stiffen
the legs and feet. H old the tension
long enough to feel somewhat un­
comfortable, but not so long that it
become painful. Take time to enjoy
the relaxed feelings experienced
when the tension is let go. A fte r
tensing and relaxing each o f the
body parts, rem ain still for a few
minutes to enjoy the increased relax­
ation and sense o f well-being.
Regular practice o f relaxatio n
techniques increases your ability to
relax at that m om ent, but also a l­
lows you to feel more relaxed during
daily activities. Many people believe
they don’t have a half-hour o f quiet
time to themselves in a day. People
who think they are too busy to relax
are probably the most in need o f it.
Changing life habits takes com m it­
ment on your part. In corporating
relaxation techniques into your life
means restructuring how you spend
your tim e. A t first this w ill seem
time-consuming. In (he short run, it
is. However, in the long run you will
find yourself with more energy, get
more enjoyment out o f your activi­
ties, and possibly even prolong your
life span. Relaxation techniques can
decrease the likelihood or reduce the
severity o f stress related diseases
such as tension headaches, peptic ul­
cers, colities, asthm a, backaches,
and others.
There are many com m u nity re­
sources to help you learn relaxation
techniques. R elaxation and stress
management workshops and classes
are taught through community edu­
cation programs. Most bookstores
carry references on relaxation tech­
niques. Some stores also carry cas­
sette tapes with spoken instructions
for relaxation. A small investment
in time and money can bring you
great returns in a more enjoyable,
efficient life.
Martha Ladowne. M.M. T., is a
movement therapist at Providence
Medical Center.
M e e t our operetors: M arsha B row n. D arlene Searcy. Louise Pratcher
Specializing
in all curls and perms
Renbow European hair colors,
also cellophanes
Hours open
Mon-Tues Wed: 9 7 Fri-Sat: 9 9
5126 N.E. Union Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97211
287-3317
Start with Breakfast
‘- i t
=v..
OABA meets
On April 17-18, 1982, the Oregon
Assembly
for
Black
A ffa irs
(O A B A ) is hosting the Th ird O re­
gon Black P o litic a l C o nventio n .
This convention is nonpartisan, but
political. It will be held at the W il­
lam ette C e n te r, 121 SW Salm on,
Portland, Oregon.
The 1982 Oregon Black Political
Convention has two purposes. One
is to serve as a forum for delegates
to discuss issues and conditions, and
to establish, through resolutions,
the positions o f the Black Commu­
nity, collectively, on these issues and
conditions affecting it. The other
purpose is to endorse federal, stale
and local candidates, running for
public offices during the Prim ary
Election, who are sensitive and re­
sponsive to the issues and conditions
o f Blacks in Oregon. Registered del­
egates to the convention will carry
out these purposes.
Those interested in attending
should contact Calvin O .L . Henry,
President, O A B A , P.O. Box 12485,
Salem, Oregon 97309.
at Rustler’s
Wc agree that your day Marls hel­
ler wiih breakfast. Why? While wc sleep our
bodies break from food and activities. So, we awaken
hungry and sluggish. Ealing break Iasi changes this; it
breaks Ihc Iasi as a result, wc led
much slronger and more alert. So stari your
day with breaktasl at RUSTLER'S Y ou'll find good
l< mk J and friendly country servii,- all ai a reasonable price
Now Serving Breakfasts
Mon -Fri. 6 am to 11 am • Sat.-Sun. 7 am to noon
PORTLAND
425 Northeast Oregon Street
(Bfliween Union and Grand)