Relaxation Therapy and How To Do It

[Dr Ray]

When I introduced Relaxation Therapy in 1975, the term was unknown and
so was the practice of deep relaxation for most people, at least
within the United States. Relaxation was not seen then (as it is now)
as something useful, like the benefits of an annual vacation, a round
of golf now and then and whatever else comes along to slow us down.

When people asked me why I called the process Relaxation Therapy, I
said, "Because it will be the therapy of the future." Well, the
future is now and has been for some time. Here's how it works:

Relaxation Therapy consists of three stages. The first stage consists
of some basic breathing exercises which we touched on in a previous
Post. The second stage, some simple muscle relaxation exercises, and
the third stage, a simple meditation exercise, which consists of
listening to and absorbing basic rhythms of nature (i.e., different
versions include rhythmic sounds of the sea, rainfall, early morning
desert sounds, babbling brook in the forest).

On the Audio CD, I take you through these three stages and it is
highly likely you will deeply relax the very first time. Also, in the
background is a network of inter-coordinated musical scores and
rhythmic sounds created by film composer Karl Mohr from Canada.

Let's explore how all this works, quoting a section from Teeing Off
With The Masters - where Doc and Charlie go through the relaxation
process.

TEEING OFF WITH THE MASTERS:

Charlie was enthused and curious about Relaxation Therapy and how it
might help him on Greensward Grail (e.g., the fictional golf course I
designed for the book).
Enough talk, Doc. Let's get on with it!

Charlie assumed a comfortable position, put the headphones on, and off
he went into the wonderful twilight zone induced by Relaxation
Therapy. After a half hour Charlie woke up, fully refreshed and
amazed at how much better he felt.

Doc, that's really great! I don't think I've ever been this relaxed.
I had no idea how tense I was. I started out with deep rhythmic
breathing, proceeded through the muscle relaxation section, and
finally drifted off into sounds of the sea. I think I fell asleep.

Actually, you entered a state of hypnosis, Charlie. It’s a state of
deep relaxation, somewhere between sleep and consciousness where Theta
Waves abound in your brain.

This is incredible, Doc! Do you think I’ll be able to bring this kind
of relaxation to my golf game?

You can apply it to everything in your life, but like I said, you have
to develop relaxation skills. After you have done Relaxation Therapy
for a couple of weeks, you’ll have these skills firmly in place.
You’ll be able to counteract tension with deep rhythmic breathing and
muscle relaxation in all high-pressure situations.

But, will it work on the golf course, Doc?

Of course it will. The first step is to become more aware of when you
are tense and where tension appears in specific areas of your body.
Some people experience tension primarily in their jaw muscles, others
their neck, shoulders, low back, stomach and hands. As you learn to
identify the source of your tension and where tension localizes in
your body, you can counteract the process with deep rhythmic
breathing. In so doing, you’ll be utilizing stress identification and
tension management skills.

You’ll need to reinforce your evolving self-management skills by doing
Relaxation Therapy frequently at home for a few weeks, because
Relaxation Therapy relieves tension more effectively than breathing
exercises done alone.

You’re saying when I learn to identify tension in my body and to
replace it with relaxation, I’ll be able to stay cool, on and off the
course.

That’s about it, Charlie. Tension and relaxation are incompatible
physical states; one replaces the other.

Suppose you feel stressed and have a tension headache or backache.
Tension plays a powerful role in these kinds of problems. When you
lie down and relax, as you did a few minutes ago during Relaxation
Therapy, much of the pain goes away. This is because the muscles
relax, blood flows more freely, carrying oxygen to the muscles,
facilitating reduction of lactate levels related to muscle pain.
Relaxation of the muscles also relieves pressure in the pained areas.
Deep relaxation also releases endorphins, natural pain killing
hormones produced by your brain. They’re actually more effective than
pain killing medications and have no negative side effects.

Incredible! Have you seen Relaxation Therapy work with other people,
with other kinds of problems?

I’ve seen some pretty intriguing results, Charlie, with a variety of
concerns. By the way, how are you coming along with your medications?

Actually, I’ve been thinking about asking my physician if I could
discontinue taking medications altogether. What do you think?

I don’t think all physicians appreciate these medications as much as
some people think. They probably use them because they don’t have
better alternatives.

Why don’t they use natural alternatives like Relaxation Therapy?

Many do, Charlie, especially those practicing Alternative Medicine,
but it takes time for people to become comfortable with different ways
of doing things.

You know, Doc, the rhythmic sound in the background of Relaxation
Therapy is a lot like the rhythm of a golf swing. It’s like a
pendulum, paced and comfortable. A good golf swing is like that. The
backward swing and the forward swing work together rhythmically. As
tempo increases, you get more speed and power. Joining that, with
good timing during impact, yields full force. That’s what golfers
love, a great swing and lots of power and distance.

As you know, Charlie, a relaxed swing is important, whether you’re
driving, chipping or putting. How about the guy with the yips and a
nervous system that’s out of control.

Why do you mention the nervous system, Doc?

That’s another story altogether. We’ll get into that later on. For
now, let’s enjoy learning how to relax. How about some golf on
Greensward Grail in a couple of days? What do you say?

Absolutely! I’ll practice Relaxation Therapy a few more times before
we tee off. By the time we get to Greensward Grail, I’ll have a
better handle on tension management and relaxation. I’m looking
forward to it.

I’ll be in the groove, Doc. I can feel it already.

Dr. Ray