Therapeutic Guided Imagery and Relaxation
by Dustin T. Shannon-Brady PhD

The applications of guided imagery for creating a state of relaxation are too numerous to mention. Relaxation is fundamental to health and many people find it difficult to break the anxiety and depression cycle that are so endemic in our society. Certainly the two most common symptoms presented in mental health clinics, psychiatrist's and psychologist's offices are anxiety and depression --both disorders of mood and level of energy. With anxiety the individual is caught in life suffocating grip where they cannot relax and get grounded and quiet. Depression, on the other hand can leave the person in deep states of darkness or exaggerated states of arousal. The person is out of balance and has either too much ungrounded energy or non at all. Both states are signals that the person has lost the capacity to self regulate and create optimal states of wellness.

Relaxation and the relaxation response are necessary to promote a cycle of stability and clarity characteristic of good mental health. The biological and psychological benefits of the capacity to regulate arousal level are numerous: lower blood pressure and heart rate, less stress hormones, better digestive function, faster recovery from illness, refreshing sleep, clearer thinking, better decision making, fewer accidents and optimistic sense of self to mention a only few.

Teaching people how to relax is helpful in the therapeutic process. In my practice I teach a progressive relaxation technique involving conditioned relaxation breathing, accessing of relaxing images, energy awareness and how to access a safe place. These processes are integrated into the therapeutic process and help the person release tension and stress, access and work through trauma and loss, gain a sense of groundedness, aliveness and stronger more resilient sense of self.

As well, my clients are encouraged to use the tapes in the program Images of Wholeness: Awakening Healing, Creativity and Spirituality. The tapes lead the person through the experience of creating relaxation, groundedness and teach the person how to do this for themselves. The first tape introduces Conditioned Relaxation Breathing and the Safe Place Image, and each other guided imagery activity on the other tapes repeats the foundation relaxation process. The utilization of the tapes supports the therapeutic process and creates continuity between sessions by providing the client with a familiar voice and process they have been exploring in their counselling.

Conditioned Relaxation Breathing.

Conditioned Relaxation Breathing is a term from the work of David Bresler a well known health psychologist and colleague of mine. This technique uses self regulated breathing associated with an anchor technique involving joining the tips of your thumb and forefinger together as you enter into the relaxed state. The anchoring technique creates a conditioned response to a simple gesture that can help the person recall the state of relaxation at will. As well, the focus on taking signal breaths to start into the relaxation process is conditioned so that in the future when relaxation is required taking one or Conditioned Relaxation Breathing.

Relaxing Images.

Another part of conditioned relaxation breathing incorporates accessing an image of the sun shining on them while they absorb the soothing warm of the sun in their imagination and continue to deepen and slow their breathing and being guided to let go of tension in various parts of their body starting from the top of their head to the tips of their toes. This image is helpful in evoking a sense of well-being and relaxation. Many other types of relaxing images can be used to assist the person recalling previous states of relaxation or a sense of a future state that then is experienced in the present.

Energy Awereness

As the person relaxes and let's go tension, anxiety, stress and tiredness their attention is brought to how being quiet frees the inner energy of their biosystem to flow in the form of pleasant sensations, loosening muscles, letting go of tightness and knots in the body and inner organs. Energy movement is frequently accompanied by tingling and warming sensations that help restore pleasure in the body and clarity in the mind. This awareness can become stronger and stronger giving the person a deep sense of aliveness and connectedness that comes from moving beyond the normal state of contraction and tightness experienced in both depressive and anxiety states.

Next month we will look at accessing a safe place as an extension of the methods utilized to create relaxation and support the process of healing and personal transformation through applications of Therapeutic Guided Imagery.