Relaxation vs. Meditation
People often use the term meditation interchangeably with relaxation, but they are not really the same thing. This is the time of year when we often act on promises or wishes related to lifestyle changes, and a very popular one is to be more relaxed overall and less reactive to day-to-day stressors. Both relaxation and meditation can help in this process, but they employ different techniques and really have distinct purposes. Here are a few basic pointers to keep in mind if you are considering either one.
First, there are many varieties of relaxation and meditation techniques, so using either term is a bit like trying to talk about religion or medical care. In general however, the focus of most relaxation techniques is on muscle tension levels, whereas meditation practices have more to do with mental or cognitive processes. Confusion between the two often comes from the fact that, in both cases, a quiet and contemplative atmosphere is preferable for practice.
The essence of relaxation is in reduced somatic tension, achieved by muscular relaxation and relaxed, deep breathing. For many people, relaxation is the first step in a process that may lead to meditation practice and it is an important step to take. From a practical standpoint, the most effective way to relax is to lie down on your back, which minimizes the use of muscles otherwise needed to support the body in an upright posture. The yoga savasana (corpse) pose is one such example and there are other variants as well.
Relaxation involves letting go of tension, which is not necessarily easy to put into practice, because most of us are used to effortful activity, and as a result generally, and paradoxically, try to hard to relax. Concepts like letting go or giving up control are just not part of our vocabulary! And yet this is just what is needed in relaxation. The psychological technique of progressive relaxation provides one means of dealing with this via alternating prolonged contraction and release of specific muscle groups throughout the body. Contracting a muscle has two important effects: first, it creates a perceptible sensation that promotes conscious awareness. Second, prolonged muscular contraction/tension induces fatigue, so that the muscle naturally relaxes, an effect that is heightened by conscious release.
In meditation, the focus is more on how mind and body are interacting. While it is often true that physical and mental relaxation often go together, this is not always the case. In fact, many people find that, even when feeling physically relaxed, the mind stays in high gear, generating all sorts of thoughts, images and memories that markedly interfere with a state of relaxation. Meditation practice involves learning to work with both physical and mental activity by promoting a state of focused attention, directed on a moment-by-moment basis toward physical and mental sensations that collectively comprise our day-to-day experiences.
Formal meditation is typically practiced by sitting in a stable, upright posture for a sustained period of time, creating a psychological atmosphere that can help cultivate a capacity for non-judgmental, clear awareness of both physical and mental sensations as they occur on a moment-by-moment basis. Some have relaxing qualities, whereas others do not. The key is to simply observe things as they occur, without being overly attached to them. The process of becoming less attached, or reactive, to thoughts, feelings and sensations generated by the mind and body is one of the most important effects of meditation practice.
Paul Salmon, Ph.D., M.S., is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Louisville, a member of KHF's Editorial Advisory Board and a health fitness instructor certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. He can be contacted via email at: psalmon@louisville.edu.