Issue

Relaxation and Imagery

Background

We know that what goes on in the body affects our thoughts, and what we think in turn affects the body. Like, when you have a pain or a headache, or your stomach is upset and you feel rotten, or you're worrying about the diagnosis, or something the doctor told you, or a procedure you have to have, it's common to start thinking, "I hate this. How long am I going to feel this way. What if I just keep feeling worse? Am I ever going to feel good and normal again? What if I get better and then it comes back? What if...?" These kind of thoughts just make you feel more uptight, and sometimes even make physical symptoms worse. Relaxation is a very useful tool for helping the body and mind chill out and settle into a calmer and more comfortable state. This relaxed state creates favorable conditions for healing and feeling better. Relaxation is a skill that anyone can learn with practice.

The body and mind are interconnected. The new field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) shows that what we think and feel creates chemicals and hormones in the body that directly affect our immune system and health. Depending on what we are thinking, what we think can makes us feel better or worse. Worry, fear, stress and feelings of pressure clearly put a strain on the body and the immune system (see Psychoneuroimmunology). And, when you've had cancer the worry and stress gets even greater.

Dr. Herbert Benson, a pioneer in the mind-body connection for over 30 years, was the first to study relaxation and what he calls, "the relaxation response". His research shows that when the mind and body are deeply relaxed, your rate of breathing slows down, blood pressure lowers, and the whole body goes into a state of deep rest, even though you're not sleeping (although you might fall asleep easily when you're this relaxed). The relaxing mind gets calmer, it's easy to let go of worries, and to remember that you can handle whatever challenges you have. And, while the body and mind are calm and resting, the immune system gets nourished and becomes stronger. Research by Dr. Benson and many others show that when people relax regularly and frequently they feel less stressed, have more confidence, and are healthier.

Information

Learning to relax is one of the simplest and best things you can do to help your body recover and give you the energy you need to handle the stress of dealing with cancer. It's a kind of mind-body treatment you can do yourself, along with the other treatments and medicines your doctor has you taking. After you've recovered from cancer, relaxing is also one of the best ways to keep your body-mind healthy and in balance. There are many different ways to relax, so it's best to experiment and find the method that works best for you. Then, it's important to relax deeply at least once everyday.

• Concentration Meditation
  Sitting or lying down in a comfortable position, you begin by feeling the sensations of your body breathing, and for 1-2 minutes concentrate on just the sensations of breathing. When a thought or feeling comes up you don't follow it, instead you just keep your attention on your breathing. Then, for the next 10-15 minutes, you repeat a word or phrase that makes you feel good, coordinating it with your breathing as you inhale and exhale. For example, you might say as you inhale, "I am healing" and as you exhale, "And getting stronger". Or, as you inhale, "Peaceful" and as you exhale, "Happy". Or, "Calm" and "Relaxed". You can experiment with different phrases and words until you find ones that are just right. Whenever a thought comes up you just keep focused on the words and your breath.

• Progressive Relaxation
  Sitting or lying down in a comfortable position, you begin by feeling the sensations of breathing for 1-2 minutes. Then focus all of your attention on your feet, feeling your toes, ankles and any other sensations in your feet. Then ask your feet to completely relax, and concentrate of feeling your feet getting softer and heavier. Next you move up to your legs, feeling all the sensations here, in your lower legs, knees, thighs. Then you ask your legs to completely relax, and concentrate on really feeling them get heavier, softer, sinking into whatever is beneath them. Then you move up to your belly and do the same thing, then your chest, back, shoulders and arms, neck, face and head in the same way, asking each area to completely relax and feeling relaxation seeping into the area. Then you feel your entire body completely relaxed, heavy, soft, and you rest in this state for as long as you want to. As you do this, whenever a thought or feeling pulls you away from concentrating on relaxing, you just let it go and return to the place in your body you are relaxing.

• Relaxing Daydream
  Sitting or lying down in a comfortable position, you begin by feeling the sensations of breathing for 1-2 minutes. Then, transport yourself in your imagination to a place, anywhere you want, that's the most perfect place for you to completely relax. Maybe it's an actual place you've been to, like your comfy bed in your own room, or a beach you were at once, or it could be a place that just pops up in your imagination. Like, on top of a mountain, next to a waterfall, in a beautiful green forest, or on a gorgeous sand beach by the ocean. Feel yourself lying of sitting directly on the bed/earth/sand, and let your imagination take you into what it's like to be there, relaxing, feeling safe, and deliciously comfortable. Imagine it as vividly as possible, smell the air, listen to the sounds you hear, feel as the sensations of your body relaxing deeply here. Rest here for 10-15 minutes.

Benson, H. The Relaxation Response. New York: William Morrow, 1975.

Benson, H. Your Maximum Mind. New York: Times Books/Random House, 1984.

Borysenko, J. Minding the Body. Mending the Mind. Toronto, Bantam Books, 1987.

Hendricks, G. Conscious Breathing: Breathwork for Health, Stress Release, and Personal Mastery. New York, Bantam Books, 1995.