Relaxation is Action!

As most of you know I teach several Restorative Yoga classes.  I once invited a friend of mine  to come to one of my classes,  she said to me, "I would like to but don't have the time.  I only have so much time to work out during my week and I don't want to give up one of my workouts for relaxation."  The irony of this conversation was that this friend of mine had just been diagnosed with stage 4  breast cancer.

As I explained in my last post stress is acceleration.  Chronic perpetual stress reeks havoc on the body.  Not only does it accelerate the aging process (by decades!) but it compromises the immune system, causes poor digestion, can cause you to retain weight, be moody, poor sleep habits,  poor sexual function, and it can even prevent  pregnancy.  That is in addition to creating a toxic internal environment (acidic pH) perfect for dis-ease and illnesses to thrive in the body (plus all the symptoms and side affects that are associated with those dis-eases). Chronic stress is no good ya'll!

But thankfully this post is about relaxation and all the benefits relaxation has for the body.  Herbert Benson, a cardiologist and a professor at Harvard Medical School has determined that the body has a response that is the exact opposite to the stress response.  He coined this the "Relaxation Response" and this is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system.  So as we learned in the last post there is the "Fight or Flight" response of the sympathetic nervous system and then there is the "Relaxation  Response" of the parasympathetic nervous system.  Both of these responses are part of the autonomic nervous system which keeps the body in balance.

When the body is relaxed and calm it is operating in the parasympathetic nervous system , also known as "rest and digest". The functions of this system include decreased heart rate, increased metabolic rate (meaning that your energy is now focused on your internal organs and your digestive actions go to work),  elimination,  suppression of the production of adrenaline (keeps us mellow), stimulation of the vagus nerve, and has a role in sexual arousal and reproduction functions.  This system is your bodies restoration mode where it cleans, heals and builds. Ideally, we should be operating in this function most of the time.

What my friend had not yet realized was the Relaxation Is Action!!!! So much is happening in your body when you are relaxed that it is vital to keeping  it healthy and functioning at an optimum level.  Mind you, the body is indented to operate in this relaxed mode all the time except when it  is faced with an emergency or danger.  However, as I mentioned before we have conditioned ourselves to be operating in the "fight or flight" mode the majority of time which is not normal or healthy.

Getting people to slow down and relax is a hard sale.  I often tell my classes they are cross-training.  In fact if you exercise regularly, adding relaxation to your routine will actually increase your performance!   Let alone what it can do for your relationships (uhmmm sexual arousal), immune system, sleep, digestion, mood, healthy reproduction and over-all sense of well being.  Not only that, but giving yourself time to relax is a natural high.  You should see my students after 75 minutes of relaxation- everyone is so mellow and happy- it's great!

You have to be pro-active in your relaxation routine.  Relaxation doesn't just happen and nobody can do it for you- Relaxation takes action!  Make time for yourself to relax.  Even just sitting and being quiet for 5-15 minutes a day can have monumental effects on your overall well-being. Relaxation is not a luxury but a necessity! Stay tuned and I will continue to offer simple ways to include regular relaxation into your life.