HEALTH BENEFITS OF DEEP RELAXATION
There is one tangible outcome of some complementary therapies that doctors cannot dispute any longer: relaxation.
Deep relaxation, long since overlooked as a secondary by-product of some Mind/Body therapies, is now widely used to support patients undergoing conventional cancer treatments. When muscle tension melts away and the body and brain can deeply relax for a while, the results can be seen and measured at the cellular level. New evidence from research has shown that a regime of deep relaxation increases the levels of growth hormones that repair cells and tissue. Stress and anxiety have long been causal factors in reduced psychological well-being but we are now seeing the evidence that shows chronic stress is a causal factor in the body’s ability to heal. The evidence is that raised cortisol and adrenaline flowing through your body, over time, lowers immune function, impedes learning and memory, raises blood pressure, cholesterol and is also a factor in heart disease. Current gold standard research/evidence has shown that deep relaxation, which is much more than simply resting, helps to clear out the stress hormones which are causal factors in:
- High Blood Pressure
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Infertility
- Stress related conditions
- Insomnia
A healing treatment (approximately 1-1 ½ hours) is more than simply inducing relaxation. It starts with a deep listening, connecting with and understanding what the issues are that have brought someone to see me. Each person’s pathway to better health is uniquely their own, as are the causes of a person’s mental, emotional or physical problems. The range of outcomes of a regime of deep relaxation, however, are specific and measurable:
- Lowered blood pressure
- Decreased anxiety and depression
- Improved sleep
- Reduced pain from long-term conditions
- A general increase in calmness, confidence and an ability to cope
My experience as a therapist has shown me over the years how simply helping our body and mind to let go for a time can trigger a pathway to better health. There can be no better starting point for this process than deep relaxation. At University College Hospital, among many others in the UK, deep relaxation techniques are taught as part of the complementary therapy service available to cancer and haematology patients. It is truly heart-warming to see how valuable these therapies are becoming, not just for patients but for the specialists who look after them. The evidence shows that everyone, not just those fighting life-changing illness, can benefit from clearing out the hormones that have such a profound effect on our body’s ability to heal.