Relaxation Techniques

Posted: Dec. 1, 2004

Since stress is here to stay, everyone needs to develop methods for invoking the relaxation response. Relaxation lowers blood pressure, respiration and pulse rates, releases muscle tension and eases emotional strains. This response is highly individualized, but there are certain approaches that seem to work. Combinations are probably best.

Deep breathing exercises
During stress, breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Taking a deep breath is an automatic and effective technique for winding down. Here is an example:

• Inhale through the nose slowly and deeply to the count of ten.
• Make sure that the stomach and abdomen expand but the chest does not rise up.
• Exhale through the nose, slowly and completely, also to the count of ten.
• To help quiet the mind, concentrate fully on breathing and counting through each cycle.
• Repeat five to ten times and make a habit of doing the exercise several times each day, even when not feeling stressed.

Muscle relaxation
Muscle relaxation techniques, often combined with deep breathing, are simple to learn and very useful for getting to sleep. Practice makes the exercise much more effective and produces relaxation much more rapidly. Follow these steps:

• After lying down in a comfortable position without crossing the limbs, concentrate on each part of the body.
• Maintain a slow, deep breathing pattern throughout this exercise.
• Tense each muscle as tightly as possible for a count of five to ten and then release it completely.
• Experience the muscle as totally relaxed and lead-heavy.
• Begin with the top of the head and progress downward to focus on all the muscles in the body.
• Be sure to include the forehead, ears, eyes, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms and hands, fingers, chest, belly, thighs, calves and feet.
• Once the external review is complete, imagine tensing and releasing internal muscles.

Meditation
The goal of all meditative procedures, both religious and therapeutic, is to quiet the mind (essentially, to relax thought). With practice, meditation reduces stress hormone levels and elevates mood. The practiced meditator can achieve a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline levels and skin temperature while meditating.

Some recommend meditating for no longer than 20 minutes in the morning after awakening and then again in early evening before dinner. Even once a day is helpful.

New practitioners should understand that it can be difficult to quiet the mind, and should not be discouraged by lack of immediate results.

A number of techniques are available. Here are two examples.

Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness is a common practice that focuses on breathing. It employs the basic technique used in other forms of meditation.

• Sit upright with the spine straight, either cross-legged or sitting on a firm chair with both feet on the floor, uncrossed.
• With the eyes closed or gently looking a few feet ahead, observe the exhalation of the breath.
• As the mind wanders, one simply notes it as a fact and returns to the "out" breath. It may be helpful to imagine one's thoughts as clouds dissipating away.

Transcendental Meditation (TM)
TM uses a mantra (a word that has a specific chanting sound but no meaning). The meditator repeats the word silently, letting thoughts come and go. In one study, TM was as effective as exercise in elevating mood.

Massage therapy
Massage therapy appears to slow down the heart and relax the body. Rather than causing drowsiness, however, massage actually increases alertness.

Swedish massage uses muscle manipulation. It is the standard massage technique and is widely available.

Reflexology manipulates acupuncture points in the hands and feet.

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