Recent research showed that yoga is able to change the expression of genes involved in immune functioning, and now a new study shows that relaxation in general can have a similar effect.


The "relaxation response," a term coined by Harvard Medical School Professor and Body Mind Medical Institute founder Herbert Benson, M.D, is defined as a physiologic state of deep rest that alters the physical and emotional response to stress. The relaxation response is the opposite of the body's "fight-or-flight" response to stress, and can be achieved by centering practices like yoga, prayer, meditation and deep breathing exercises.


Previous studies have shown that the relaxation response can alleviate anxiety and lower the heart rate, among other health benefits. And in this new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers are able to actually measure bodily changes induced by the relaxation response by examining alterations in gene expression.


"Many studies have shown that mind/body interventions like the relaxation response can reduce stress and enhance wellness in healthy individuals and counteract the adverse clinical effects of stress in conditions like hypertension, anxiety, diabetes and aging," study researcher Dr. Herbert Benson, M.D., director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute, said in a statement. "Now for the first time we've identified the key physiological hubs through which these benefits might be induced."


The study included 26 adults who had never done a relaxation response practice before. At the start of the study, researchers had these people take a blood test before and after doing a "control" session where they listened to a a health information CD for 20 minutes. Then, they had the participants take an eight-week relaxation response training course. After this course, the participants took a blood test before and after listening to a relaxation CD for 20 minutes.


To really see the effects of relaxation on the body, researchers also took blood tests before and after listening to the relaxation CD from people who were considered "long-term" relaxers -- that is, 25 other people who had been doing relaxation practices for four to 25 years.


Researchers found differences in gene expression from the blood samples taken before the relaxation course, and the blood samples from after the relaxation course and the "long-term" relaxers. Specifically, they found that changes in gene expression of the energy metabolism, insulin and stress-related pathways.


"People have been engaging in these practices for thousands of years, and our finding of this unity of function on a basic-science, genomic level gives greater credibililty to what some have called 'new age medicine,' " Benson said in the statement.


This is hardly the first study to show that relaxing has actual benefits for the physical body. A Georgetown University study published in March pinpointed how acupuncture, for instance, is able to effectively relieve stress by blocking the stress-induced elevation of certain hormones in certain brain pathways.


And another relaxation-inducing practice, mindfulness meditation, has been shown to lower stress levels, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents, and improve emotional stability and sleep quality.


Click here for a video guide to simple relaxation response techniques.


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  • Child's Pose (Balasana)


    The calming child's pose is a resting posture that can help quiet the mind, easing stress and anxiety while gently stretching the back. It's also good for the nervous system and lymphatic system, Kennedy notes. "It's one of the key poses that you can come to in the middle of a class whenever you want to to relieve stress," she says. "It's very restorative ... it's child-like and allows us to come inward to ourselves."




  • Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)


    Not to be confused with the <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/473" target="_blank">full wheel</a>, the bridge pose provides gentle stretching of the back and legs while alleviating stress and tension. The pose can reduce anxiety, fatigue, backaches, headaches and insomnia, and is even thought to be therapeutic for high blood pressure. Eva Norlyk Smith, Ph.D., yoga teacher and Managing Editor at YogaUOnline, recommends a supported bridge pose with a block underneath the sacrum as a gentler and more de-stressing way to enjoy the stretch.




  • Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)


    Often used as a transition between poses, uttanasana has many benefits when practiced as a pose in itself. The posture stretches the hamstrings, thighs, hips, and is thought to relieve stress, fatigue and mild depression. If your goal is to de-stress in the pose, it's best done with the knees slightly bent, Kennedy says. "It's great for the legs and a lot of different physical things, and it also allows us to calm the mind. You're reversing the blood flow and just hanging out," she says.




  • Eagle Pose (Garudasana)


    The active and empowering eagle pose can help ward off stress by improving concentration and balance, and also by opening up the shoulders, upper back and hips. "Eagle is an empowerment pose because it releases tension in the shoulders, legs and back, and it does require focus for you to remain balanced in it," says Kennedy. "You're literally squeezing the tension out of the body. It's a very active de-stress move"




  • Corpse Pose (Savasana)


    Most yoga practices end with several minutes spent in savasana, and it can easily be the most calming part of the whole thing. The pose puts the body completely at ease and emphasizes total relaxation. Savasana can trigger the body's "relaxation response," a state of deep rest that slows the breathing and lowers the blood pressure while quieting the nervous system. "[Savasana] is <em>the</em> relaxation pose," Kennedy says. "It's actually difficult for many people because we're so not used to being still ... But it encourages the body to come to a more restful state."




  • Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)


    One of the foundational postures, the triangle pose is an excellent stress-reliever and full-body stretch, <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/494" target="_blank">according to Yoga Journal</a>. It can also help to improve digestion, and potentially mitigate the symptoms of conditions like anxiety, osteoporosis and sciata.




  • Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)


    Norlyk Smith recommends the resting legs up the wall pose for stress reduction. The pose is traditionally thought to <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/690" target="_blank">slow the aging process</a>. "It helps renew blood and lymph drainage back into the heart area," she says.




  • Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)


    A variation of child's pose with a heart-opening effect, this mild inversion pose can help to counter our tendency to crouch and slouch the shoulders when stressed, according to Norlyk Smith.




  • Cat Pose (Marjaryasana)


    The cat pose soothes and stretches the lower back, relieving stress while gently massaging the spine. Try arching and rounding the back 10 times in a row while focusing on deep inhaling and exhaling. "[In the cat pose], you're releasing stress in the spine ... If you're in a class, it allows students to begin to slow down and focus on the breath," Kennedy says. "It's one of those transition poses that takes us from the outside world in."




  • Dolphin Pose


    Similar to the downward-facing dog position, except with the forearms on the floor, his standing inversion pose can help to quiet the mind, alleviate stress and reduce anxiety, <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2462" target="_blank">according to Yoga Journal</a>. The posture stretches the shoulders, neck and spine.