Download The Relaxation Response

The Relaxation Response
Movement & Meditation for Reducing Academic Anxiety
Wake Tech Community College
Workshop by Phi Theta Kappa, 2015
Presentation available at www.suleone.com/education
Pediatric Anxiety
According the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology
information at the National Institutes of Health,
pediatric generalized anxiety disorder occurs in about
10% of children and teens, affecting more girls than boys.
Can you guess the average age of onset?
8.5
Pediatric Anxiety
Studies have shown that academic anxiety reduces
performance at any age.
As the saying goes:
The neurons that fire together, wire together.
The neurons that fire apart, wire apart.
Which means, anxiety feeds on itself, and can often be
alleviated with therapy.
The Brain-Body Connection
• This connection is well-documented in research in the past 30 years.
Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
Columbia University (New York, NY)
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Pittsburgh (PA)
Dr. Dean Ornish, UC-SF
These universities have mind-body departments!
Dr. Herbert Benson, Harvard
The Brain-Body Connection
• The connection is well-documented in research in the past 30 years
• Brain-body communication is two-way
The brain also listens
The Brain-Body Connection
• The connection is well-documented in research in the past 30 years
• Brain-body communication is two-way
• Once body responses kick in, the thinking brain may be overruled
until the crisis is over
The Anxious Body
Feeds the
Anxious Mind
“[That] survival brain can’t tell
the difference between a tiger
and a geometry test.”
From Too Stressed to Think, by Fox and Kirschner
The Anxious Body
Feeds the
Anxious Mind
What do these
faces have in
common?
The Anxious Body
Feeds the
Anxious Mind
There are five basic
responses to stress:
flee, fight, feed,
mate, and hide*.
All these responses
require movement.
*sometimes freeze
Get into it!
The Anxious Body
Feeds the
Anxious Mind
Adrenal medulla secretes adrenalin
Eyes widen and dilate
Salivation stops
Heart pounds
Fast, shallow breathing
Adrenal glands produce cortisol to
keep blood sugar levels high
The body prepares for
all five forms of
emergency movement,
just in case.
Digestion stops
Elimination stops
Hands and feet cool and sweat
Large muscles tense
The Relaxed Body
Calms the
Anxious Mind
“Learning to relax and calm your
body in any situation is the first
step toward learning to calm your
anxious mind.”
From My Anxious Mind, by Tompkins and Martinez
“Regular use [of meditation] may strengthen the
connections between neurons and…[promotes] growth
in the gray matter…the cells that…are responsible for
your memory, sense of self, attention and
empathy…even after just several weeks.”
Quote of Dr. Eileen Leeders (UCLA), from Success through Stillness, by Russell Simmons
The Relaxed Body
Calms the
Anxious Mind
What do these
faces have in
common?
The Relaxed Body
Calms the
Anxious Mind
Brain waves enter resting state
Eyes are relaxed, maybe closed
Heart rate slows
Respiration slows, especially the
exhale, and becomes abdominal
Blood pressure lowers
Digestion increases
Large muscles relax
Some Relaxation
Methods
• Tai Chi
• Qigong
• Yoga with breathing
• Transcendental Meditation
• Mindfulness Meditation
• Progressive Body Relaxation
• Guided Imagery
Triggering the
Relaxation
Response
• Choose one way to meditate.
• Practice chosen form of
meditation for a minimum of
10 minutes daily.
• Be comfortable.
• Choose a mantra (word, phrase or
image) to focus your thoughts.
• Assume a passive attitude.
When thoughts intrude, let them
drift as you refocus on your
breathing or mantra.
“To the mind that is still,
the whole universe surrenders.”
-Lao Tzu
Presentation available at www.suleone.com/education
Sources
“Review Finds Meditation Somewhat Effective against Anxiety and Depression” by Christie Nicholson, Scientific American,
Jan 27, 2014. www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/meditation-meta-analysis/
Success through Stillness by Russell Simmons and Chris Morrow, 2014.
“Test Anxiety and Academic Performance of School Students” by Dr. Bharati Roy, Int’l J of Sci Research, Vol 2 No 1 (Jan
2013).
My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic by Michael A. Tompkins and Katherine A. Martinez,
2011.
Relaxation Revolution: The Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing by Herbert Benson and William Proctor, 2010.
“What is the Stress Response?” by Saul McLeod, 2010. http://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-biology.html
“Pediatric generalized anxiety disorder: epidemiology, diagnosis, and management” by CP Keeton, AC Kolos and JT
Walkup, Paediatric Drugs, Vol 11 No 3 Pg 171-183 (2009). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19445546
Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield, 2008.
The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children with Anxiety by Ilyne Sandas and Christine Siegel, 2008.
Too Stressed to Think?: A Teen Guide to Staying Sane When Life Makes You Crazy by Annie Fox and Ruth Kirschner, 2005.
Mind Body Medicine: How to Use Your Mind for Better Health (Chapter 14) by Coleman and Gurin (eds.), 1993.