Relaxation techniques are used by people who wish to relax, for a wide variety of reasons. Since the 1960s, research has indicated strong correlations between stress levels and physical and emotional health. Meditation was among the first relaxation techniques shown to have a measurable effect on stress reduction. In the 1970s, self-help books teaching relaxation techniques began to appear on bestsellers lists. [1] In 1975, The Relaxation Response by Harvard Medical School professor Herbert Benson, MD and Miriam Z. Klipper was published. Their book has been credited with popularizing meditation in the United States. In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ... Best Sellers can refer to: Best Seller - article about book best sellers. ... Harvard Medical School (HMS) is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ...

Research released in the 1980s indicated stronger ties between stress and health and showed benefits from a wider range of relaxation techniques than had been previously known. This research received national media attention, including a New York Times article in 1986. [2] Public awareness about the health benefits of relaxation techniques grew, and so did the numbers of people who practiced them. Conventional medical philosophy adopted the concept and its early Twenty-first Century practitioners recommend using relaxation techniques to improve patient outcomes in many situations. Relaxation techniques are also a mainstay of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Six out of ten of the most commonly used CAM therapies are relaxation techniques. Alternative medicine is defined as any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as chiropractic, homeopathy naturopathic, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula taught in the United States and Britain.[1] Complementary medicine is defined as any of the practices (as acupuncture) of alternative medicine...

Used for

People use relaxation techniques for the following reasons, among others:

• Anger management
• Anxiety attacks
• Cardiac health
• Depression
• General well-being
• Headache
• High blood pressure
• Immune system support
• Insomnia
• Pain management
• Stress management

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Techniques

Some techniques include:

• Biofeedback
• Deep breathing
• Exercise
• Homeopathy
• Humor
• Listening to music
• Massage
• Meditation
• Prayer
• Qigong
• Reflexology
• Self-hypnosis
• Visualization
• Yoga
• Cannabis Usage

Biofeedback mechanism. ... Diaphragmatic breathing, or deep breathing is the act of breathing deep into your lungs by flexing your diaphragm rather than breathing shallowly by flexing your rib cage. ... “Exercise” redirects here. ... Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy Homeopathy (also spelled homœopathy or homoeopathy), from the Greek words όμοιος, hómoios (similar) and πάθος, páthos (suffering)[1], is a controversial subset of alternative medicine practices, that aims to treat like with like. ... Look up humour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article discusses mainly the development and use of music in western culture. ... Massager Jacuzzi in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... A woman performs a Qigong routine outdoors. ... This is an example of a reflexology chart, correlating areas of the feet with organs in the zones of the body. ... Professor Charcot was well-known for showing, during his lessons at the Salpêtrière hospital, hysterical woman patients – here, his favorite patient, Blanche (Marie) Wittman, supported by Joseph Babiński. ... A mental image is the representation of an idea in a persons mind. ... Statue of Shiva performing Yogic meditation Yoga (Devanagari: योग) is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. ... Look up Cannabis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

See also

• Stress management
• Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Autogenic training

A cluttered environment with too many tasks can lead to stress. ... Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique of stress management developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson in the early 1920s. ... Autogenic training is a term for a relaxation technique developed by the German psychiatrist Johannes Schultz first published in 1932. ...

External links

• [3]Progressive Relaxation Script
• Relaxation Techniques, Releasing Tension Techniques.
• Mind Body Medical Institute
• Can stress kill?
• Quick and Long-Term Relaxation Techniques
• Relaxation Techniques for Relief of Anxiety and Stress
• Mind/Body Relaxation Article and Step by Step Manual
• Relaxation Breathing Meditation

References

• 1970s Bestsellers URL accessed on May 23, 2006.
• Relaxation: surprising benefits detected by Daniel Goleman, The New York Times, May 13, 1986, retrieved May 23, 2006.