Because we are generally addicted to complexity and busyness, reaching a state of authentic relaxation is a challenge. Most of us are familiar with the fight or flight response evoked physiologically in our bodies when we are stressed. There is , however, an opposite response, the relaxation response where the body moves into a deep state of rest. The physiological responses found in the state of relaxation are the opposite of those found in the fight or flight response. The heart rate and blood pressure drop, the breathing rate decreases and muscle tension decreases.
Muscle tension is an indicator of an aroused state.
Muscle relaxation and a calm state of body and mind go together. Muscle relaxation can be learned through daily practice. It can be learned by developing an awareness, through progressive muscle relaxation exercises, of the difference in how muscles feel when they are tense or relaxed. Meditation, visualization and guided imagery are techniques that elicit deep relaxation through use of your mind. Meditation in it's purest form has been practiced in the East for thousands of years.