Posted by Diana Bertoldo | Posted in | Posted on 9:08 AM
What we refer to as relaxation:
For some people, relaxation might look like sitting in a recliner and watching television, playing golf on a Saturday afternoon, taking a nap, going for a drive in the country, having dinner with friends, or even talking on the phone with a friend. While these may be “relaxing” things we all do, they do not induce what is called a relaxation response. Why? They all involve an active mind. Even while taking a nap your mind will be active as you dream.
What is a relaxation response?
A relaxation response is really the ultimate of relaxation! Inducing a relaxation response requires both the mind and body to enter a state of inactivity. Even when our bodies are at rest and experiencing stillness our minds are typically chattering away. That’s the nature of the mind—to wander, examine, and explore. But when our mind is busy our bodies can never experience complete relaxation. Therefore, the calmer your mind is the more relaxed your body will be.
Creating a relaxation response allows your body to enter into a state of balance. Stress creates an imbalance in the body. While our bodies typically know what to do and how to do it to keep us alive and well, stress can impede the body’s ability to restore and create balance. If there’s one thing we can all do to support the body’s balanced state and healing process it is to eliminate the stress that impedes our bodies from doing what it does best.
How do I calm my mind?
It’s essential to remember that calming the mind requires limiting the activity and focus of your mind. The mind wants to go all over the place—jump from one thing to another. The mind is constantly full of thought. It’s been said that the mind can be experiencing over 300 thoughts per minute. That’s quite a load!
Deep breathing work is one of the ways to practice calming your mind. You might limit the activity of your mind by focusing on counting to five as you inhale and then counting to five as you exhale. Do this for a period of 15 minutes or more and you are bound to have activated your relaxation response. For a detailed example of this exercise you can check out this earlier post- Deep Breathing
As long as your attention is limited to the counting and you are gently aware of your breath and how it moves in and out of your body, you will have definitely calmed the mind and the body.
How do I know when I’ve really experienced the relaxation response?
It’s hard to deny when you’ve activated the relaxation response because you will feel a sense of quiet in the mind, as well as a sense of balance in both mind and body. I often here people report a sense of connection between body/mind where one is aligned with the other. Some people even say, “Wow! This is what it’s like to feel normal!” It is then I know they’ve experienced the relaxation response.
People also report a sense of feeling energized but peaceful. Some people have shared they experience a strong sense of feeling safe and serene. I had one client tell me that she felt like she began her “calming the mind practice” feeling like her body and mind were racing at 150mph and ended feeling like she and the world around her had come to a dead stop. This same client added, “This is going to become my new cigarette!” And it did. She traded in her cigarette habit for the relaxation response.
More on activating the Relaxation Response:
Stay tuned for future posts offering other exercises you can use to engage the relaxation response.
For some people, relaxation might look like sitting in a recliner and watching television, playing golf on a Saturday afternoon, taking a nap, going for a drive in the country, having dinner with friends, or even talking on the phone with a friend. While these may be “relaxing” things we all do, they do not induce what is called a relaxation response. Why? They all involve an active mind. Even while taking a nap your mind will be active as you dream.
What is a relaxation response?
A relaxation response is really the ultimate of relaxation! Inducing a relaxation response requires both the mind and body to enter a state of inactivity. Even when our bodies are at rest and experiencing stillness our minds are typically chattering away. That’s the nature of the mind—to wander, examine, and explore. But when our mind is busy our bodies can never experience complete relaxation. Therefore, the calmer your mind is the more relaxed your body will be.
Creating a relaxation response allows your body to enter into a state of balance. Stress creates an imbalance in the body. While our bodies typically know what to do and how to do it to keep us alive and well, stress can impede the body’s ability to restore and create balance. If there’s one thing we can all do to support the body’s balanced state and healing process it is to eliminate the stress that impedes our bodies from doing what it does best.
How do I calm my mind?
It’s essential to remember that calming the mind requires limiting the activity and focus of your mind. The mind wants to go all over the place—jump from one thing to another. The mind is constantly full of thought. It’s been said that the mind can be experiencing over 300 thoughts per minute. That’s quite a load!
Deep breathing work is one of the ways to practice calming your mind. You might limit the activity of your mind by focusing on counting to five as you inhale and then counting to five as you exhale. Do this for a period of 15 minutes or more and you are bound to have activated your relaxation response. For a detailed example of this exercise you can check out this earlier post- Deep Breathing
As long as your attention is limited to the counting and you are gently aware of your breath and how it moves in and out of your body, you will have definitely calmed the mind and the body.
How do I know when I’ve really experienced the relaxation response?
It’s hard to deny when you’ve activated the relaxation response because you will feel a sense of quiet in the mind, as well as a sense of balance in both mind and body. I often here people report a sense of connection between body/mind where one is aligned with the other. Some people even say, “Wow! This is what it’s like to feel normal!” It is then I know they’ve experienced the relaxation response.
People also report a sense of feeling energized but peaceful. Some people have shared they experience a strong sense of feeling safe and serene. I had one client tell me that she felt like she began her “calming the mind practice” feeling like her body and mind were racing at 150mph and ended feeling like she and the world around her had come to a dead stop. This same client added, “This is going to become my new cigarette!” And it did. She traded in her cigarette habit for the relaxation response.
More on activating the Relaxation Response:
Stay tuned for future posts offering other exercises you can use to engage the relaxation response.
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