# Relaxation techniques Source: https://spiritfold.com/Relaxation_techniques Published by the Australian Spiritual Alliance on Spiritfold, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. **Relaxation techniques** are practices meant to bring on the body's "relaxation response", in which breathing slows, the heart beats more slowly and blood pressure drops. This response is the opposite of the body's reaction to stress, which is why relaxation techniques are used to counter it.[1] healthdirect, the Australian Government-funded health information service, presents them as a way to manage stress and improve wellbeing.[2] ## Description ### Main techniques There are many techniques, but they share one aim: to bring on the relaxation response deliberately. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) describes these common techniques:[1] - **Progressive muscle relaxation** (also called progressive relaxation): tensing different muscles in turn, then letting the tension go.[1] - **Autogenic training**: a series of mental exercises using relaxation and self-suggestion, in which the mind attends to the body's experience of relaxing.[1] - **Guided imagery** or **visualisation**: picturing objects, scenes or events linked with calm, and trying to bring the same feeling into the body.[1] - **Biofeedback-assisted relaxation**: learning to recognise and manage the body's responses with feedback, usually from an electronic device that shows changes in heart rate, blood pressure or muscle tension.[1] - **Self-hypnosis**: learning to bring on the relaxation response with a phrase or other cue of one's own.[1] - **Breathing exercises**: for example, slow, deep breathing from the diaphragm.[1] ### Trying them healthdirect gives simple instructions for several techniques. For slow breathing, one method is to breathe in slowly to a count of three and out to a count of three, perhaps counting longer on the out-breath. For progressive muscle relaxation, lie down somewhere quiet with the eyes closed and, starting at the toes, tense each part of the body in turn for about three seconds before releasing it. For visualisation, imagine a calm place, such as a beach, and take it in through all five senses. healthdirect also suggests mindfulness, positive self-talk, imagining tense images changing into relaxed ones (such as a clenched fist opening), and noticing things to be grateful for.[2] Beyond Blue describes guided visualisation as usually done sitting comfortably while a person or a recording describes a calming scene. It notes that many relaxation techniques can be practised almost anywhere, cost little or nothing, and become more helpful with practice.[3] ## Scope ### What it includes - Progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, guided imagery, biofeedback-assisted relaxation, self-hypnosis and breathing exercises[1] - Simple techniques people can learn and use on their own, whenever they feel stressed[2] - Guided exercises led by a person or a recording[3] ### What it is not - Massage, meditation, yoga, tai chi and qigong can also bring on the relaxation response, but NCCIH treats them as separate practices.[1] - Relaxation techniques are not a substitute for seeing a health professional. NCCIH advises anyone with severe or long-lasting symptoms to see their health care provider, as the cause may need prompt treatment.[1] healthdirect advises speaking to a doctor if stress is affecting daily life, or if it doesn't ease with relaxation techniques.[2] - They are not proven treatments for specific conditions; the evidence is mixed (see below).[1] ### Research The evidence is mixed and often of low quality. NCCIH reports, for example, that a 2018 review of five studies (1,248 women) found relaxation techniques might help with pain in labour, but the quality of the research was low or very low. A 2019 review of 17 studies found slow breathing exercises led to a modest fall in blood pressure, but the studies had short follow-up and a high risk of bias. Used on their own, relaxation techniques don't seem especially promising for sleep. For children and adolescents, some techniques may help with pain, anxiety, headaches or needle procedures, but much of the research was rated low quality.[1] ## Traditions and lineage Progressive muscle relaxation was developed by Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s.[4] In the United States, the share of adults who used guided imagery or progressive muscle relaxation rose from 3.8 per cent in 2002 to 6.4 per cent in 2022, according to a national health survey.[1] ## Context ### Within Spiritualism Relaxation has been taught alongside Spiritualism rather than as part of its teaching. Around 2001 the *Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology* listed relaxation, with meditation, colour therapy and acupuncture, among the wide range of courses at the Arthur Findlay College, the Spiritualists' National Union's residential college in Essex, England, besides subjects directly related to Spiritualism such as mediumship.[5] That describes the college's programme at the time, not its current courses. ### In Australian Spiritualism Spiritfold has found no published source linking relaxation techniques with [Spiritualism](https://spiritfold.com/Spiritualism) in Australia. ### A Spiritualist perspective Relaxation sits comfortably beside Spiritualism. It has been taught alongside [mediumship](https://spiritfold.com/Mediumship), as the history above shows, and any teacher of a [development circle](https://spiritfold.com/Development_circles) knows that a sitter who is tense finds it hard to be still and receptive. Breathing slowly and letting go of tension are good groundwork, though they are not mediumship and should not be described as such. A Spiritualist teacher would lead these exercises with care. Make it clear that people can open their eyes, move or stop at any time. As the safety notes below say, a few people find relaxation unsettling, especially those with a history of trauma, so watch the group closely. Relaxation is a support, not a substitute for professional help: anyone whose stress or low mood isn't easing should be encouraged to see their doctor or contact the support services listed below. ## Relaxation techniques in Australia Free guidance on relaxation techniques is published by healthdirect, the Australian Government-funded health information service,[2] and by Beyond Blue, whose website offers guided breathing, muscle relaxation and visualisation exercises.[3] ## Safety and good practice Relaxation is gentle, but it is not risk-free for everyone, so it is worth knowing the cautions. NCCIH describes relaxation techniques as generally safe for healthy people, and most studies have reported no negative side effects. Occasionally people report unpleasant experiences such as more anxiety, intrusive thoughts or a fear of losing control. There have been rare reports that some techniques might bring on or worsen symptoms in people with epilepsy, certain psychiatric conditions, or a history of abuse or trauma.[1] Beyond Blue advises anyone with a physical condition or injury to check with their GP before starting progressive muscle relaxation.[3] People with high blood pressure should keep following the treatment plan from their health care provider and talk with them before trying a complementary approach.[1] healthdirect advises against using alcohol to relieve stress, and lists support services including Lifeline (13 11 14) for urgent support and Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).[2] ## Related modalities - [Meditation](https://spiritfold.com/Meditation) - [Yoga](https://spiritfold.com/Yoga) - [Tai chi](https://spiritfold.com/Tai_chi) - [Qigong](https://spiritfold.com/Qigong) - [Buteyko method](https://spiritfold.com/Buteyko_method) ## References 1. ["Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know"](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know). National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. Last updated June 2021 (accessed 11 October 2026). 2. ["Relaxation techniques for stress relief"](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief). healthdirect, Healthdirect Australia. Last reviewed March 2026 (accessed 11 October 2026). 3. ["Guided breathing and relaxation exercises"](https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/wellbeing/relaxation-exercises). Beyond Blue (accessed 11 October 2026). 4. Toussaint L, Nguyen QA, Roettger C, Dixon K, Offenbächer M, Kohls N, Hirsch J, Sirois F. ["Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided Imagery in Promoting Psychological and Physiological States of Relaxation"](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8272667/). *Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine*, 2 July 2021 (accessed 11 October 2026). 5. ["Arthur Findlay College"](https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/arthur-findlay-college). *Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology*, 5th ed. Gale, 2001, via Encyclopedia.com (accessed 12 October 2026). ## Further reading - Beyond Blue. ["Guided breathing and relaxation exercises"](https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/wellbeing/relaxation-exercises). - healthdirect. ["Relaxation techniques for stress relief"](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief). Healthdirect Australia, 2026. - National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. ["Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know"](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know). US National Institutes of Health, 2021. - Toussaint L, et al. ["Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided Imagery in Promoting Psychological and Physiological States of Relaxation"](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8272667/). *Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine*, 2021.