Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation techniques help to release muscular tension, promote the balance of autonomic processes, calm the mind, help to eliminate disturbing thoughts and effectively control habits. Virtually all mental problems and conflicts go along with chronic tension.
The health-promoting effect of relaxation has been known for thousands of years. "Autogenic training" and training in "progressive muscle relaxation" are the most common procedures used in Germany. There are some therapists who use and distribute their own developed versions of relaxation methods, for example in books or on CDs, for example involving elements of hypnosis, meditation and catathymic visualisation. There are overlapping instructions for stress management and burn-out prevention. "Mindfulness training", developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, has become very popular in the last 15 years. In essence, it is a reinterpretation of very old traditions of Buddhist meditation techniques into a modern, western language and way of looking at things. This approach promises many positive effects in psychotherapy, so that "mindfulness" has become an established term in many areas. Mindfulness" courses are available in every major city and have even become part of the treatment plan in many psychosomatic clinics.
Fortunately, undesirable side effects of such approaches are hardly conceivable, so anyone can be encouraged to be open to these approaches.