The Relaxation Response (Dr. Benson’s Advice)
When the stress of modern life causes the
fight-or-flight response, you can use the relaxation response to reduce and
counteract the harmful effects. When you are under stress, your mind tells the
heart to beat faster. In fact, your mind controls your heart rate and you can
use your mind to voluntarily slow it down.
With practice and commitment, you may be able to
use the relaxation response to achieve a decrease in stress, anxiety,
compulsive worrying, and negative thoughts, and an increase in concentration
and awareness, as well as greater self-confidence, enhanced performance, and
improved sleep.
The relaxation response is a natural,
physiological response; it can occur when you are not even aware of it. You can
initiate this response through mental imaging techniques that involve focusing.
Bring to mind, for example, a time when you were lying on a beach, fully
relaxed, or the moments before you drift into sleep.
Two components are involved in eliciting the
relaxation response:
1.
A mental focusing device—such
as focusing on your breathing or repeating a phrase, prayer, or sound to help
you shift your mind from everyday thoughts and worries.
2.
A passive attitude toward
distracting thoughts, which means not worrying about how well you are doing (or
about the laundry or a business report), but gently directing your mind back to
your focus when you notice yourself being distracted.
The relaxation response must be learned and
practiced, ideally at least once a day. Follow these steps. It may take several
attempts before you begin to feel the effects. Once you have mastered the art
of the relaxation response, you will be able to use it at your desk, before a
speech, or during any other event that is stressful for you.
Step1.
Pick a focus phrase, image, or
prayer. You may also choose to focus on your breathing.
Step2.
Find a quiet place and sit
calmly in a comfortable position.
Step3.
Close your eyes.
Step4.
Relax all of your muscles.
Step5.
Breathe slowly and naturally;
as you do, repeat your focus word or phrase as you exhale.
Step6.
Assume a passive attitude. Do
not worry about how well you are doing. When other thoughts come to mind,
simply return to the repetition.
Step7.
Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.
Step8.
Practice the technique once or
twice daily.
Herbert Benson (born 1935), is an American medical doctor, cardiologist, and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He is Mind/Body Medicine Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is Founding Trustee of The American Institute of Stress. He has contributed more than 190 scientific publications and 12 books. More than five million copies of his books have been printed in different languages.
Herbert Benson (born 1935), is an American medical doctor, cardiologist, and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He is Mind/Body Medicine Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is Founding Trustee of The American Institute of Stress. He has contributed more than 190 scientific publications and 12 books. More than five million copies of his books have been printed in different languages.
Started in 1998, Benson became the leader of the so-called "Great Prayer Experiment", or technically the "Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP)". The result published in 2006 concluded that intercessory prayer has no beneficial effect on patients with coronary artery bypass graft surgery. He, however, still believes that prayer has positive health benefits. Benson coined "Relaxation Response" (and wrote a book by the same title) as a scientific term for meditation, and he used it to describe the ability of the body to stimulate relaxation of muscle and organs.
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