It is achieved by mastering techniques that help you let go of stress. Usually the relaxation response is achieved when you match the relaxation strategy to the type of stress you are experiencing. A person who experiences stress more in a physical sense - feeling jittery, muscle tightness, aches and pains is a body reactor. Others who experience stress in the form of excessive worry, anxiety, a racing mind or difficulty in concentrating is a mind reactor. However, in reality, we usually react to stress both physically and and emotionally.
Relaxation is a skill.
Like any skill it requires patience and perseverance. It requires an attitude which creates openness and acceptance. Learning to elicit a relaxation response is like learning to be your personal energy magician. It requires transforming feelings of anxiety and pain into something positive and becoming more acceptant. It is about learning how to change your attention or focus, redefine an experience or situation, realign your body, thoughts and feelings so that negative energy is transformed into positive energy.