Just as we have the “stress reaction” as a one of the body’s built-in response systems, so there is innate relaxation response.
The relaxation response undoes what stress has been doing to you. The relaxation response brings about decreased muscle tension, lowered heart rate and blood pressure, a deeper breathing pattern, calming of the belly, and a peaceful, pleasant mood. The problem we face in managing stress is that the stress reaction is more easily elicited than the relaxation response. The stress reaction happens immediately without any effort on your part. A loud noise at this moment would startle you, and the stress reaction would speed through your body. A stress reaction happens automatically while the relaxation response must be purposefully sought and brought under control. While the relaxation response will occur naturally as when you sit on the beach watching the ocean; hectic modern society does not give us many chances for such natural elicitation. To control our stress we must engage in an intentional practice of creating the relaxation response.
Next, learn to relax.
So, let’s talk about one way of creating the “relaxation response” – progressive muscle relaxation.
What is it and how does it work? The process of progressive muscle relaxation is simply that of isolating one muscle group, creating tension for 8 -10 seconds, and then letting the muscle relax and the tension go. For example: take your right hand, tighten it into a fist, and notice what happens. You can feel the muscle tension increase in your hand and up your forearm. The longer you hold it, the more tense it becomes. You become aware that it does not feel good. In fact, it begins to hurt. This is an example of exaggerated muscle tension. If such tension exists around the neck you get a neck ache, and if it is in the forehead you get a headache. Continue to hold the tension and now, all at once, relax and let go. Allow your hand to flop down into your lap and notice the difference. The muscles now begin to relax, and the muscle tension just flows away, melts, dissolves, and disappears.
This process of relaxation is guaranteed to happen because it is based on a principle of muscle physiology. Whenever you create tension in a muscle and then release the tension the muscle has to relax. The muscle does not have a choice. It must happen. The interesting aspect of this process is that the muscle will not only quickly relax back to its pre-tensed state, but if it is allowed to rest, will become even more relaxed that it was. As this procedure of creating tension and then releasing it is applied to every major muscle group of the body, all of these muscles will become more relaxed than when you started.
The key to triggering the relaxation response in this manner is to take charge of the voluntary muscles by tensing them and forcing them into a state of relaxation. Once the muscles relax then the other components of the relaxation response will naturally follow. Relaxed muscles require less oxygen so the breathing pattern slows and deepens. The heart does not need to be beating so fast to carry oxygen out to tense muscles. Heart rate and blood pressure decline. The normal blood flow returns to the belly and digestion resumes. The belly is calmed. Hands and feet warm up. Such a series of bodily adaptations all start and fall naturally into place because the voluntary muscles are being directed into a state of relaxation. Soon changes in mood follow, and you become more calm and refreshed.
How do you do this?
All you need to know to begin undoing what stress has been doing to you is how to systematically relax all the muscles in your body. Here is how you do it.Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for about 15 minutes. Dim the lights. Locate a comfortable chair in which you can sit straight up with your feet on the floor. Sit comfortably in the chair. Pay close attention to how you feel as you begin. Notice any stiffness or tightness. Are there any aches or pains? Do you feel tense, frustrated, or keyed up? Pay attention to how you feel now because you are going to become more relaxed, and you need a point of comparison.First, we will review what to do and then we will experience the relaxation exercise. The systematic muscle relaxation procedure goes as follows.
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| Now that we have reviewed the procedure, we will practice this exercise. We will relax the muscles as we just described. By the time we are through, your body will be more relaxed. At this time your heart rate will have slowed, your blood pressure will have come down, and your breathing will have become regular and deep. The other changes mentioned will soon follow.But, first. What is your mind doing? |
Unfortunately, people tend to activate the fight-or-flight response multiple times during a typical day, usually because of situations that are annoying and stressful, but not life threatening. These include traffic jams, long lines in the grocery store, or — in my case — editorial deadlines. But all those surging stress hormones can take a toll on the body. Over time, such low-grade chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and muscle tension.
The relaxation response may help people to counteract the toxic effects of chronic stress by slowing breathing rate, relaxing muscles, and reducing blood pressure.
So how exactly do you elicit the relaxation response? There is no single method that works for everyone, and it may take some practice before you find the method that is right for you.
During the lecture I attended, Dr. Benson lead us through a series of steps designed to slowly relax our bodies and minds. First we sat in a comfortable position. Then we focused on a single word or phrase of our choosing (such as “one” or “peace” or “shalom”). We did this for 10 minutes. We practiced deep abdominal breathing while silently repeating a focus word.
Did it work? Results varied. I found it hard to settle down, although my breathing did slow a bit. But the physician sitting next to me said he felt his breathing slow considerably. And the woman on the other side of him actually fell asleep.
Given the times we live in, the relaxation response may be worth trying. If nothing else, it’s easy to do, free, and you have little to lose in trying it out.
Here are a few tips, posted on the website of the Benson-Henry Institute. You can also read more about the relaxation response by reading any of Dr. Benson’s books. He’s just published the latest, called Relaxation Revolution.
Let us know how the relaxation response works for you. Were you able to elicit it, and did the process make you feel more relaxed? What challenges did you encounter? What tips work for you?
In the meantime, happy breathing!
Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
2.
Close your eyes.
3.
Deeply relax all your muscles,
beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face.
Keep them relaxed.
4.
Breathe through your nose.
Become aware of your breathing.
As you breathe out, say the word, “one”*,
silently to yourself. For example,
breathe in … out, “one”,- in .. out, “one”, etc.
Breathe easily and naturally.
5.
Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.
You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm.
When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes,
at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes opened.
Do not stand up for a few minutes.
6.
Do not worry about whether you are successful
in achieving a deep level of relaxation.
Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its own pace.
When distracting thoughts occur,
try to ignore them by not dwelling upon them
and return to repeating “one.”
With practice, the response should come with little effort.
Practice the technique once or twice daily,
but not within two hours after any meal,
since the digestive processes seem to interfere with
the elicitation of the Relaxation Response.
* or any soothing, mellifluous sound, preferably with no meaning.
or association, to avoid stimulation of unnecessary thoughts.
MIND BODY MEDICINE HISTORY
When Herbert Benson, MD started medical practice as a young cardiologist more than 35 years ago, the term “mind/body medicine” was unknown. In the late 1960′s his work linking stress to physical health was contrary to existing medical thought. It is quite gratifying today to be advancing this now scientifically-validated field at a time of unprecedented interest in the unity of mind and body.
Proving the mind/body connection
Dr. Benson’s work in establishing the mind/body connection started when he noticed that his patients had elevated blood pressure during regular check-ups. To test his hypothesis that stress was the cause, he returned to his alma mater, Harvard Medical School, to try to establish a model for stress-induced hypertension. He and his colleagues trained squirrel monkeys to either raise or lower blood pressure using operant conditioning technology. They found that the monkeys who were “rewarded” for higher blood pressure went on to develop hypertension, basically due to their own behaviors.
While this study was underway, Dr. Benson was approached by young practitioners of Transcendental Meditation who asked him to study their blood pressure. They believed they had lower blood pressures as a result of their meditation practice. This type of study was virtually unheard of at the time, but he did consent, after much deliberation. Robert Keith Wallace and Dr. Benson measured metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate, brain waves, and rate of breathing – both when the subjects sat quietly for 20 minutes and when they meditated for 20 minutes. And what they found was striking.
Through the simple act of changing their thought patterns, the subjects experienced decreases in their metabolism, rate of breathing and heart rate, and had slower brain waves. These changes appeared to be the opposite of the commonly-known “fight-or-flight,” or stress, response and Dr. Benson labeled it the “relaxation response.” The relaxation response is the foundation of mind/body medicine as practiced at the BHI.
The relaxation response
Dr. Benson noted that the relaxation response can be elicited by a variety of meditative techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, repetitive prayer, chi gong, tai chi, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, jogging, even knitting.
The necessary two basic steps, which he found to be present in practices in almost every culture, are: the repetition of a sound, word, phrase prayer, or movement, and the passive setting aside of intruding thoughts and returning to the repetition. From the earliest studies to the present, the BHI’s work shows that by using your mind in a certain way – to elicit the relaxation response - measurable, predictable, and reproducible physiological changes occur that can be useful in countering the unhealthy fight-or-flight or stress response.
A healing tool
Over the past 25 years, Dr. Benson and his colleagues have treated thousands of people for medical problems poorly addressed by conventional medical practice. He views medicine as a three-legged stool: pharmaceuticals are the first leg, surgery and procedures the second. Mind/body interactions – the relaxation response, nutrition, exercise and spirituality – is the third, “self-care”, leg. Since roughly 60 to 90% of doctor visits are for conditions related to stress, the mind/body or self-care approach is a vital component of effective health care.
The Benson-Henry Institute’s clinical programs treat patients with a combination of relaxation response techniques, proper nutrition and exercise, and reframing of negative thinking patterns, in conjunction with the beliefs of patients. Clinical studies over the years have shown the effectiveness of these interventions on a wide range of medical problems caused or made worse by stress, such as hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, pain, insomnia, allergies, pms and menopause symptoms, and infertility, among many others. Practicing the relaxation response daily can enhance the immune system and make one more resistant to the harmful effects of constant stress.
Today, highly-successful clinical programs exceeding 9,000 patient visits per year are offered at the Benson-Henry Institute and affiliate sites in the United States and Taiwan. In addition, the Institute continues to bring relaxation response-based programs to classroom teachers and students, the corporate sector, and the general public, and training to health care professionals from the U.S. and around the world.
The Relaxation Response
In the late 1960′s, in the same room in which Harvard Medical School’s Walter Cannon performed fight-or-flight experiments 50 years earlier, Herbert Benson, MD found that there was a counterbalancing mechanism to the stress response. Just as stimulating an area of the hypothalamus can cause the stress response, so activating other areas of the brain results in its reduction. He defined this opposite state the “relaxation response.”
A recent interview of Dr. Benson by ABC News provides a very good introduction to the Relaxation Response. The video of the interview can be found here: Easy Ways to Take the Edge Off
The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress (e.g., decreases in heart rate, blood pressure, rate of breathing, and muscle tension).
When eliciting the relaxation response:
- Your metabolism decreases
- Your heart beats slower and your muscles relax
- Your breathing becomes slower
- Your blood pressure decreases
- Your levels of nitric oxide are increased
If practiced regularly, it can have lasting effects. Elicitation of the relaxation response is at the heart of the BHI’s research and clinical mind/body programs.
Eliciting the Relaxation Response
Elicitation of the relaxation response is actually quite easy. There are two essential steps:
- Repetition of a word, sound, phrase, prayer, or muscular activity.
- Passive disregard of everyday thoughts that inevitably come to mind and the return to your repetition.
The following is the generic technique taught at the Benson-Henry Institute:
- Pick a focus word, short phrase, or prayer that is firmly rooted in your belief system, such as “one,” “peace,” “The Lord is my shepherd,” “Hail Mary full of grace,” or “shalom.”
- Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes.
- Relax your muscles, progressing from your feet to your calves, thighs, abdomen, shoulders, head, and neck.
- Breathe slowly and naturally, and as you do, say your focus word, sound, phrase, or prayer silently to yourself as you exhale.
- Assume a passive attitude. Don’t worry about how well you’re doing. When other thoughts come to mind, simply say to yourself, “Oh well,” and gently return to your repetition.
- Continue for ten to 20 minutes.
- Do not stand immediately. Continue sitting quietly for a minute or so, allowing other thoughts to return. Then open your eyes and sit for another minute before rising.
- Practice the technique once or twice daily. Good times to do so are before breakfast and before dinner.
Regular elicitation of the relaxation response has been scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for a wide range of stress-related disorders. In fact, to the extent that any disease is caused or made worse by stress, the relaxation response can help.
Other techniques for evoking the relaxation response are:
- Imagery
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Repetitive prayer
- Mindfulness meditation
- Repetitive physical exercises
- Breath focus
You may want to try more than one technique to find the one that suits you best. Our relaxation CDs and tapes and exercises in managing stress can assist you. We also offer classes for Individual Instruction on Relaxation Techniques.
Once you are relaxed, you use your imagination to imagine that you are in one of your favorite, peaceful, pleasant places. This could be the beach, the mountains, a vacation spot, or your front porch. It does not matter where it is as long as it would be a place where you would be peaceful and relaxed. While you are busy thinking of this peasant place, you cannot at the same time be thinking of a worry.
As you think of your peaceful place, you will continue to relax and become more and more relaxed.
Time to practice.
Use the instructions reviewed earlier. (You might print them for easier review.) Each time you create muscle tension hold it for about ten seconds and then relax. Wait about twenty seconds and then tense the next muscle group. Start with your hands and end with your feet.
Now, practice.
After completing the relaxation exercise, notice how you feel and compare it to how you were feeling before you started. What differences do you notice? Do you feel any more relaxed? If so, how do you know? What is it that you notice? Did any aches or pains go away? If they did, they might be muscle tension related. Your hands and feet may be warmer as a result of the dilation of blood vessels in the extremities. You might feel a little sleepy. Your body may feel heavy. Does your mood feel calmer and more at ease? All of these signs indicate relaxation, and let you know that this procedure has worked for you.
If you noticed any of these changes, “Congratulations!” You are on the road to controlling your stress. Sometimes it takes several practice sessions to become aware of the effects. Keep trying.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice is the key. Progressive muscle relaxation is a skill. Like any skill the more that you practice the better you will get at it. If you do not practice you will not improve. In order to get any benefit from this procedure you must actually do it. Without practice, the skill of relaxation will not help you.