Mind-Body Therapies
How they work
This is a big question! And of course, the answer differs somewhat from therapy to therapy. But one way that many mind-body therapies impact the body is by reducing stress. So it is helpful to understand what stress is and the role it plays in health and wellbeing.
The role of stress
How does stress impact you? Try this activity.
- Imagine the last time you felt incredible stress or anxiety. Perhaps you had an important meeting, and you missed your plane. Maybe you had a complicated presentation, and you despise public speaking. Or perhaps you underwent important medical testing, and were waiting for the phone to ring with results.
How do you feel? Consider your jaw, neck, breathing.
- Now stop. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply for a few minutes. Gently relax your shoulders, your neck, and your facial muscles.
Now how do you feel? (If you want to continue relaxing, there are activities at the bottom of this page.)
What did you experience?
Most people report that right after imagining a stressful event, their pulse rate was high, their breathing was fast and shallow, and their jaw, neck, and other muscles were tight. Some report that they felt their stomach clenching.
After breathing deeply for only a few seconds, most people report that their pulse and breathing rate decreased and their muscles relaxed.
What happens when your body perceives a threat?
The activity probably provoked what is called a "fight or flight" response because your central nervous system perceived a threat.
When you perceive a threat, your sympathetic nervous system releases stress hormones to arouse key organs, resulting in an increase in your heart and respiratory rate, greater muscle tension, coldness and sweatiness, a decrease in intestinal activity, and an increase in the size of your pupils. This is the fight or flight response. You may have observed some of this yourself.
In contrast, taking deep breaths and focusing on your breathing induces a relaxation response. This response engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers the heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.
What is stress?
Learn more about stressorsWhen you did the activity, you experienced stress. Stress is a physical reaction. Confusingly, people also sometimes use the term stress when they are talking about events that cause the physical reaction. We call these stressors instead. (Stressors can be negative events, such as divorce or death, but they can also be joyful changes, like getting a new job or going on vacation!)
Stress is what happens in your body when you respond to a stressor (an event). It is your response to the stressor that determines how your body reacts. You can deliberately change your response, as you saw when you breathed deeply and slowed your heart rate.
What are the effects of stress on health?
If you are not able to change your response to the stressors that are so much a part of modern American life, you may find yourself in a continual fight or flight reaction, which over time can lead to serious health consequences, such as high blood pressure, digestive disorders, or diabetes.
Mind-body therapies and practices can help prevent this. But note that the relationship between stress and illness is not a simple one. There is no simple, direct connection between the number and kind of stressors, how you react, and how your physical health is impacted.
Some people misinterpret the mind-body connection and end up blaming themselves for being stressed and sick. This assumes a level of control over their health that isn't realistic. Instead of worrying or blaming, do what you can to take care of yourself, including stress management, but recognize that you don't have complete control.
What are some other effects of stress?
Stress not only impacts bodily functions, it can impact performance at work in a number of ways:
- Difficulty making decisions
- Memory lapses
- Procrastination
- Inefficiency
- Mood swings (for example angry outbursts)
- Physical symptoms on work days, such as upset stomach
An interesting study known as the Yerkes/Dodson law shows that when workers are under stress, their performance initially rises. After a relatively short period however, their performance declines steeply, but the workers are unaware that they are failing. So while a certain amount of stress on the job might spark some initial success, ongoing stress hinders (rather than helps) your efforts.
Unfortunately, if the job itself is the stressor, we end up taking a lot of these reactions home with us. And we all know that common reactions to stress, such as irritability, impatience, indecision, or physical symptoms, make for difficult relationships and family life.
The principles that make mind-body therapies and practices effective in improving physical health, also apply to other aspects of our daily life. These therapies can improve your health and your overall wellbeing.
Mind-body therapies help you change your response to stressors. We outline some of the ways they can do this.
Many of these therapies invoke the relaxation response. As you may have experienced, the relaxation response reverses the physical effects of stress.
Mind-body therapies can also contribute to (or deliberately create) more positive thinking. Evidence shows that people who believe they are doing better actually do better than those who have the same physical condition but aren't as positive. (Research also suggests that anxiety, hostility, depression, and other negative states affect the immune system.)
When people believe that a therapy is working, it often does have a positive effect. This is known as the placebo effect, which is often deliberately invoked by mind-body therapies. (For example, guided imagery and clinical hypnosis can use suggestion that the patient is getting better.)
Social supportis a mind-body therapy in and of itself and is also part of many other mind-body therapies. It has been shown beneficial to health in many studies. "People with supportive social networks have been shown to have better overall health...shorter hospital stays when they do get sick, and better resistance to infection than those whose social bonds are not strong." (Pelletier, 1993.)
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Is there a connection between stress and aging?
According to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, there is a direct link between stress and aging.
The study compared the chromosomes of 39 women, ages 20-50, who had been caring for children with serious chronic illnesses (and thus had high levels of stress) with woman caring for healthy children (lower stress).
Women with the highest levels of stress had changes in their chromosomes (specifically, the telomeres) equivalent to at least one decade of additional aging compared with women with lower stress.
But it wasn't only the years of caregiving that related to the change, it was the perception of high stress. Women who had the perception of high stress levels fared the worst. Given this, could mind-body practices that reduce stress also reduce aging?
Techniques to try for stress reduction
Breathing techniques
By taking deep breaths, you will allow more air into your body, slowing your heart rate and lowering your blood pressure. Explore these techniques.
Breathing Techniques
When we are panicked or unconsciously stressed, we tend to take short,
shallow gasps of air. The resulting lack of oxygen restricts blood flow and
causes muscles to tense. By allowing more air to enter your body, you will
slow down your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and break the stress
cycle. Explore the following breathing techniques.
Breathing Deeply
Try imagining a spot just below your navel. Breathe into that spot and fill
your abdomen with air. Let the air fill you from the abdomen up, then let it
out, like deflating a balloon.
With every long, slow breath out, you will feel more relaxed.
The next time you are in a stressful situation:
- Sit up straight.
- Inhale through your nose with your mouth closed.
- Exhale through your mouth with your lips pursed (as if you were whistling or kissing).
- Make your exhalation twice as long as your inhalation (for example, inhale for two seconds, exhale for four). Use your abdomen when you breathe, consciously pushing your belly out. Try putting one hand over your stomach, to see how it rises and falls.
Straw Breathing
- Inhale normally and naturally.
- Exhale fully through a plastic drinking straw - make sure you have exhaled all of the air out of your lungs.
- Inhale normally (not through the straw).
- Exhale fully out of the straw.
- Repeat this exercise for 5 minutes.
- Ideally, do this twice a day.
Keep a pack of straws in your car and do this exercise whenever you're stuck in traffic.
2-Minute Relaxation
- Focus your attention on your breathing. Take a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly.
- Mentally scan your body. Notice areas that feel tense or cramped. Quietly loosen them. Let go of as much tension as you can.
- Rotate your head in a smooth, circular motion once or twice (avoid any movements that cause pain).
- Roll your shoulders forward and backward several times. Let all of your muscles completely relax.
- Recall a pleasant thought, event, or place.
- Take deep breaths and exhale slowly.
Exercise Your Shoulders and Neck Muscles
- Shrug your shoulders. Stand up or sit. Push your shoulders up around your ears and tighten the muscles as much as possible. Let them drop and relax. Repeat.
- Stretch up and overhead. While sitting in a chair, bring your arms overhead, holding them straight with fingertips pointing toward the ceiling. Elbows shouldn't be locked. Reach skyward with your right hand and then with your left hand. You should feel the stretch, but nothing should hurt. Breathe comfortably throughout.
- Swing your arms. Stand up. Let your arms stand loose at your sides. Lean forward slightly and swing your arms back and forth and from side to side across your chest. Relax. Stop swinging. Lift one arm up over your head, and look over your right shoulder. Hold that position. Relax and breathe deeply. Then try it with the other arm.
- Walk. Go out for a walk, but leave your pocketbook behind; if you carry a bag, you mightthrow your body off balance. Walk briskly and throw your shoulders back as you move. Don't race. Hurrying may make you slouch forward unconsciously, creating tension in the curve of your shoulders. Throw your shoulders back, expand your chest area, and breathe deeply.
Soliciting the Relaxation Response
With a little practice, you can learn how to shift into a relaxation mode. You can start by practicing the following approach. Over time, you will develop an ability to shift into a more relaxed state in the midst of stressful situations.
The practice is simple:
- Choose a quiet place. Select a quiet place that is free of distractions. Create a soothing environment in your home or at work. Turn off the computer, radio, TV, stereo, and telephone.
- Find a comfortable body position. You can sit or recline on a chair or sofa, or sit comfortably on the floor. Make sure you feel supported.
- Silently repeat a word, sound, prayer, or focus on your breath.
- If you find yourself distracted, passively return to that stimulus without judgment or emotion.
You will find increasing benefits if you can commit to an uninterrupted length of time each day to do your practice. Relaxing for 20 minutes once or twice a day is optimal. You might start with just five minutes and build from there.
Other Methods
People use many techniques to relax and feel more positive emotions. Some folks find prayer is
an essential part of their well-being. Some like to reflect on what brought them joy in the day
and give thanks. Gratitude is one well-recognized method of creating a positive emotional state
and the attending benefits.
Find a method that works for you and give it some priority in your life. You will reap the benefits of increased health and well-being!
Meditation
Practice sitting meditation with guided instructions from a mindfulness teacher.
Click the button below, then click the Play button on the audio screen. (If you pause the meditation, an ad that says "Explore more music & audio" will appear. To return to the audio, simply click the X in the upper right-hand corner.)
Mindful movement
For some folks sitting and trying to pay attention is frustrating. In these cases, it is sometimes helpful to try mindful movement, such as yoga, tai chi, or even simple walking practice. Try these simple instructions for mindful walking.
Simple Walking Practice
You might find mindful walking helpful for settling an active mind. This is a very simple practice of noticing the sensations in your body as you walk:
- Begin with the intention to pay attention.
- You can walk slightly slower than normal or just pick a normal pace.
- Begin by identifying the predominant sensations you are noticing. Is it your legs moving, your feet as they touch the ground, your arms swinging, your chest as you breathe?
- Pick one sensation and pay attention to it as you walk. For example, you could choose your feet and notice as you lift and place them.
- If thoughts arise as you walk, simply recognize them, then go back to the sensation of walking. (If you realize you were lost in thought, it is not a problem, this is perfectly normal. Just go back to the sensations of walking.)
- Walk like this for five minutes.
As you notice these sensations of walking, you may find it easier to drop the tendency to worry, plan, or ruminate on something that just happened.
Note: You can do this practice anytime you are walking somewhere—to class, to the library, while working. It is a great way to give yourself a pause in the day.
Ahola K, Sirén I, Kivimäki M, Ripatti S, Aromaa A, et al. (2012). Work-related exhaustion and telomere length: A population-based study. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40186.
American Psychological Association topic: Article on Stress
Benson, H. (1993). The relaxation response. In Mind Body Medicine. Goleman, D., Gurin, J. (ed). Consumer Reports Books, New York: Consumer Reports Books.
Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Kobasa, S., Maddi, S. and Puccetti, M. (1982). Personality and Exercise as Buffers in the Stress-Illness Relationship. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 5, 391-404.
Lawson, K. (2002). Psychoneuroimmunology. In Blackwell Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fast Facts for Medical Practice. Herring, M. & Roberts, M. (ed). Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishing.
Pelletier, K. (1993). Between Mind and Body: Stress, Emotions, and Health in Mind Body Medicine. Goleman, D., Gurin, J. (ed). New York:Consumer Reports Books.