ABSTRACT
The autonomic nervous system, the neural or electrical control center for stress and relaxation, has a sympathetic portion that responds to stress and a parasympathetic portion that is concerned with homeostasis or relaxation. The term “relaxation response” was coined in the late 1960s to refer to the general stress-reducing phenomenon resulting from meditation and similar practices. The research needs to be performed, but it is strong belief that eventually a pattern of hormonal action and interaction will be established for a relaxation response. Undoubtedly, the most dramatic finding is that the endogenous cannabinoid ligands have the ability to influence the relaxation system in a retrograde manner and modulate both inhibition and excitation. Giving the mind and the body more time to practice relaxation, such as periods of meditation, promotes the endogenous learning of how to instigate a cascade of relaxation rather than stress hormones.
