Relaxation Therapy
Relaxation: A state of relative freedom from both anxiety and skeletal muscle tension.
Source: University of Newcastle upon Tyne
To overcome conditions such as anxiety, phobias, stress, depression or panic attacks it is important to learn how to relax. It is impossible to feel relaxed and tense at the same time. People who live with high levels of anxiety or stress often do not know how to relax or to release the tension stored in their muscles that is contributing to the experience of anxiety.
Relaxation therapy refers to a number of techniques designed to teach someone to be able to relax voluntarily. Programs most often include training in diaphragmatic breathing and muscle relaxation exercises designed to reduce physical and mental tension, but can incorporate autogenic training, guided imagery, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, Zen meditation, yoga and other therapies involving mind and body.
Regular, daily practice of relaxation techniques will assist you in relieving muscle tension, greatly improve your overall feeling of wellbeing and reduce your anxiety. Deep relaxation involves a number of physiological changes including:
- Decreases in heart rate
- Decrease in respiration rate
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Decreases in skeletal muscle tension
- Decrease in metabolic rate and oxygen consumption
- Decrease in analytical thinking
- Increase in skin resistance
Regular practice of deep relaxation for approximately 25 minutes on a daily basis
can produce, over time, a general feeling of relaxation and wellbeing that benefits
every area of your life. When you feel relaxed and at ease you are less likely to
turn on the anxiety or stress response and will find that you feel more in control
most of the time.
Benefits of deep relaxation include:
- Reduction of anxiety
- Reduction of frequency and severity of panic attacks
- Prevention of stress becoming cumulative
- Increased energy
- Improved concentration and memory
- Reduction of insomnia and fatigue
- Deeper, better quality of sleep
- Prevention and or reduction conditions such as hypertension, migraines, headaches, asthma, ulcers etc.
- Increased self confidence
How do you achieve a state of deep relaxation?
- Muscle relaxation techniques
- Meditation
- Correct abdominal breathing
During deep relaxation various hormones and enzymes including endorphins, our body’s natural painkillers, are released helping to boost the immune system and create a feeling of well-being.