The Relaxation Response
Movement & Meditation for Reducing Academic AnxietyWake Tech Community College
Workshop by Phi Theta Kappa, 2015
Presentation available at www.suleone.com/education
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?
Pediatric Anxiety
8.5
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.
Pediatric Anxiety
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 AngelesUniversity of Pittsburgh (PA)
These universities have mind-body departments!
Dr. Dean Ornish, UC-SF 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
Get out!
Get into it!
Get down!
Get it on!
There are five basic responses to stress: flee, fight, feed, mate, and hide*.
All these responses require movement.
Get grub!
*sometimes freeze
The Anxious Body Feeds the Anxious Mind
The body prepares for all five forms of emergency movement, just in case.
Adrenal glands produce cortisol to keep blood sugar levels high
Eyes widen and dilateSalivation stops
Digestion stops
Elimination stops
Fast, shallow breathingHeart pounds
Large muscles tense
Hands and feet cool and sweat
Adrenal medulla secretes adrenalin
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
Eyes are relaxed, maybe closed
Respiration slows, especially the exhale, and becomes abdominal
Heart rate slows
Large muscles relax
Blood pressure lowers
Digestion increases
Brain waves enter resting state
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.
Results in as little as
eight weeks!
AND
The longer you
practice, the better
the effect!
“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.