Caring for yourself through meditation and relaxation
Stress, fatigue, lack of concentration, pain or sleep disorders can sometimes affect our balance and well-being. Fortunately, there are simple yet effective practices like meditation and relaxation to improve our quality of life. Here’s an overview of their benefits and ways to incorporate them into your daily life.
Separate practices, shared benefits
Meditation or relaxation? Why choose? While associated, these practices serve distinct roles. Meditation – through Zen, spirituality or mindfulness – has soothed minds for centuries, with modern science confirming its effects.
Meditation sharpens attention, mental clarity and enduring tranquility. Whether focusing on the breath or following a guide, it anchors the mind, moment by moment.
Alain Gaumond, a physiotherapist and qualified MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) teacher, explains that meditation’s core purpose isn’t relaxation; its true focus is cultivating awareness of the here and now, regardless of whether the experience is positive, negative or indifferent.
While relaxation shares some ground with meditation, its core purpose differs too and is more focused on immediate physical and mental unwinding. Through simple techniques like deep breathing, muscle relaxation and visualization, it helps dissolve tension. By freeing the body, relaxation naturally quiets the mind.
The positive effects of meditation and relaxation
While different in approach, meditation and relaxation work in harmony. Physical relaxation provides the foundation for focused meditation, while meditative awareness enhances and prolongs relaxation’s effects. This dynamic relationship between tranquil mind and eased body becomes the gateway to complete holistic well-being; one that remains accessible throughout our lives.
Reduction of stress and anxiety
The effectiveness of consistent meditation and relaxation practice is well-documented. When practiced correctly, these techniques reliably promote mental calmness, lower stress and ease intrusive thoughts. Research in JAMA Psychiatry found mindfulness meditation equally effective to escitalopram, a leading antidepressant in treating anxiety disorders.
Improvement in managing pain
Meditation can also help shift how we experience pain, making uncomfortable sensations easier to tolerate. To understand why, it helps to know that the human brain reacts more strongly to negative stimuli and pain.
This mechanism – known as the negativity bias and rooted in evolution – helped our ancestors respond quickly to life-threatening situations. Even today, this sharpened awareness of danger still shapes our reactions, making us more likely to focus on negative experiences and physical injuries.
According to Alain Gaumond, techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and visualization can help relieve chronic pain like arthritis, back pain or fibromyalgia. In clinical practice, he regularly observes the benefits of these approaches.
“Pain is a magnet for attention. Learning to breathe better – especially to exhale – release tension and reconnect with the body in a new way not only helps calm the pain, but also restores a sense of control and freedom. By applying these methods, we can begin to change our relationship with tension and, over time, manage it more effectively,” he explains.
Better sleep quality
The same is true for sleep! When our minds are racing, like a hamster on a wheel, it becomes difficult to relax and drift off.
Creating a bedtime routine centred on breathing and physical awareness works like a pressure release valve, encouraging deeper, more restful sleep. It also helps lower stress and anxiety – two key culprits behind sleep disturbances.
Enhancement of cognitive abilities
Meditation and relaxation are also recognized for boosting brain function. Research shows they can enhance focus, memory and mental agility. They appear to strengthen the connections between key brain regions like the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, both involved in memory and emotional control.
From students needing concentration to professionals facing stress or older adults preserving cognitive health, these techniques create meaningful change. Nurturing your mental well-being is really about embracing daily life with greater clarity and ease.
Meditation and relaxation techniques
Meditation and relaxation take many forms, adapting to each person’s needs, rhythms and preferences. There are countless ways to practice. Here are a few approaches to explore based on what feels right for you.
Meditation techniques
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your awareness to the present moment. In his book Wherever You Go, There You Are, professor Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed the MBSR program, describes it as “paying attention in a special way – intentionally, in the present moment, and without judgment.”
As we learn to greet each moment with compassion, we slowly build mental clarity and a steadier presence, less cluttered by everyday overthinking. Mindfulness is also very accessible through apps like Headspace or Calm*, which feature guided meditations. It can be practiced through simple routines like conscious breathing or mindful walking.
Transcendental meditation
This practice involves silently repeating a mantra – a specific word or sound – to disengage from superficial thoughts. Unlike mindfulness, which invites observation of bodily and mental processes, the aim here is to “step out” of the usual flow of consciousness and reach a deeper sense of inner calm.
Transcendental meditation typically involves sitting in a relaxed position, closing your eyes and silently repeating a mantra for 15 to 20 minutes, twice daily (adjustable based on your routine and meditation goals). This method encourages deep relaxation and effortlessly eases stress, without needing to focus or manage your thoughts.
Guided meditation
This form of meditation is often geared toward beginners, children or those who prefer a more structured approach. It may include mindfulness, but also elements like visualization, which don’t necessarily rely on observing the present moment.
Often offered as audio recordings – available on platforms like Insight Timer, Smiling Mind* or YouTube – it guides users through breathing exercises, calming visualizations (such as landscapes or memories) or soothing narratives. It can also take the form of live guidance during a group workshop or a one-on-one session with a professional.
Relaxation techniques
Deep breathing
This relaxation technique invites us to slowly inhale through the nose, expanding the belly, then gently exhale through the mouth. It helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and lower cortisol levels in the body. For example, taking five minutes each morning to breathe deeply in silence or to soft music can help start the day with calm and clarity.
Gradual muscle relaxation
As noted earlier, progressive muscle relaxation is a powerful method for easing chronic pain. The practice consists of gradually tightening and relaxing muscle groups in sequence, beginning with the feet and working upward to the head.
This helps increase awareness of physical tension and gradually release it. You can practice this method lying in bed or sitting comfortably, for example before sleep or during an afternoon break.
Visualisation
This technique relies on imagination. The idea is to mentally picture a serene setting, thought or objective, adding imagined elements like sounds, smells and physical sensations. Spending just a few minutes in this visualization can help you achieve deep relaxation.
Useful in moments of doubt, sadness, lack of inspiration or before a task requiring focus, this technique is also employed in psychology, particularly as part of therapeutic support.
To meditate or relax is essentially to offer yourself a moment of peace, far from the chaos of the world… without any demands for achievement. These simple and accessible acts can profoundly change our daily experience. There are a thousand and one ways to slow down, centre yourself and unwind. Everyone can find their own path… or simply give it a try.
*The apps referenced in this article can be found on Google Play and the Apple Store.