A physiological state of opposition to the fight or flight response of the general adaptation syndrome.
Relaxation response is the body’s built-in defense mechanism against the harmful effects of the inappropriate elicitation of the fight-or-flight response caused by everyday living. Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard University discovered that with training, the healing mechanism can be summoned at will.
Benson’s term for a state achieved during meditation that he considered to be the natural antidote to the stress response.
When individuals engage in relaxation techniques, the human body exhibits a response marked by a reduction in metabolism and stress levels, accompanied by an enhancement in immune response.