by A relaxation technique (also known as relaxation training) is any method, process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; to attain a state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of pain, anxiety, stress or anger. Relaxation techniques are often employed as one element of a wider stress management program and can decrease muscle tension, lower the blood pressure and slow heart and breath rates, among other health benefits.
Relaxation in psychology is the emotional state of a living being, of low tension, in which there is an absence of arousal that could come from sources such as anger, anxiety, or fear. According to Oxford Dictionaries relaxation is when the body and mind are free from tension and anxiety. Relaxation is a form of mild ecstasy coming from the frontal lobe of the brain in which the backward cortex sends signals to the frontal cortex via a mild sedative. Relaxation can be achieved through meditation, autogenic, and progressive muscle relaxation. Relaxation helps improve coping with stress. Stress is the leading cause of mental problems and physical problems, therefore feeling relaxed is beneficial for a person’s health. When we are stressed, the sympathetic nervous system is activated because we are in a fight-or-flight response mode; over time, this could have negative effects on a human body.
People respond to stress in different ways, namely, by becoming overwhelmed, depressed or both. Yoga, QiGong, Taiji, and Pranayama that includes deep breathing tend to calm people who are overwhelmed by stress, while rhythmic exercise improves the mental and physical health of those who are depressed. People who encounter both symptoms simultaneously, feeling depressed in some ways and overexcited in others, may do best by walking or performing yoga techniques that are focused on strength.
Uses
People use relaxation techniques for the following reasons, among others:
- Anger management
- Anxiety attacks
- Cardiac health
- Childbirth
- Depression
- General well-being
- Headache
- High blood pressure
- Preparation for hypnosis
- Immune system support
- Insomnia
- Pain management
- Relaxation (psychology)
- Stress management
- Addiction treatment
- Nightmare disorder
Techniques
Various techniques are used by individuals to improve their state of relaxation. Some of the methods are performed alone; some require the help of another person (often a trained professional); some involve movement, some focus on stillness; while other methods involve different elements.
Certain relaxation techniques known as “formal and passive relaxation exercises” are generally performed while sitting or lying quietly, with minimal movement and involve “a degree of withdrawal”. These include:
- Autogenic training
- Biofeedback
- Deep breathing
- Guided imagery
- Hypnosis
- Meditation
- Pranayama
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Qigong
- Transcendental Meditation technique
- Yoga Nidra
- Zen Yoga
Movement-based relaxation methods incorporate exercise such as walking, gardening, yoga, T’ai chi, Qigong, and more. Some forms of bodywork are helpful in promoting a state of increased relaxation. Examples include massage, acupuncture, the Feldenkrais Method, myotherapy, reflexology and self-regulation.
Some relaxation methods can also be used during other activities, for example, autosuggestion and prayer. At least one study has suggested that listening to certain types of music, particularly new-age music and classical music, can increase feelings associated with relaxation, such as peacefulness and a sense of ease.
A technique growing in popularity is flotation therapy, which is the use of a float tank in which a solution of Epsom salt is kept at skin temperature to provide effortless floating. Research in USA and Sweden has demonstrated a powerful and profound relaxation after twenty minutes. In some cases, floating may reduce pain and stress and has been shown to release endorphins.
Even actions as simple as a walk in the park have been shown to aid feelings of relaxation, regardless of the initial reason for the visit.
Benefits
The benefits of relaxation can be found in three main areas of an individual’s health, including; mental, physical and physiological health. Being relaxed can do positive things for someone’s health from just elevating your mood to helping with insomnia. All of these things can help an individual live a happier and healthier life and may increase the longevity of one’s life. There are not many draw backs of relaxation. It is an easy technique to understand and follow through with. Three categories that relaxation can help with are mental, physical, and physiological.
Meditation
Herbert Benson, a professor at the medical school at Harvard University, has proposed in his book The Relaxation Response a mechanism of the body that counters the fight-or-flight response. The relaxation response reduces the body’s metabolism, heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and calms brain activity. It increases the immune response, helps attention and decision making, and changes gene activities that are the opposite of those associated stress.[citation needed] The relaxation response is achieved through meditation. Benson’s meditation technique involves these four steps:
- A quiet environment to help focus
- A mental device to help keep attention constant (a sound or word said repeatedly)
- A positive attitude to avoid getting upset over failed attempts
- A comfortable position
Autogenics
Autogenics was invented by Dr. Johannes Heinrich Schultz in the 1920s. The process of autogenics is by relaxing muscles deeply, and by doing so, the mind follows through and relaxes as well. There as six parts to autogenics training:
- Heaviness in parts of the body (arms and legs feel heavy)
- Warmth in parts of the body (arms and legs feel warm)
- Heartbeat (heart is calm)
- Breathing (breathing is calm)
- Warmth in the abdominal area
- Forehead is cool
Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation helps relax your muscles by tensing certain parts of the body (such as the neck), and then releasing the tension in order to feel the muscles relaxing. This technique helps for people with anxiety because they are always tense throughout the day.
Relaxation techniques
Although stress levels vary across society, the fact remains that stress can be detrimental to one’s health. In order to combat this stress, there have been a variety of methods developed that have been proven to reduce stress and its consequences in everyday life. The majority of techniques can be classified in to either Physical, Mental or Therapeutic techniques.
Physical relaxation technique
Breathing techniques are one of the easiest ways to reduce stress. They require little effort and can be done anywhere at any time. Proper breathing techniques that incorporate deep abdominal breathing have been shown to reduce the physical symptoms of depression, anxiety and hypertension as well as everyday emotional symptoms of anger and nervousness.
Progressive muscle relaxation is a relaxation technique that requires an individual to focus on flexing and holding a certain set of muscles and then slowly relaxing those same muscles. As the individual flexes and releases those muscles from top to bottom they will feel a deep sense of relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation is a somewhat adapted version of the Jacobsonian Relaxation Technique developed in the 1920s. Progressive muscle relaxation is currently used in clinical and non-clinical settings to reduce the effects of anxiety and sleeplessness brought upon by stress. The long-term goal of this relaxation technique is to be able to identify when your body’s muscles are suffering the effects of stress and to be able to relax the individual and the individuals muscles when directed.
Mental technique
Meditation has long been practiced in other regions around the world. However, it is a practice that is fairly new to North America and it is gaining attention quickly for the physical and psychological benefits it provides to your body. Studies have shown that in addition to reducing physiological and psychological stresses placed on your body, individuals who practice meditation have much fewer doctor visits for both physical and psychological illnesses.
Hypnosis relaxation therapy has recently become another technique used among healthcare professionals to promote relaxation. When performed correctly, hypnosis has the ability to put an individual into a deep state of relaxation. During this state, the individual is highly vulnerable to suggestions stated by the person performing the hypnosis. Not only will the hypnotized individual be stress free and in a deep state of relaxation but it is thought that when the individual is out of hypnosis they will be less susceptible to the effects of stress as suggested by the person who performed the hypnosis on them. In addition to relaxation, hypnosis therapy is being used to treat a variety of conditions. Treatments for conditions using hypnosis that are currently being promoted by The Mayo Clinic are; smoking addiction therapy, pain control therapy, weight loss, coping with chemotherapy, asthma, and allergy relief.
Therapeutic relaxation
Relaxation techniques used in therapy by a certified counselor or therapist could include any of the previous techniques discussed. Professionals in the fields of psychology or counseling will have the ability to administer a variety of these techniques. If they feel it is appropriate, they may prescribe medication to assist the patient with relaxation. Although a number of these techniques are simple and can be performed on one’s own time, patients may receive better results if they are guided by a professional who is very familiar with the techniques.
