Relaxation therapy encompasses various techniques aimed at reducing anxiety, stress, and muscle tension, as well as promoting overall mental and physical well-being. Methods include progressive muscle relaxation, mental imagery, meditation, yoga, biofeedback, and deep breathing exercises, each offering distinct benefits such as improved circulation and decreased anxiety. This therapy not only serves as a standalone approach but is often integrated into broader stress management programs.

1. C
RELAXATION THERAPY

2. INTRODUCTION
• Relaxation produces physiological effects opposite those of anxiety: slow
heart rate, increased peripheral blood flow and neuro- muscular stability.
• A relaxation technique (also known as relaxation training) is any method,
process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; to attain a state
of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of pain, anxiety, stress or
anger.
• Relaxation techniques are often employed as one element of a wider stress
management program and can decrease muscle tension, lower the blood
pressure and slow heart and breathe rates, among other health benefits.
• Relaxation is a technique often used by sports performers to calm
themselves-thereby decreasing anxiety and controlling arousal. It can
increase the sense of control, reduce anxiety, and help the performer to feel
calm and comfortable.
• Involves a decrease in: • Breathing rate. • Heart rate. • Muscle activity. •
Oxygen consumption.

3. DEFINITION
Relaxation therapy is a broad term used to describe a number of
techniques that promote stress reduction, the elimination of tension
throughout the body, and a calm and peaceful state of mind.
THE AIM OF RELAXATION THERAPY is to quiet the
mind; to allow thoughts to flow in a smooth, level
rhythm, and induce the relaxation response. This mental
quiet allows for rest and rejuvenation that does not
always occur, even during sleep

4. PURPOSE
• The goal of relaxation therapy is to calm the brain, to permit thinking
process to stream in an even, smooth pace, and trigger the relaxation
reaction.
• To improve the circulation & physiological function
• To relive muscle fatigue
• To improve the physical and mental health.
• This mental silence facilitates for relax and transformation that may
even cannot be achieved during sleep, since throughout the sleep, the
mind can stay energetic, even if the pace is slower than that of the mind
when it is conscious.

5. BENEFITS OF RELAXATION THERAPY
• Increase in self-confidence to
manage the problems
• Reduction of frequency and
severity of panic attacks
• Increase in blood flow to primary
muscles.
• Increase concentration and
memory.
• Reduction of insomnia and
fatigue
• Suppress tension and anger.
• Regularize the heartbeat.
• Lower the blood pressure.
• Reduce sleep deprivation.
• Increase in energy.
• Increase in ability to focus

6. PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS:
• Respiratory rate slows 4 to 6 breath
per minute.
• Heart rate to as low as 24 beats per
minute.
• Blood pressure decreases.
• Metabolic rate slows down.
COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOUR EFFECTS .
Mental alertness & Active thinking.
. Increases the creative and memory.
Increases the ability to concentrate.
. Improvement in adoptive functioning
It focuses on specific problems.
. It is goal oriented.
. Recognize to those whose ideas affect their mood, behavior,
and physical condition.

7. ELEMENTS OF RELAXATION TEHRAPY
• Quiet environment.
• Mental devices. (A word, phrase, object, or process used to help a
person relax. Two commonly used mental devices are the mantra and
the process of taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly.)
• Passive attitude. (A passive attitude means that you aren't taking any
action. For example, if you have a passive attitude about exercising, you
aren't exercising.) .
• Comfortable position.

8. METHOD
S OF
RELAXAT
ION
THERAP
Y
Jacobso
n
progressi
ve
muscle
relaxatio
n.
Mental
imagery
Meditatio
n.
Yoga.
19.Biofee
dback.
19.Physi
cal
exercises
.
19.Deep
breathing
exercise.
19.Psycho
education

9. JACOBSON PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE
RELAXATION.
• It is the most often used relaxation training, developed by the psychiatrist Edmund Jacobson.
• In this the client must learn to relax through deep muscle relaxation training.
• Excellent results has been observed with this method in the treatment of muscular tension,
anxiety, insomnia, depression, fatigue, irritable bowel, muscles spasms, neck and back pain,
high blood pressure, mild phobias, etc.
PROCEDURE:
• Make the patients in a comfortable position.
• Provide light or soft music / pleasant visual cues.
• Give a brief explanation about the progressive muscles relaxation.
• Instruct the client to tense each muscles group approximately for 10
second.
• Explain the tension of the muscles and uncomfortable the body parts
feels.
• Ask the client to relax each muscle.

11. MENTAL IMAGERY
• It is a relaxation method in which patients are instructed to imagine themselves in a
place associated with pleasant relaxed memories. Such images allow patients to
enter a relaxed state or experience a feeling of calmness and tranquility.
• Some might select a scene at the seashore, some might choose a mountain
atmosphere, and some might choose floating through the air.
• The choices are as limitless as one's imagination.
• Nurses can assist patients with imagery during a painful or stressful event. The
nurse's certificate program in Imagery is endorsed by the American Holistic Nurse's
Association (AHNA).
https://youtu.be/UBNUqLdLkSw

13. MEDITATION:
Meditation involves focusing the mind upon a sound, phrase, prayer, object,
visualized image, the breath, or consciousness in order to increase awareness of
the present moments, promote relaxation, reduce stress, and also enhance the
spiritual growth.
PURPOSE:
1.Promote well-being n healthy people.
2.Meditate regularly experience less anxiety and
depression.
3.Gives more enjoyment and appreciation of the life.
4. Facilitates a greater sense of calmness, empathy, and
acceptance to self and others.
• Based on the clinical evidence, meditation is seen as an
appropriate therapy for panic disorder, anxiety disorder,
substance abuse. It may improve function or reduce
symptoms of patients with neurotic disorder that is
Parkinson’s diseases, epilepsy, etc.
TYPES OF METITATION:
I. CONCENTRATION MEDITATION: • It involves
focusing once attention on the breath, an
imagined or real image, sound, or word, or
phrase that is repeated silently.
II.MINDFUL MEDITATION: • It involves becoming
aware of the entire filed of attention. There is an
awareness of all thought, feelings, perceptions or
sensation as they arise from moment to
moment.

15. YOGA
• Yoga is an ancient system of breathing practice, physical exercise, and postures and meditation intended to integrate the
practitioner’s body, mind, and spirit.
• Yoga uses combination of physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayamas) and meditation to promote
relaxation and enhance the flow of vital energy called prana.
• It is essential for a nurse to have baseline information and awareness of yoga which is purely Indian in origin
EIGHT STEPS:
1. Self-control (Yama), obtained by such devices as chastity, non-stealing, non-violence, truthfulness, and avoidance of
greed.
2. Religious observance (Niyama), through chanting of the Vedic hymns, austerity, purity and contentment.
3. assumption of certain positions (Aasana).
4. Regulation of the breath (Pranayama), with controlled rhythmic exhalation, inhalation, and temporary suspension of
breathing.
5. Restraint of the senses (Pratyahara).
6. Studying of the mind (Dharana), through fixation on some part of the body, such as the nose or navel.
7. Meditation (Dhyana), on the true object of knowledge, the supreme spirit, to the exclusion of other things in life.
8. Profound contemplation (Samadhi), with such complete absorption and detachment that there is insensitivity to heat
and cold, pain and pleasure.

17. BIO-FEEDBACK:
• It is the technique that is used monitoring instrument to measure and feedback information about
the muscle tension, heart rate, Sweat responses, and skin temperature or brain activity.
• The term associated with biofeedback include applied psychophysiology or behavioral physiology.
• It is also viewed as a mind-body therapy use as an alternative medicine.
• Biofeedback is an important part of understanding the relationship between physical state and
thought, feeling and behavior.
PURPOSES:
• The purpose of the biofeedback is to enhance an individual awareness of the physical reaction to
physical, emotional or psychological stress and their ability to influence their own physiological
response.
INDICATIONS:
• High blood pressure. *Eating disorder. *Anxiety disorder.
*Substance abuse. * Attention deficit disorder. *Depression.
• Sleep disorder. *Migraine headache.
EQUIPMENTS USE IN BIOFEEDBACK:
• Electronic instruments used to obtain immediate feedback to the patients regarding his
physiological activities.
• (ECG, EEG, Pulse, BP, GSP(Galvanic Skin Response)

19. PHYSICAL EXERCISES
• Regular exercise is the most effective method of reliving
stress.
• Physical exertion provides a natural outlet for the tension
produced by the body in its state of aerosol for “fight or flight”.
• Aerobic exercise strengthens the cardio vascular system.
• Following exercise physiological equilibrium is restored,
resulting in a feeling of relaxation.

21. DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES
• Tension is released when the lungs are allowed to breath in as
much oxygen as possible.
• Breathing exercise has been found to be effective in reducing
anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue and muscular tension.
TECHNIQUES:
1. Sit or lie down in a comfortably, inhale slowly through the nose
and exhale through the mouth.
2. While inhaling place one hand below the ribs, allow the hand to
expand outward when inhaled.
3. Let hand fall back to its original position when exhaled.
4. Exhalation should take twice as long as inhalation.

22. PSYCHOEDUCATION
• IS a evidence based psychotherapeutic intervention.
• Education about nature of the illness, treatment, coping, is taught to the mentally ill patients and
their family members
• Provided in one to one discussion by mental health team members

23. ROLE OF NURSE
1. Help the individual to recognize the source of stress.
2. Help to identify the method of coping.
3. To identify the individual adaptation to stress.
4. To assess the individual to achieve their highest potential for
wellbeing.
5. To evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy.
6. To plan alternative / modification.
7. And main is documentation.
8. Supportive role while the therapy.

24. CONCLUSION
• Relaxation produces physiological effects opposite those of anxiety: slow
heart rate, increased peripheral blood flow and neuro- muscular stability.
• A relaxation technique (also known as relaxation training) is any method,
process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; to attain a
state of increased calmness;
• There are many types of relaxation therapy, such as; Jacobson
progressive muscle relaxation, Mental imagery, Meditation, Yoga,
Biofeedback, Physical exercises & Deep breathing exercise.

25. COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE (CAM)
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM):
The National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) defines
“Complementary and Alternative Medicine as a group of diverse medical and health care systems ,
practices and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine”
• COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES
are those used in conjunction with conventional medical practices
• ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
are those that are used instead of conventional medicine

26. REASONS WHY PEOPLE SEEK CAM
THERAPIES
• Wanting greater control over their live
• Having a sense of responsibility for their own health care
• Wanting a more holistic orientation in health care
• Concern Over the side effects of conventional therapies
• Finding the results of conventional treatments to be inadequate
• A Desire For Cultural And Philosophical Congruence with personal beliefs about
health and illness
• Dissatisfaction regarding conventional health care
• Unwillingness to ‘grin and bear’ the effects of disease
• The rapid pace and ease of information sharing
• Media contributing in consumers’ awareness of alternative therapies
• Growing evidence effectiveness of alternative therapies

27. MAJOR DOMAINS OF COMPLEMENTARY
AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE USED IN
PSYCHIATRY
Alternative
medical
systems
Mind- Body
interventions
Biological
based
therapies
Manipulative
and body-
based
methods
Energy
therapy
Acupuncture
Ayurvedha
Homeopathy
Naturopathy
Meditation
Relaxation
Hypnosis
Art, music &
dance therapy
Prayer
Imagery
Bio-feedback
Mind- Body
spiritual
intervention
Herbal
therapies
Aromatherapy
Special diet
therapies
Mega doses of
vitamins/
minerals
Tai chi
Yoga
Massage
Therapeutic
touch
Reflexology
Electro-
magnetic
therapy
Light therapy

28. MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND
RELATED CAM THERAPIES
ALCOHOL ABUSE
• Acupuncture
• Herbal therapies (Kudzu)
• Meditation/ medical meditation
• Yoga
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
• Herbal therapies (gingko)
• medical meditation
• Massage
ANXIETY
• Acupressure
• Bio-feedback
• Breathing & relaxation exercise
• Guided imagery
• Healing touch / therapeutic touch
• Self- hypnosis
• Meditation/ medical meditation
• Massage

29. ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPER ACTIVE DISORDER
• Bio-feedback
DEPRESSION
• Acupuncture
• Meditation/ medical meditation
• Healing touch / therapeutic touch
• Herbal therapies (St. John’s wort)
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation
INSOMNIA
• Herbal therapies (Valerian)
• Breathing & relaxation exercise
• Meditation
OBSESSIVE- COMPULSIVE DISORDER
• Acupuncture
• medical meditation
STRESS
• Breathing & relaxation exercise
• Healing touch / therapeutic touch
• Massage