Stress (emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual) contributes to many of the medical conditions seen by healthcare providers. Research indicates that between sixty and ninety percent of visits to physicians are made by the “worried well.” Physical and emotional discomfort related to stress and other mind/body interactions is one of the most common reasons people seek medical help. A growing body of biomedical research is demonstrating that mind-body oriented interventions, particularly those utilizing the relaxation response and the positive beliefs of patients, have been demonstrated to be successful in treating and preventing stress-related illness and to control pain.

More than 30 years ago, Herbert Benson and his colleagues at Harvard University described a physiological reaction that is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response. They called the reaction the “relaxation response.” They define relaxation as the act of releasing muscles from habitual tension, inviting the breath to become slow and even, letting go of tension with each exhalation; emotionally cultivating an attitude of greater equanimity; and mentally observing and letting go of troubling, worrisome thoughts. Benson and his group found that individuals could learn to remember this state of wellness and draw upon it when feeling stressed.

Learning how to elicit the relaxation response results in: the release of endorphins (the “feel-good” hormones); a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, skeletal muscle tension, and respiration; promotion of digestion; an increase in the core body temperature; and it slows brain waves thereby decreasing analytical thinking. In other words, the relaxation response can be a learned method of controlling the effects of life’s stresses.

Eliciting the relaxation response is being in a state of profound physiological, mental and emotional rest that can have a lasting effect throughout the day if practiced on a regular basis. With practice the body and mind can remember this state of relaxation or wellness. With training, when an individual is feeling stressed, anxious, panicky, or in pain, they can elicit the relaxation response and the body goes into the state of rest, restoration, and remembered wellness.

The relaxation response requires learning a technique or intervention. Two steps are usually required to elicit the relaxation response. The first is the repetition of a word, sound, prayer, phrase or muscular activity. The second is that when other, everyday thoughts intrude, there is a passive return to the repetition. Many different techniques or interventions can be used to elicit the relaxation response.

Mind-body approaches such as mindful breathing, meditation, relaxation training, guided imagery, visualization, self-hypnosis, autogenic training, and yoga have been used successfully to elicit the relaxation response. In addition, prayer can be used to elicit the relaxation response. Some examples are the rosary as in the Catholic tradition, centering prayers used in Protestant religions and pre-davening prayers in Judaism. Any of these methods can be used at rest - sitting or lying down - or during exercise. A brief description of mindful breathing and meditation follows.

Mindful breathing incorporates the two steps necessary to elicit the relaxation response. In a comfortable position, the person concentrates on the rising and falling of the abdomen with each inhalation and exhalation (the repetition of a muscular activity) or uses counting such as 1, 2, 3, 4 on the inhalation and 4, 3, 2, 1 on the exhalation, a secular phrase such as “breathe in relaxation” on the inhalation and “breathe out stress” on the exhalation, or a religious prayer or phrase such as “God is in my heart” on the in breath, “and in my soul” on the out breath.

The purpose of mediation is to go within and experience quieting. It is natural and familiar to everyone. Meditation is the practice or process of attempting to focus or concentrate the mind on an object or activity, something people do most of the time when attention is turned outward. When using meditation to elicit the relaxation response, the attention is turned inward, concentrating on a repetitive focus such as the breath or a word. When the mind wanders, the attention is brought back to the object of the repetitive focus. Like mindful breathing, meditation slows down the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and increases the parasympathetic nervous system.

Examples of meditation are: thinking about the inhalation and exhalation of the breath; focusing on a mantra (a special word or phrase); or gazing and concentrating at a fixed object such as a flame or flower. Meditation involves the process of being uncritical with oneself in attempting to achieve a quieting of the mind. With practice, individuals are able to achieve longer periods where they maintain focus without other thoughts, noises, or physiological sensations distracting them.

Learning how to elicit the relaxation response, how to help the body remember wellness, can help individuals accept responsibility for maintaining health on all levels of their being ~ physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It means cultivating a state of quietness in a world that demands so much. It means coping with daily stresses.

Julie Milne, PhD, LCPC, NBCCH, RhT has a PhD in Health Psychology and trained at the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Harvard Medical School. She is also an Advanced Clinical Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist and a Certified RoHun Therapist. One of her areas of specialty is stress management and relaxation training. She can be contacted at 847.650.4260.

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