Taking time to relax is vital to offset the damaging effects of recurring stress on the body. Through the use of relaxation techniques, one can begin to overturn this cumulative, hurtful process, and connect to the body's tremendous possibility for self-healing.

Herbert Benson, M.D., Harvard Professor and stress reduction specialist, first coined the phrase "Relaxation Response" in the early 1970s to describe the physiological and mental modifications that occur when one deliberately relaxes. In The Wellness Book he writes that the relaxation response is "a physiological state characterized by a slower heart rate, metabolism, rate of breathing, lower blood pressure, and slower brain wave patterns."

As you can see from the chart above, some of the valuable changes that take place when your body is resting in the Relaxation Response are:

• Heartbeat and respiration are slowed.
• Oxygen consumption is markedly reduced.
• The expiration of carbon dioxide fallss.
• Blood pressure becomes stable.
• Blood lactate levels (which many researchers believe are linked with panic attacks) decline steeply.

There are various tested techniques which promote this state of profound rest and release. In this 3-part series, I will describe some of the most valuable of these skills, and provide you with some practical instruction so that you can practice them.

In this article, Relaxation Response Part I, we will cover Diaphragmatic, "Soft-Belly" Breath and the Guided Body Scan. With Relaxation Response Part II, we will explore Centering Meditation, Mindfulness, and Visualization. If you look at Relaxation Part III, you wll find information on Mindful Movement Practices (yoga, tai chi, chi gong, etc.).

The first and most important stress relief tool is "right beneath your nose" and as close as your breath. When you focus on slow, deep breathing, the inhalation fills your lungs and causes your lower belly to expand as the diaphragm falls downward into the softness of your relaxed belly.

Try it right now:

• Relax your body and release any noticeable tension. Let your tongue and jaws to relax, lower jaw releasing away from the upper jaw. Drop your shoulders away from your ears. Let your abdomen relax and become softer, releasing all tension from that part of your body.
• Become aware of your breathing just as it is. Inhale, taking a deep, full breath. Allow the breath to move all the way down into the lower belly. It is helpful to imagine that there is a small balloon in the belly. As you inhale, allow that balloon to quietly inflate. As you exhale, feel how the balloon gently deflates.
• Take in several of these unhurried, soothing, deep breaths.
• Then begin to notice that there is a slight pause that spontaneously takes place at the end of each exhalation. Give yourself permission to wait here without being in a hurry to take the next inhallation. Allow the next inhalation to surface as your body is ready to welcome it.
• Take pleasure in the calming tranquility of the pause. Float peacefully in the silence of this pause between exhalation and inhalation, allowing the breath to come about of its own accord. Let the breath breathe you!

If you are just learning diaphragmatic breathing, it can be useful to begin by lying on your back with your knees bent. In this posture, you can more easily feel "soft-belly" diaphragmatic breathing. Notice how the belly rises with inhalation and falls with exhalation. Let the breath create that movement. You can also lay your hands on your abdomen and let yourself breathe into their warmth. Feel how the weight of the hands rises with in-breath and drops with out-breath.

Another wonderful means to find deep belly breath is to lie face down on your belly. In this position, the only way you can breathe is diaphragmatically!

Lastly, it can sometimes be helpful to let yourself sigh out loud with the out-breath. Sounding is an excellent way to release stress and tension.

Deep, diaphragmatic, soft-belly breathing has a profound effect on the body. Just three minutes of soft-belly breathing can shift your body out of Stress Response mode into the Relaxation Response! And if you can remain in that Relaxation Response for just 20 minutes each day, you will go a long way toward counteracting the damaging effects of recurring stress on your body.

Progressive muscle relaxation, also known as a guided body scan is also a very useful stress relief technique. A guided body scan - which seeks to locate and release muscular tensions - encourages deep relaxation, as most of us carry needless tension in various muscles. The location of chronic muscle tension can differ from person to person.

In progressive muscle relaxation, you move your attention into different parts of your body and release any felt sensations of tension or discomfort. With practice, you can become more conscious of your tension and discover ways to release it. Letting go of physical tension promotes soothing and a calm, quiet mind.

Try a "mini-body scan" right now.

• Start with deep, restful breathing. Then when you are ready, move your attention sequentially through your body, starting at your head and slowly moving down until you end with your toes. Within each part of your body, pause a moment and scan for tightness, tension, or chronic soreness. Begin to allow yourself to release any discomfort or tension that you notice.
• You can also visualize sending the warmth of your in-breath into the discomfort or pain, and then, with the out-breath, release and dissolve the tension.

Physical relaxation - the release of muscular tension in the body - promotes the Relaxation Response. Your heartrate, breathing and metabolism slow down and your blood pressure becomes lower. Your mind becomes tranquil and relaxed, free of worry - and is no longer sending out the signals that release the stress hormones to flood throughout your body.

As you become proficient in these methods, or if you desire a more structured practice it is often advantageous to work with a teacher or to use a guided meditation CD. This will help you to stay attentive to your breath and to pay attention to segments of your body which might otherwise be overlooked in the body scan.

My 2 CD set, The Alchemy of Peace & Love, contains a detailed body scan and relaxation meditation, with soothing music to help the relaxation process.

Sandi Anders, M.Div., R.Y.T. (http://www.Imagery4Relaxation.com) has been helping people relax and access their inner creativity for many years. A stress management specialist, yoga and meditation teacher, musician and life coach, she uses her soothing voice to teach audiences how to let go of stress and tension and learn to listen to the wisdom of the body. Sandi blends poetic language with her broad knowledge of meditation traditions to teach relaxation skills anyone can learn.

Sandi is based in Nashville, TN and leads workshops and retreats around the country. Her popular new CD The Alchemy of Peace and Love offers two hours of guided relaxation and meditation, using her unique voice, evocative words and original music to guide the listener into a deeply relaxed state.

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