Meditation and Relaxation
Meditation is a safe and simple way to help you move towards harmony and self-enlightenment. Relaxation helps your mind develop a state of restful alertness whilst your body becomes calm, thus allowing your natural healing to take place.
What is it?
Meditation and relaxation use specific techniques that introduce a state of serene being, or total peace, through which the mind and body work together [1-3]. They require a simple practice that calms and stills physical and mental tension [4,5]. Meditation, visualisations, breathing techniques and relaxation are all often used to combat Stress, helping you to gently let go of worry and anxiety, and gives you a sense of control and tranquillity [6-9].
Relaxation and Meditation is good for your health
Benefits:
There is excellent clinical evidence on the successful benefits of Meditation and Relaxation:
- Reduces stress-related illnesses and anxiety disorders
- Relieves muscle tension and tightness, helping unwind mind and body
- Improving breathing pattern and airway clearance
- Reduces fatigue and improves will power and stamina
- Reduce stress can improve concentration and memory
- Helps to reduce pain by altering your perceptions and improving your coping mechanisms
- Combat fear and frustration, aiding regulation of sleep pattern
- Regulates digestion by calming the stomach and relieving constipation.
Meditation may also be used for bereavement, loss, depression and exhaustion, as it can be refreshing and peaceful. Helps combat negative patterns, phobias, panic attacks and addictions [10]. A substantial amount of research shows a positive impact on hypertension, headaches, anxiety, stress and seizures [11,12].
Meditation can be done by anybody, it is not complicated, it is a skill that you can practice daily.
What to expect:
There are many ways to use Meditation and Relaxation techniques to help you mental health, they activate the pituitary gland to secrete endorphins which improve our mood, uplifting our attitudes and mind, and promotes a positive effect on the whole body.
There are many different approaches
- Breath focus - directing your attention on breathing
- Body scan - systematically relaxing muscle groups
- Guided imagery or pathworking
- Yoga, tai chi, and qigong
- Repetitive chant, prayer or sound (mantra)
Most require that you rest in a comfortable position and focus attention or mental exercises, or a combination of the above. Meditation may require a quiet environment, although the ancient Toaist monks would say that, even in solitude upon a mountain, one may hear a cricket! The benefits that come from regular practice can raise awareness of your body, rebalance your mind and relax your nervous system. Meditation may last 5 minutes to an hour, but ideally should last 20 minutes each session on a regular basis. Meditation can help you to slow down and can respond to the world around you, with a clear mind and focused attention on what is important to you.
Book an appointmentIf you’re interested in any of our Meditation and Relaxation services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
If you’re interested in any of our Meditation and Relaxation services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
History:
Meditation has its roots in ancient civilisations, often linked with religions from around the globe from Buddhist monks, Christian convents and monasteries, Shamanic North American Indian traditions to Yoga. Many recent relaxation principles stemmed from Edmund Jacobson (1930s) Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Mahrishi Mahesh Yogi (1960’s) Transidental Meditation, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Phd (1970s) Mindfulness Meditation. Based on the theory contemplation may help appreciate the rich texture of life.
Book an appointmentIf you’re interested in any of our meditation and relaxation services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
Tel: 01206 761806
Mobile: 07713 185645
If you’re interested in any of our meditation and relaxation services, please get in touch to book or find out more.
Tel: 01206 761806
Mobile: 07713 185645
View prices
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm
https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/stress/breathing-and-relaxation-exercises-for-stress
1 Ernst E, Pittler MH and Wider B (2006) The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An evidence-based approach. China: Elsevier.
2 Saeed, S.A., Cunningham, K. and Bloch, R.M., 2019. Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Benefits of Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation. American family physician, 99(10), pp.620-627.
3 Payne RA (2004) Relaxation Techniques. In: Kolt and Adersen (2004) Psychology in Physical Therapy and Manual Therapy. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
4 Seppälä, E., 2017. How meditation benefits CEOs. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr. org/2015/12/how-meditation-benefits-ceos
5 Márquez, P.H.P., Feliu-Soler, A., Solé-Villa, M.J., Matas-Pericas, L., Filella-Agullo, D., Ruiz-Herrerias, M., Soler-Ribaudi, J., Coll, A.R.C. and Arroyo-Díaz, J.A., 2019. Benefits of mindfulness meditation in reducing blood pressure and stress in patients with arterial hypertension. Journal of human hypertension, 33(3), pp.237-247.
6 Lovas JG, Lovas DA (2007) Rapid relaxation: practical management of preoperative anxiety. Journal of Canadian Dental Association 73(5): 437-440.
7 Jensen MP, Hakimian S, Sherlin LH et al. (2008) New insights into neuromodulatory approaches for the treatment of pain. Journal of Pain 9 (3); 193-199.
8 Joshi S (2008) Nonpharacologic therapy for insomnia in the elderly. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 24 (1): 107-119.
9 Persson AL, Veenhizen H, Zachrison and Gard G (2008) Relaxation as Treatment for Chronic Muscle Pain – A Systemic Review of RCT. Physical Therapy Reviews, 13 (5): 355-365
10 Srivastava M, Talukdar U, Lahan V (2011) Meditation for the management of adjustment disorder anxiety and depression Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. November 2011,17(4): 241-245.
11 15 Gedde-Dahl M and Fors EA (2012) Impact of self-administered relaxation and guided imagery techniques during final trimester and birth Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. February 2012 18 (1): 60-65.
12 Avvenuti, G., Leo, A., Cecchetti, L., Franco, M.F., Travis, F., Caramella, D., Bernardi, G., Ricciardi, E. and Pietrini, P., 2020. Reductions in perceived stress following Transcendental Meditation practice are associated with increased brain regional connectivity at rest. Brain and Cognition, 139, p.105517.