Mindbody relaxation
Encyclopedia
The goal of mindbody relaxation is to relax both the body and mind. The basic idea is that it's easier to relax your mind if you first relax your body. There are a variety of mindbody relaxation techniques including yoga
and meditation
. Mindbody meditation goes by many different names, including mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindful meditation. The term "mindbody" is spelled either as "mind-body" or as "mindbody", to emphasize the connection between the body and mind.
Why is mindbody relaxation important? Tension has been proven to have many negative consequences. Tension causes premature aging of DNA. A study at the University of California at San Francisco showed that mothers who are under high stress have more damage to their DNA than mothers under low stress. Tension and stress cost American businesses $300 billion a year. The total cost includes increased health costs, accidents, absenteeism, employee turnover, and reduced productivity, according to The American Institute of Stress
by 30%, and reduces deaths due to heart disease by 23% according to a study in the American Journal of Cardiology, which also showed that relaxation increases life expectancy. Furthermore mindbody relaxation techniques significantly reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and fatal heart attacks according to a study in the British Medical Journal.
Mindbody relaxation reverses hardening of the arteries. Not only does mindbody relaxation reduce the risk of heart disease, it actually reverses hardening of the arteries according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal, Stroke.
Mindbody relaxation reduces the risk of a depression
recurrence by 50%. Approximately 10-30% of people will suffer at least one episode of depression in their life. Relaxation techniques in conjunction with medication reduce the risk of recurrence of depression significantly more than medication alone.
Mindbody relaxation is effective in treating and preventing substance abuse
and addiction
. Approximately 10% of people suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. Numerous studies have shown that relaxation provides long-term improvements in self-esteem and psychological health, and significantly reduces the risk of substance abuse.
Mindbody relaxation helps treat anxiety
and panic attacks. A study at the University of Massachusetts showed that patients who suffered from generalized anxiety or panic disorder felt significantly better after learning relaxation techniques, and continued to use those techniques over the long-term.
Mindbody relaxation can strengthen the immune system. One study showed that after just eight weeks of learning how to relax, participants had a stronger immune system.
Mindbody relaxation relieves chronic pain
, and relieves chronic low-back pain
. In one study, after a ten-week mindbody relaxation course many patients needed less pain medication. After fifteen months, not only did they suffer less pain, but because they suffered less pain they also suffered less from depression and anxiety.
Mindbody relaxation reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia
. In one study, 51% of the patients experienced moderate to marked improvement in their fibromyalgia symptoms. That is rare in most treatments of fibromyalgia.
of the University of Chicago. In the 1920s he developed a technique called progressive relaxation, in which patients were taught to progressively relax their muscles. Dr. Jacobson explicitly stated that by relaxing the muscles of the body an individual would feel more relaxed in general.
In the 1960s Dr. Hans Selye
, an endocrinologist at the University of Montreal, was the first to document the physical consequences of stress on the immune system. Dr. Selye coined the word stressor, which has become part of the vocabulary.
Also in the 1960s Dr. Herbert Benson
, a cardiologist at Harvard, began to study the medical benefits of relaxation. Dr. Benson conclusively proved the mindbody connection by showing that simple relaxation techniques could lower people's blood pressure, slow their heart rate, and calm their brain waves. He called that effect "the relaxation response". In 1975 Dr. Benson wrote a popular book called The Relaxation Response.
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn
, a molecular biologist at the University of Massachusetts, took these ideas and is largely responsible for the adoption of meditation by hospitals and health care.
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
. Mindbody meditation goes by many different names, including mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindful meditation. The term "mindbody" is spelled either as "mind-body" or as "mindbody", to emphasize the connection between the body and mind.
Why is mindbody relaxation important? Tension has been proven to have many negative consequences. Tension causes premature aging of DNA. A study at the University of California at San Francisco showed that mothers who are under high stress have more damage to their DNA than mothers under low stress. Tension and stress cost American businesses $300 billion a year. The total cost includes increased health costs, accidents, absenteeism, employee turnover, and reduced productivity, according to The American Institute of Stress
Benefits
Mindbody relaxation reduces the risk of heart diseaseHeart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
by 30%, and reduces deaths due to heart disease by 23% according to a study in the American Journal of Cardiology, which also showed that relaxation increases life expectancy. Furthermore mindbody relaxation techniques significantly reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and fatal heart attacks according to a study in the British Medical Journal.
Mindbody relaxation reverses hardening of the arteries. Not only does mindbody relaxation reduce the risk of heart disease, it actually reverses hardening of the arteries according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal, Stroke.
Mindbody relaxation reduces the risk of a depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
recurrence by 50%. Approximately 10-30% of people will suffer at least one episode of depression in their life. Relaxation techniques in conjunction with medication reduce the risk of recurrence of depression significantly more than medication alone.
Mindbody relaxation is effective in treating and preventing substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
and addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
. Approximately 10% of people suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. Numerous studies have shown that relaxation provides long-term improvements in self-esteem and psychological health, and significantly reduces the risk of substance abuse.
Mindbody relaxation helps treat anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
and panic attacks. A study at the University of Massachusetts showed that patients who suffered from generalized anxiety or panic disorder felt significantly better after learning relaxation techniques, and continued to use those techniques over the long-term.
Mindbody relaxation can strengthen the immune system. One study showed that after just eight weeks of learning how to relax, participants had a stronger immune system.
Mindbody relaxation relieves chronic pain
Chronic pain
Chronic pain has several different meanings in medicine. Traditionally, the distinction between acute and chronic pain has relied upon an arbitrary interval of time from onset; the two most commonly used markers being 3 months and 6 months since the initiation of pain, though some theorists and...
, and relieves chronic low-back pain
Back pain
Back pain is pain felt in the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine.The pain can often be divided into neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain...
. In one study, after a ten-week mindbody relaxation course many patients needed less pain medication. After fifteen months, not only did they suffer less pain, but because they suffered less pain they also suffered less from depression and anxiety.
Mindbody relaxation reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. It is an example of a diagnosis of exclusion...
. In one study, 51% of the patients experienced moderate to marked improvement in their fibromyalgia symptoms. That is rare in most treatments of fibromyalgia.
History
The history of mindbody relaxation goes back two and a half thousand years to the origins of yoga. But the modern history of mindbody relaxation begins with Dr. Edmund JacobsonEdmund Jacobson
Edmund Jacobson was a US-American physician in internal medicine and psychiatry and a physiologist. He was the founder of the Progressive Muscle Relaxation and of Biofeedback....
of the University of Chicago. In the 1920s he developed a technique called progressive relaxation, in which patients were taught to progressively relax their muscles. Dr. Jacobson explicitly stated that by relaxing the muscles of the body an individual would feel more relaxed in general.
In the 1960s Dr. Hans Selye
Hans Selye
Hans Hugo Bruno Selye, CC was a pioneering endocrinologist. Selye did much important scientific work on the hypothetical non-specific response of an organism to stressors. While he did not recognize all of the many aspects of glucocorticoids, Selye was aware of their role in the stress response...
, an endocrinologist at the University of Montreal, was the first to document the physical consequences of stress on the immune system. Dr. Selye coined the word stressor, which has become part of the vocabulary.
Also in the 1960s Dr. Herbert Benson
Herbert Benson
Herbert Benson, M.D. , is an American cardiologist and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He graduated from Wesleyan University and Harvard Medical School....
, a cardiologist at Harvard, began to study the medical benefits of relaxation. Dr. Benson conclusively proved the mindbody connection by showing that simple relaxation techniques could lower people's blood pressure, slow their heart rate, and calm their brain waves. He called that effect "the relaxation response". In 1975 Dr. Benson wrote a popular book called The Relaxation Response.
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn was a student of Zen Master Seung Sahn and a founding member of...
, a molecular biologist at the University of Massachusetts, took these ideas and is largely responsible for the adoption of meditation by hospitals and health care.