Some yoga practices also include visualization, progressive relaxation exercises and meditation. Meditation can be used to help people suffering from chronic diseases as well as stress-related disorders, including abdominal pain, ulcers, and chronic diarrhea. Meditation helps slow the breathing rate and increases oxygen consumption and blood flow to the brain, which produce a more relaxed brain wave rhythm. In some traditions, such as Buddhism, meditators sit comfortably in silence and think no thoughts. In tai chi and other Chinese disciplines, practitioners perform gentle, dance-like movements while meditating on the flow of chi energy through their bodies.
Progressive relaxation is an effective therapy for inducing the relaxation response.
People are first taught to contract and relax their face and neck muscles. These muscles are tensed for one to two seconds and then relaxed. In blood flow to a muscle when it is stressed - and away from the muscle when it is relaxed. The whole process is repeated two or three times, and produces a deep state of relaxation. Some stress is unavoidable in normal living, and while it can provide an opportunity for growth and development, excessive prolonged stress is harmful and increases the risk of medical disorder.