Sometimes tension becomes so familiar that we stop noticing it.
A shoulder that is always a little lifted. A jaw that never quite lets go. A lower back that is constantly working. A body that feels tired even when we are resting.
Sometimes there is a clear reason for it. An old injury, stress, years of sitting at a desk, a demanding period in life.
And sometimes we simply don’t know.
For me, this is one of the interesting things about working with the body: we don’t always have to know why something is happening before we can explore whether it can change.

What is chronic tension?

Chronic tension is tension that stays in the body for a long time, often becoming part of our usual way of moving and holding ourselves.
The body can learn these patterns very well. They become automatic.
The interesting question is not always “How do I make this muscle relax?”
Sometimes it’s:
“What else could my body do?”
This is one of the places where I find the Ilan Lev Method fascinating.

Movement can give the body new information

1. Notice:

We start with listening to what is already there. Where does the body feel restricted, busy, heavy or overworked?

2. Explore:

Through touch and movement, we give the body information that is different from its usual pattern. Sometimes the movement is very small. Sometimes it travels through much more of the body and surprises us.

3. Reorganize:

When the body has more possibilities, it doesn’t always need to keep doing things in the old way. A movement can become easier, a part of the body can soften, or something that has felt stuck can suddenly have more space.
This isn’t about making the body behave differently by force.
It’s more like giving it a chance to discover that it has endless options.

Sometimes the tension is not where you think it is

This is something I see again and again in my field of work.
The place that feels uncomfortable isn’t necessarily the place that needs all the attention.
A body is not a collection of separate parts. The way you stand, breathe, walk, hold your shoulders or move your spine are all connected.
That’s why I don’t have a fixed recipe for chronic tension.

I listen.
I follow.
I get curious.

And I let the body show me where we might go next.

Many of my clients in Leiden and Oegstgeest come with pain, stiffness or long-held tension. Others don’t have a specific problem at all — they simply feel that something in their body could move differently or they want to reconnect with their body after years, or sometimes a lifetime they didn’t listen to it.

For me, both are good reasons to be curious.
You don’t have to arrive knowing exactly what’s wrong.
Sometimes it’s enough to start with:

“This is how my body feels right now. What else might be possible?”

If you’re curious about the Ilan Lev Method and how it feels in your own body, you’re welcome to book a session with me in Leiden.