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Podcast Session One: Introduction

Hello, I'm Dr. Dawn Buse, a licensed clinical psychologist, and I've worked with patients for many years to help them with biobehavioral techniques.

Biobehavioral techniques include cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation training and stress management. Some of these techniques can be learned and practiced on your own and some require the supervision of a professional.

Everyone can benefit from relaxation practice. When an event is interpreted as stressful or painful it sets off a complex physiological response that involves the body's glands and organs. This is called the fight or flight response.

The fight or flight response involves the sympathetic branch of the nervous system and it made a lot of sense for our cavemen ancestors who were faced with dangers such as saber-toothed tigers. Unfortunately in today's world we experience stress more of an emotional or cognitive type rather than a physical type. However, our bodies still respond as if we were being faced with a saber-toothed tiger.

When you're under stress or feel pain your body activates the fight or flight response. This activates several things in your body. Your heart rate speeds up, your breathing or respiration speeds up, blood is shunted to your major muscle groups in case you needed to run or fight, which means that digestion slows down and areas such as your fingers and your toes don't get much circulation. If you take a medication orally you want that medication to circulate throughout your body as quickly as possible. And shutting down your digestive system is not going to help.

The relaxation response is the opposite of the fight or flight response and that's what we want to learn to activate.

There are many ways to activate the relaxation response including diaphragmatic breathing and visual imagery. There are things that you can do as well. Listening to pleasant music or engaging in any pleasant activity that you enjoy will bring about the relaxation response.

Session Two: Breathing

Hello, I'm Dr. Dawn Buse, a licensed clinical psychologist, and I've worked with patients for many years to help them with biobehavioral techniques.

In this session we will be learning diaphragmatic breathing, one of the most practical, basic and versatile forms of relaxation. Proper breathing is important for efficient stress management.

When you inhale air is drawn in through your nose and warmed with the mucous membrane of your nasal passages. The diaphragm is like a sheath that stretches across your chest and all although you can voluntarily expand and contract your diaphragm it also operates automatically.

Breathing is done naturally to purify and relax the body. When the diaphragm relaxes the lungs contract and air is force out. All relaxation exercises start with deep breathing.

Although breathing exercises can be learned in minutes and practiced almost anywhere at almost any time, the deeper effects of exercise will not be fully appreciated until you begin to practice. The more you practice the more your body will become used to relaxing.

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Session Two: Beach

Hello, I'm Dr. Dawn Buse, a licensed clinical psychologist, and I've worked with patients for many years to help them with biobehavioral techniques.

In this session we are going to use visual imagery. Many people find that visual imagery is helpful to bring about relaxation in that it provides an image for you to focus on. Having something to focus on tends to reduce anxious and worrying thoughts and allows your body to really focus and relax.

Download Adobe Flash Player to access the full session two podcast.