Why is diaphragmatic breathing thought to be an effective relaxation technique?
Diaphragmatic or “mindful” breathing is considered to be the basis of any effective relaxation technique (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010, p. 45). That is because it helps to deliver oxygen straight to the lungs and to the blood system (Relaxation techniques, 2015, para. 4). It, in its turn, brings relaxation to the mind and the body and takes all negative emotions away.
An explanation is simple. When the deepest parts of our lungs do not get enough oxygen, people can feel fatigued, both physically and mentally. And that is exactly what shallow breathing is fraught with.
Although diaphragmatic breathing can seem strange and even unnatural, that is not right. As proof of it, while we sleep, we breathe just in the same way, deeply and with the help of our diaphragm. The same happens when we deeply relaxed.
What three steps are important to engage in this technique?
The first step to take is to prepare yourself for meditation, both physically and mentally. You should adopt a comfortable position, for instance, lie or sit, perhaps, even put the arms on the belly to feel how it will move while breathing in and out. It is also imperative to relax and free the consciousness, get rid of excessive thoughts.
When it is done, you can start breathing. It is not as complicated as some assume. You do not need to count to five every time you breathe the air in or out, you do not need to hold your breath as well. The most important part here is to concentrate on this process, to think about how you breathe.
Finally, after some time of meditation, your control over the breathing can be lost since people’s minds easily get busy with thousands of thoughts. Whenever it happens, you just need to return the thoughts on track.
What effects does meditation have on the mind and the body?
As for the impact on the body, first of all, regular meditation helps with various health conditions (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014, para. 14). For example, it can relieve the symptoms of disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems (high blood pressure, heart diseases, asthma, allergy, etc.). Besides, meditation can improve the quality of sleep, reduce the pain or muscle tension, and so on.
Since the connection between the body and the mind is very strong, as soon as the necessary oxygen enters the lungs and blood system, the majority of the bad feelings vanish (Seaward, 2015). With the very first deep breath, you can feel inner peace and relaxation. That is why meditation is rather effective in dealing with stresses, anxiety, fear, depressions, and so on.
List three ways that imagery and visualization can be useful for relaxation. Explain why
The first reason why imagery and visualization help to relax is that they can easily distract you from stresses or depressions. They simply take your mind away.
However, it is still not enough. If you imagine something negative like the pictures of war, for example, you will hardly feel any better. So, the content of visualization also matters, since the second reason why it can help with relaxation is that it makes you think that you exist in the place that you are imagining.
Finally, the last necessary thing to make imagery and visualization useful is practice. From the very beginning, this process can seem a little silly. So, the desired results will not appear immediately.
References
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014). Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress.
Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response. (2015).
Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.