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- Broadway Picture Framing Visit our GALLERY A TOTAL CUSTOM FRAMING SERVICE ☆ Ready Made • U-Frame • Prints ☆ Tues Sat 9:30 am-5:30 pm Charge Cards Accepted Commercial & Individual Lloyd Center District Broadway Picture Framing 925 N.E. Broadway 287 0342 Are you paying too much to have your income tax return prepared? W e offer competent service at economical pricea. • Personal Returna • Buaineee Return» • O ut O f S tate Returne Open 11 am -8 pm. Call for appt. Same-Day Service 2-3 Day Service Short Form Long Form 1M Q A 640S (including earned income credit 1040 ft 40 Sch. A - Deductions Sch. B —Interest etc. $10°° $24°° and up (interest with exclusion) Register now and vote on May 18th. Since 1966 • Licensed Tax Consultant 5510 N. Interstate Ave. Portland, OR 97217 • 283 6014 La Prat's Beautirama Easter Special Lustra-Curl and TCB $35°° 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)