A life in Danger

The moment for that escape is now. I take a deep breath and carefully, without breaking eye contact, venture another step backwards. Then I trip, turn and run for my life. My fear is urging me on; I am running faster than I have ever run before. The beast lets out a snarl and bounds after me, not about to let its meal get away that easily. I hear my heart pounding rhythmically in my ears, as if it has risen from my torso to my head. In a last spurt of energy I reach the car on the path where I left it, wrench open the door, fling myself in and start the engine. My attacker gives chase for a few dozen metres, and then gives up as my Jeep accelerates, leaving it far behind.

As I zoom off, I glance back, meeting its angry eyes once more as it watches its prey escape….

Most of us will relate to the feelings of the story above. When we are in danger our body responds automatically we become more alert, our senses sharpen the strength to our muscles increases we prepare for action, we have no choice, this is a primitive survival trait built into our system, it is beyond thought, beyond our control. This response is known as the Fight or Flight response the changes that occur are not in our mind they are in our whole body. In a traditional setting these changes are consumed by the action that follows, the effects that they have on our system are relieved by the fight or effort of escape. But in modern society it is different!

We cannot run, we cannot fight.

The threat to our safety is not always as severe as becoming lunch for some hungry animal. It might be a vindictive boss instead. The problem is that when you feel threatened in modern society you can’t just fight or run. Though I am sure, on occasions, some of us would like to punch out the boss or drop what we are doing and get out of there, the consequences of doing so are too severe. We therefore learn to suppress the initial response and it’s important that we do, there is however a price.  The changes that occur under stress (the perceived threat) can leave us in a hyperactive state, they can leave us feeling on edge and stressed. It is also believed that this state can lead to high blood pressure and it’s associated health problems, repress our immune system, alter our moods and lead to behavioral problems. Overtime the systems involved in producing this response can become exhausted, creating an imbalance in our sense of well-being, leaving us exhausted, emotional, and more susceptible to illness. There are however some answers.

The Relaxation Response.

Throughout history certain groups of people were in positions of needing to remain calm and unstressed under difficult circumstances. These groups which were often religious in nature learned ways to offset the dangerous effects of stress and relieve the changes engendered by the fight or flight response. They passed these techniques on to each other and gradually they filtered into other parts of the community. The techniques include prayer, meditation, exercises, dance, and many combinations and variations of these. In more modern times research has been done into these techniques and they have shown that physiological changes can and do occur in those that master these techniques. For example some masters of Yoga can slow the heat rate and alter blood flow to various parts of the body, and Buddhist meditation experts have been shown to be able to elevate hormone levels that relate to a sensation of happiness. From comparative studies of these systems some common threads have appeared and a simple system for counteracting the effects of the fight or flight response has evolved.

The relaxation response like the fight or flight response is involuntary. When invoked it produces changes that are out side of our conscious control. It is also nearly a mirror opposite of the fight and flight response, it slows our breathing and heart rate, it lowers blood pressure and relaxes a hyper stimulated nervous system. By being able to reverse the changes that occur under stress we can improve our health, create a sense of calm and well-being and prevent the behavioral changes that can lead to both physical and social problems. In short it can help us cope with our everyday stressful lives.

Activating the Relaxation Response. 

The relaxation response occurs automatically under the right conditions.  Research has shown that there are four key conditions that need to be met in order to trigger the relaxation response.  We will cover the full conditions in the next few paragraphs and then once again review a simple procedure that can help you trigger this response.

Ideally, you should choose a quiet, calm environment with as few distractions as possible.  A quiet room is suitable or a quiet natural setting.  The place should be private or have like-minded people with you this limit is any self-consciousness about the process, which may act as a distraction. 

A mental device

You need a point of focus that shifts the mind from logical, externally oriented thought, there should be a consistent stimulus: a sound, word, or phrase repeated silently or aloud; or fixed gazing at an object.  The mind must not wander; the repetition of the word or phrase is a way to help you break the stream of distracting thoughts.  You eyes are usually closed if you're using a repeated sound or word; of course, your eyes are open if you're gazing.  Attention to the normal rhythm of breathing is also useful and enhances the repetition of the sound or word.

When distracting thoughts occur, they are to be disregarded and attention directed to the repetition or gazing; you should not worry about how well you were performing the technique, as this may well prevent the from occurring.  Adopt a let it happen attitude. The passive attitude is perhaps the most important element in eliciting the relaxation response.  Distracting thoughts will occur in do not worry about them.  When these thoughts present themselves and you become aware of them, simply return to the repetition of the mental device.  These other thoughts do not mean you are performing the technique incorrectly.  They are to be expected.

A comfortable posture is important so that there is no undue muscular tension.  A sitting position is usually best.  If you are lying down, there is a tendency to fall asleep. A few practitioners use the cross-legged lotus position from yoga.  The various religious postures of kneeling, swaying, or sitting on a cross-legged position are believed to have revolved to prevent falling asleep.  You should be comfortable and relaxed but falling asleep will not elicit the relaxation response.

The following four steps provide a very simple technique to elicit the relaxation response.

1. Sit comfortably on a chair preferably with a straight back, feet firmly on the floor, legs slightly apart, arms resting comfortably on your legs. Close your eyes.
2. Take a deep breath, as you release the breath try to relax all the muscles in your arms, legs and neck, imagine the tension flowing out of you. Repeat this three times.
3. Breathing through your nose.  Become aware of your breathing.  As you breathe out say the word “one” to yourself. You may say it silently but it seems to work better if it is intoned and held throughout the out breath. For example BREATH IN and then let it OUT…. chanting the word ‘ONE…’ as you slowly release the breath. Make the breathing easy and natural.
4. Continue 15 to 20 minutes.  You may open your eyes to check the time to do not use an alarm.  When you finish sit quietly to several minutes, at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes opened.  Do not stand up from few minutes.

Do not worry about whether you have succeeded in achieving a deep level of relaxation.  Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur in its own pace.  When distracting thoughts occur, try to ignore them by not dwelling upon them and return to repeating ‘one.’  With practice, the response should come with little effort.  Practice the technique once or twice daily, but not within two hours after any meal since the digestive process seems to interfere with the elicitation of the relaxation response.

Mastering the Relaxation Response will not make you a master of mind-body relationships; there are many aspects to meditation, prayer and other techniques will often produce more than a state of relaxation. However learning this technique is a valuable base on which to build if you so desire.