Real relaxation involves mental rest

The art of relaxation is easier said than done. Many people think relaxation is a state of mind that is opposite of being busy. Reading a newspaper, watching television or talking with a friend on the phone may be enjoyable or recreational, but is not necessarily the kind of relaxation needed to neutralize stress and tension. True relaxation involves a somewhat altered state of consciousness where concentration is focused on deeply relaxing the whole body in a physiological way.

John is a successful, hard-driving and competitive salesman who relates to life in an intense and often aggressive manner. He attacks each new situation with a fierceness of a soldier in combat or a professional athlete in competition. The result is an elevated production of adrenaline and a nervous system charged like an uninsulated electric wire.

John is not even relaxed when he sleeps. His wife listens as he grinds his teeth nightly.

What John doesn’t know is that his level of production and efficiency could be increased significantly if he could learn to approach life in a more relaxed manner. Being truly relaxed is something everyone can and should learn. There are many ways to achieve a healthy state of relaxation, including medication, yoga, self-hypnosis and biofeedback. All these techniques take practice, but once learned can be continued and become a way of life.

The key is regular practice along with the desire to alter one’s lifestyle. Most people require several weeks of practice to master the ability to completely relax. Practice should be done once or twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. As you continue to practice you will find the feeling of relaxation will stay with you longer between practice sessions. The final goal is to remain in a more relaxed state all the time.

Following is a brief relaxation exercise. Start by assuming a comfortable position in a chair or lying down. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly, allowing your muscles to completely relax.

Establish the feeling of deep muscle relaxation by alternately tensing and relaxing various muscle groups. Start with the forehead. Raise the eyebrows and tense the muscles in the forehead and hold this for about 30 seconds. Now, release the tension and notice the distinct feeling of relaxation. Clench the muscles in the jaws, hold for 30 seconds and release. Again, notice the feeling of relaxation. Move to the shoulders, arms, hands and legs. Alternately tense and relax each muscle group while breathing slowly and deeply.

After completing this sequence of tensing and relaxing, picture yourself in a relaxing scene. Sitting beside a mountain stream on a beautiful spring day listening to the water running over the rocks, smelling the mountain air and becoming a part of the whole relaxed and tranquil scene.

This relaxation technique is useful for helping people with insomnia learn to relax in order to fall asleep. It also may be used to combat anxiety in conditions such as agoraphobia or stage fright. Teachers can modify the technique to help a restless child relax at school. Some children diagnosed as “hyperactive” have benefited from relaxation therapy.

Copyright c 1990 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.