Relaxation Response – Calm Your Mind and Body

Dr. Herbert Benson, in his book The Relaxation Response, showed that by using your mind and awareness, you can control your body’s physical response to stress. This program introduces techniques that help you relax and reduce stress symptoms. When tension and anxiety build up, these symptoms can get worse, but with the right relaxation practices, you can feel better.

Dr. Benson also wrote The Relaxation Revolution, a well-known book on the topic.

What is the Relaxation Response?

The relaxation response is a state of deep rest that changes your body’s physical and emotional reaction to stress. It’s the opposite of the “fight or flight” response. When practiced regularly, it helps reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension, promoting long-term stress relief and better health.

By using relaxation techniques regularly, you can improve your ability to manage stress and prevent stress-related health issues.

How Does It Work?

When you practice the relaxation response, it creates balance between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, helping your body function more effectively and find equilibrium. We offer a variety of relaxation techniques, so you can choose the ones that work best for you and fit into your routine.

The Power of Meditation and Prayer

In the 1970s, Dr. Benson was fascinated by Transcendental Meditation (TM), which uses a mantra to promote relaxation. He researched its effects and found that repeating a mantra could lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate, helping you relax deeply.

Dr. Benson also discovered that you don’t need a specific mantra for these benefits to occur. He tested various words, including religious phrases like “Hail Mary” and “Shalom,” and found that they all produced the same positive effects on the body.

Mantra vs. Prayer

In his book The Relaxation Response, Dr. Benson explained that both meditation and prayer produce the relaxation response in the body. His research showed that people were more likely to stick with a meditation practice when using a prayer or familiar phrase as a mantra, rather than using a random word.

By incorporating the relaxation response into your life, you can reduce stress and promote healing—making it a powerful tool for both physical and emotional well-being!

See Herbert Benson on Youtube talking about his new book, The Relaxation Revolution