Ep. 5 You Can Relax

Today, I am going to talk with you about the relaxation response which is the complete opposite of the fight or flight response. The relaxation response is for rest, healing, and rejuvenation which takes place when there is peace and safety.

This is important because if you know how to bring about the relaxation response then you can turn off the fight or flight response and this is good for emotional and physical health.

Two separate nervous systems:

The human body has two nervous systems. When one is activated, it brings on the fight or flight response. When the other nervous system is activated, it brings about the relaxation response. The two nervous systems cannot be on at the same time. This means that if you bring on relaxation, you turn off stress. You have the capability to bring about the relaxation response. It is in your control.

During the relaxation response, the body returns to basic functions like rest and repair, digestion, and memory formation. Everything slows down, your breathing, your heart beat, your movements. Tension leaves your muscles and you can feel warm and comfortable. Your mind is able to wander and you may daydream. This is a time of rest for your mind and body. 

This is also an active time for certain functions. During relaxation is when your food gets digested. It is when cells build back their stores of energy. It is when muscle tissue is repaired. And it is when the brain sorts and makes sense of information it has taken in. This is when memories get solidified.

To get a sense of it right now:

Imagine that feeling when you are going to bed and you do not have to set an alarm for the next morning. Really, imagine yourself in that moment about to turn out the light and you get to skip setting the alarm. Just thinking that shifts you a bit into relaxation doesn’t it? Ahh, no worries, no responsibility expected. Your mind knows it can sleep for as long as it needs.

You can make relaxation happen.

You can take steps to bring about the relaxation response. You can choose to go to a quiet space. You can make yourself comfortable with every part of your body supported. You can choose a background sound such as white noise, nature sounds, or soft music. You can consciously slow down your breathing and take deeper breaths. You can focus your mind on a simple word or phrase which you repeat. Or you can listen to a guided meditation. Or you can imagine a peaceful place, or actually go for a walk in nature and just notice all that is around you in the environment by using your five senses - sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste.

You probably know about monks who sit for hours in a meditative state in which all of their body functions slow down and you have heard about people walking on hot coals or sharp spikes. All of this shows that we can use our minds to alter our body functions. And yes, you, an average person, can choose to alter and control your body to cause it to relax.

Relaxation directly impacts your health in a positive way. 

Relaxation helps stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to dissipate.

Relaxation has been shown to help boost the immune system.

It helps with going through all of the stages of sleep including REM where dreaming is most likely. These stages of sleep all serve a purpose to our physical and mental health. 

Relaxation helps with digestion of food so that all nutrients are absorbed and our cells get fueled up. 

Relaxation helps with maintaining a healthy weight. 

And relaxation helps our mental health, allowing for playfulness and creativity, learning of new information and simply experiencing the moment.

Evidently, Voltaire, one of the leading writers of the Enlightenment period, said

"I’ve decided to be happy because it is good for my health." 

And he was a guy who challenged the accepted political and religious frameworks of the time and was in exile from France for years!
(I don’t know how we verify that he actually said he was choosing to be happy for his health, really. Maybe it can be referenced in his writings.) But I am assuming happiness includes being relaxed and it all helps with being healthy, physically and mentally.

Sum and Substance:

When you bring about relaxation, you are turning off fight-or-flight or the stress response of the body.

You can make relaxation happen. It is in your control.

You need to relax regularly for your physical and mental health.

Relaxing isn’t a waste of time. It is a part of being healthy.

So, schedule some relaxation into your day. Make it a part of your routine. I like to take 15 minutes of quiet, stretching and breathing when I get home from work. Some people like to do it as part of getting ready to go to bed. Some people schedule it in the middle of their busy day. Do what you can to choose to make relaxation an important part of your daily activities.

Listen to this episode HERE