Relax and go with the flow: A fresh perspective on a centuries-old treatment

Relaxation is one of the most powerful tools a psychologist can use, said APA Annual Convention speaker Herbert Benson, MD. Though it's been around for millennia, its full potential remains untapped.

Benson was referring specifically to the relaxation response, a physical state of deep rest that changes a person's physical and emotional responses to stress. Benson, of Harvard Medical School and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, discovered the relaxation response's power to reduce stress in the 1960s. His subsequent research found that the technique is really no different from what people have done for centuries through prayer, chanting and repetitive motion.

Eliciting the relaxation response is simple, he said: Once or twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes, sit in a relaxed position, eyes closed, and repeat a word or sound as you breathe. Some people use such words as "love" or "peace;" others say prayers, such as "Hail Mary." If your thoughts stray—which is normal and expected—just focus back on the word repetition.

The practice leads to such physical changes as lower heart rates, blood pressure and oxygen consumption and has been proven to alleviate an array of conditions caused or exacerbated by stress, including:

• hypertension
• arthritis
• insomnia
• depression
• anxiety

There are other ways to summon the relaxation response as well, says Benson. "Anything that breaks the train of everyday thoughts will evoke this physiological state." That includes participating in repetitive sports, such as running, letting go of tension through progressive muscular relaxation, or yoga.

"In your practice, learn different techniques so that you can introduce the client to something they are comfortable with," Benson said.

Given that 60 percent to 90 percent of physician visits are stress related, the potential of the relaxation response to help people is enormous, he said. "I believe this is going to change medicine."