I’d like to reflect on the word “relaxation,” a term often used today to emphasize its absence rather than a condition one enjoys seeking out. I should mention that I’ve practiced autogenic training and other relaxation exercises since my university days, back when I was writing my thesis on cognitive processes during hypnosis. It was then that a friend and I came across Schultz’s work, and since that time, I’ve continued down this path without interruption. I’m not sure how widespread it is today, but among all the people I know—students, athletes, coaches, friends, and so on—no one ever seems to bring up these topics. Many engage in sports and physical activities, listen to music, or do other things to recover, for enjoyment, or to relax. These are positive activities for a person but distinct from the concept of relaxation, which implies the activation of the body’s recovery processes.
Relaxing is the exact opposite of daily life for most people; it requires a short amount of time for practice, around 10 minutes, but it needs to be done daily. This often scares people, who don’t think they can find that time. Another hurdle to overcome is that many respond by saying, “I have so many commitments that I just can’t do it,” without realizing that this is precisely the reason they should. In the smartphone era, others think they’re relaxing by playing games; in this case, the mind is distracted from daily life by doing something enjoyable, but this isn’t truly relaxing—it’s simply closing a door on the worries and concerns of everyday life.
On the other hand, everyone spends their time as they see fit, and there would be no point in relaxing if one doesn’t believe it could be helpful