Our minds must have relaxation: rested, they will rise up better and keener. Just as we must not force fertile fields (for uninterrupted production will quickly exhaust them), so continual labor will break the power of our minds. They will recover their strength, however, after they have had a little freedom and relaxation.
often known simply as Seneca, or Seneca the Younger,
was a Roman philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and humorist
Everyone enjoys relaxing.
But many of us find relaxing increasingly difficult. Pressures weigh us down, stressful events occur, life presents unexpected challenges. We encounter difficult people, we get sick, we lose jobs, we have financial pressure. We work harder and harder, we worry more and more.
Some of us get depressed. Some of us suffer from anxiety. Some of us have panic attacks.
We're restless, unsettled, we don't sleep well.
We find it difficult to make time for relaxation and when we do have time we find we've forgotten how to relax.
Yet medical studies have shown that relaxation, rest, and sleep are essential for good health.
Some of us get depressed. Some of us suffer from anxiety. Some of us have panic attacks.
We're restless, unsettled, we don't sleep well.
We find it difficult to make time for relaxation and when we do have time we find we've forgotten how to relax.
Yet medical studies have shown that relaxation, rest, and sleep are essential for good health.
Increased relaxation can improve sleep, improve health, and bring more joy, happiness, tranquility, serenity, and peace of mind into our lives.
Whether we suffer from anxiety, depression , insomnia, or just everyday stress, we can all benefit from relaxation. Increased states of relaxation can nourish our bodies, our minds, our spirits.
Relaxation is more than a state of mind; it physically changes the way your body functions. When your body is relaxed breathing slows, blood pressure and oxygen consumption decrease, and some people report an increased sense of well-being. This is called the “relaxation response.” Being able to produce the relaxation response using relaxation techniques may counteract the effects of long-term stress, which may contribute to or worsen a range of health problems including depression, digestive disorders, headaches, high blood pressure, and insomnia.
---- The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
In our hectic paced world we sometimes need assistance in learning (or re-learning) to relax. YOU CAN RELAX NOW is a collection of free resources to help you relax. Calm music or guided meditations can help us relax. Focused breathing is another useful tool to induce a relaxed state. Reading positive quotes can also lift our spirits and help us relax. Laughter is a very powerful tool for inducing relaxation.
Relaxation is beneficial anytime of day. Some may wish to use these resources first thing in the morning. Some find it helpful to take brief 'relaxation breaks' during the day. Others find that these relaxation tools help them settle down and the end of a long day and assist in falling asleep and achieving a deep and relaxing night of sleep.
Potential Benefits of increased relaxation include:
- Decreased blood pressure
- Strengthened immune system
- Reduced Risk of Heart Attack
- Reduced Risk of Stroke
- Improved Quality of Sleep
- Improved Ability to Deal with Challenges
- Improved Ability to Deal with Physical Pain
- Improved Ability to Deal with Emotional Pain
- Reduced Feelings of Being Overwhelmed
- Reduced Impact of Depression
- Reduced Impact of Anxiety
- Reduced Impact of Panic Attacks
- Increased Optimism
- Increased Joy and Happiness
- Heightened Feelings of Serenity and Tranquility
- Improved Relationships with Others
CLICK HERE to learn more about research on relaxation.
"To understand how consciously producing the relaxation response may affect your health, it is helpful to understand how your body responds to the opposite of relaxation—stress.
When you’re under stress, your body releases hormones that produce the “fight-or-flight response.” Heart rate and breathing rate go up and blood vessels narrow (restricting the flow of blood). This response allows energy to flow to parts of your body that need to take action, for example the muscles and the heart.
However useful this response may be in the short term, there is evidence that when your body remains in a stress state for a long time, emotional or physical damage can occur. Long-term or chronic stress (lasting months or years) may reduce your body’s ability to fight off illness and lead to or worsen certain health conditions. Chronic stress may play a role in developing high blood pressure, headaches, and stomach ache. Stress may worsen certain conditions, such as asthma. Stress also has been linked to depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.
In contrast to the stress response, the relaxation response slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and decreases oxygen consumption and levels of stress hormones. Because relaxation is the opposite of stress, the theory is that voluntarily creating the relaxation response through regular use of relaxation techniques could counteract the negative effects of stress."
---- The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Relaxation is essential to good health and well-being. We hope you find the resources on this website helpful on your journey toward health, well-being, peace of mind through relaxation.
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This website is made possible through the generous support of many people and businesses who believe in the positive impact and many benefit of relaxation. Click Here to see a list of those supporters.
We encourage you to share this website with others. Feel free to link to this website, to post it on Facebook, to email links to anyone who could benefit from bringing more relaxation into their life.
We encourage you to share this website with others. Feel free to link to this website, to post it on Facebook, to email links to anyone who could benefit from bringing more relaxation into their life.