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A Guide for Senior Leaders
...by Paul T. Harig, Ph.D. Colonel, US Army
Quieting the Adrenaline Storm
In the fall of 1988, Dr. Benson and his colleagues founded a research and teaching center called the Mind/Body Medical Institute at the New England Deaconess Hospital and the Harvard Medical School. It was the first place of its kind organized to study the effects of the relaxation response and other self-help measures and their potential role for the prevention and treatment of disease. At the Deaconess Hospital, tests are conducted for a wide range of medical conditions, including high blood pressure and heart disease, cancer, and chronic pain, insomnia and even infertility. Benson and his associates have learned that the relaxation response can help in the treatment of many medical problems; in some cases, it can eliminate them entirely. It is certainly not the only treatment for those disorders nor a substitute for regular medical care. But to the extent that any medical disorder is caused or made worse by stress, the relaxation response is a valuable complement to conventional medical treatment with extensive clinical research behind it and scientifically proven success. Dr. Benson speculates that the relaxation response corresponds to what Swiss physiologist Walter Hess found when he stimulated certain areas of the brain of laboratory animals and produced a response opposite to the fight-or-flight response, characterized by relaxed muscles, decreased blood pressure and breathing rate. Hess called this effect "a protective mechanism against overstress." It now appears that this "protective mechanism" can be used by virtually anyone to bring about a rapid quieting of the body's revving engine, as well as a tranquillity that is not unlike the experience gained from meditation and repetitive prayer practiced throughout the centuries by all of the world's faith groups. Although the relaxation response can be a powerful way to treat stress-related medical problems, it is equally beneficial for preventing disorders or for enhancing performance. On days when exercise is not possible, relaxation techniques are an excellent way to bring down the body's stress level. While exercise dissipates the arousal caused by the fight-or-flight response (remember, running was one of our prehistoric ancestors' limited options) the relaxation response neutralizes the stress response. Scientists at the Harvard Medical School have demonstrated that in people who have practiced the relaxation response, the body is less responsive to stress hormones, even during the times of day they are not practicing the response. This means that it takes a stronger stress reaction to bring about an increase in blood pressure and heart rate in these people. According to Dr. Benson, a wide array of techniques can elicit the relaxation response. They may be religiously-based or have a secular focus. When people chose a technique that conforms to their own preferences, it is much more likely that they will adhere to the practice. There appear to be only two elements required to bring about the relaxation response, concentration on rhythmical breathing and the repetition of a word or phrase. At his Institute, Dr. Benson teaches the following approach:
Dr. Benson also reports that the relaxation response can also be elicited during exercise, which adds a valuable psychological lift to a workout. As you run, pay attention to your breathing. As you achieve a regular rhythm, focus in particular on its in and out rhythm. As you breathe in say to yourself, silently, "in", and as you exhale, say to yourself, silently, "out". In effect, these become the focus words which operate in the same way that you would use them with other relaxation methods.
This article represents a chapter from "Executive Wellness: A Guide for Senior Leaders", an online book written and edited by staff and contributors at the U.S. Army Physical Fitness Research Institute (USAPFRI), U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
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| Sponsored by the Army National Guard, and the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve. Copyright 2008 |
If the mind and body are really one, then can intentional efforts to quiet the body reverse the automatic effects of the flight or fight response? And will positive health benefits result from a regular induction of this quieting, much as the negative consequences follow from the chronic stress response? These issues have intrigued Harvard Medical School's Dr. Herbert Benson since the late 1960s, when he reluctantly agreed to research the claim of several practitioners of transcendental meditation that they could lower their blood pressure. To his surprise, Benson found that the simple act of sitting quietly and giving the mind a focus decreased metabolism, slowed the heart rate, decreased the breathing rate, and even produced significant changes in brain waves. The evidence he gathered had compelling implications about the control that people could exert over their bodies. He comments, "It suggested strongly that you could use your mind to change your physiology in a beneficial way, improve health, and perhaps reduce your need for medications. I subsequently coined the term relaxation response to describe this natural restorative phenomenon that is common to all of us." If the stressors of modern life cause the fight-or-flight response, the relaxation response can be used to counteract the harmful effects of stress. Just as your heart begins to beat rapidly when you imagine a frightening scene, your mind can be used to slow your heart rate.
