Health Benefits of Mind & Body Relaxation

Stress, anxiety, tension and depression are intimately connected with most illness. Relaxation techniques directly affect the nervous system and promote an environment for optimum health.

The autonomic nervous system has two branches.  These are called the stress (sympathetic) and the relaxtion (parasympathetic) response .

• The stress response activates the glands and organs that defend the body against attack.  It is also called the fight-or-flight system.  Its nerves direct more blood to the muscles and the brain.  The heart rate and blood pressure increase, while it decreases the blood flow to the digestive and eliminative organs.

  • It also activates the thyroid and adrenal glands to provide extra energy for fighting or running away.  Nervousness, stress or feelings of panic are what one feels when in a sympathetic state of readiness.

  • The stress response is catabolic, which means it tears down the body.  Energy is used to prepare for defense, rather than for nourishment or for elimination of wastes. The feeling of an ‘adrenalin rush’ is a product of the stress response.  It may feel good at first, but is always followed by a feeling of fatigue, as this system uses up energy and depletes the body.

• The relaxation response system of nerves is concerned with nourishing, healing and regeneration of the body.  It is anabolic, or concerned with rebuilding the body.  Its nerves stimulate digestion, and the immune and eliminative organs.  These organs include the liver, pancreas, stomach and intestines. 

  • The relaxation response, when activated by rest, relaxation and happy thoughts, is essential for balanced living and for all healing.  Moving yourself into a healthy relaxation state, and staying there as much of the time as possible, helps heal all health conditions, both physical and emotional ones as well.

  • The feeling often associated with the relaxation response can be one of lethargy or fatigue, as you are so relaxed.  Do not, however, believe this is unhealthy.  Rather, it indicates a state of repair and rebuilding in progress.

The stress and relaxation response systems are antagonistic.  Either one or the other is activated most all of the time.  The sympathetic system, however, always takes precedence, because it is concerned with one’s survival.        

To promote balance and healing, the goal is to keep the stress response turned off as much as possible.  This allows the maximum healing to occur.  Simple ways to do this are to rest, relax and think happy thoughts.  As soon as you think fearful or angry thoughts, or become too physically active, the body shifts into a sympathetic stance.                

The stress response system may be roughly likened to the gas pedal of a car.  The relaxation response is more like the brake.  Unlike a car, however,  when the ‘brake’ is applied to the body, it begins to heal itself.

From "KEEPING YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM HEALTHY" by Dr. Lawrence Wilson. Available at http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/NERVOUS%20SYSTEM.htm