"I am continually awed at the power each of us has to get in touch with the body and assist in our own healing through simple relaxation and pain relief techniques. I’m blessed to be part of this process. Below are some of the many wonderful comments I have received over the years."

Gordon Artrias Rosenberg, Learn to Relax founder

"The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress... and is the opposite of the fight or flight response."

“After completing Exercise 1 [of Gordon’s self-created relaxation program posted at his blog], a remarkable thing happened to me! For the first time, I got my pulse down to 70!! I have heart problems and high blood pressure, and I’m so worried because I’m only 21. All my life my pulse has been at 90 or above. I feel so wonderful. I sat here in front of my computer and cried because I’ve never felt my pulse slow down so much, and I realized I had control. Thank you so much. Incredible!”
Jeff, online student

“I have searched for many years for a relaxation program which would work for me, and your online program is the first one I found that really helps me relax. I downloaded it and have practiced it for several years since you posted it on your first web site and have found it to be very powerful. I hope you’ll bring this program back online or present it in some other form. Thank you for dedicating your life for the benefit of all humanity.”
J.D., online student

“Our 12-year-old son is autistic and has always had a difficult time relaxing and going to sleep at night. When I found your relaxation program online and shared it with him, he was very interested in it. He reads parts of it with me during the day, and I read to him from the exercises at night, and he always relaxes and falls asleep right away. He asked me to write to you and say that he sends his love and thanks you for helping him.”
Mary & son, online students

“I had 3 vertebrae in my back fused a few day ago and have been in great pain. You probably noticed it was difficult for me to walk, even with this cane. I didn’t know how I could sit here for an hour and a half this evening. But soon after you began playing the crystal bowls and speaking (leading a relaxation meditation) I noticed my pain went away and it hasn’t returned. This is the first I can remember being pain-free in a long, long time.” 
Anonymous event participant

Many studies now show conclusively that stress and tension are major contributing factors in most illnesses. You can learn to let your body relax and ease debilitating pain, tension, and any number of other sensations and harmful conditions. When you let go of negative emotions and stress, you begin to feel places where you’ve blocked energy for a long time; you learn to sense your body more.

When you sense your body, you get in touch with chronic conditions which may have been blocking the flow of natural energy for years. Gradually, you may learn to give up things that have been keeping you from being more healthy. The exercises I guide can help a person learn to release many harmful energies from the body, energies such as fear, tension, stress, anger, grief, and all emotions. When we learn to release negative sensations and blocked energies from our bodies, we can become more free of pain, or fear, or any number of other sensations. You may learn that it’s not okay to ignore your body. You may learn how our bodies need our attention in some ways, and that they need to be left alone to do their work in other ways.

Whatever healthy things you may be doing for your body now, it will be quite beneficial if you can learn to relax more fully. You can combine this program with whatever program or techniques you’re presently doing and see how they may work together. You don’t need to give up your present fitness or treatment program to learn to relax. Ultimately, it’s for you to decide how you may apply this program in your life.

Throughout this program, you may find your body changing considerably. You may notice places where your body is letting go of stress or sensation. You may find that you can move more fluidly, or with more of a sense of self-control or centeredness. These are all indicators that your body is freeing up and gaining more of a sense of itself, and they’re ways to know that the exercises are working for you. Even the most subtle, seemingly ‘inactive’ exercise can bring about great changes within the body. Visualization processes such as I use will assist you in gaining control of the most subtle body processes at a level where you’re free to accept beneficial changes.

I assume no responsibility for how the information provided here is used. It’s always advisable for you to seek any assistance you may need at any time during the practice of any of these exercises. This includes mental or therapeutic assistance, if the energies, memories or emotions which may be released are more than you can deal with on your own.

It’s my hope that you can be fully in touch with yourself each step of the way and determine your proper use of the program, and that you’ll find it to be supportive of your life and growth. I do not recommend that you ever do any form of movement or other activity which may be painful, strenuous, or in any other way discomforting. As with any course of study, I recommend that you use what seems helpful to you and discard the rest.

I began studying the healing arts, and specifically relaxation, in the 1970’s, when I encountered the work of early relaxation therapists Dr. Herbert Benson, Dr. Hans Selye, Dr. Bernie Siegel, and many others. In the early 1980’s, I developed my own program intended to help people in high-stress work environments learn to relax and balance their lives. I continued to deeply study the work of Dr. Emmett Miller and Stephen Levine, leaders in guided meditations and inner journeys for relaxation, and pain and stress relief, and later the pain control program of Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD.

This work led eventually to the creation of my own Relaxation Program in the mid 1990’s, featuring easy-to-follow exercises I developed from my studies and practice. I’ve practiced these techniques myself for many years and have used them with great results with hundreds of clients in my healing classes and sessions. I find that by practicing these exercises regularly a person can greatly reduce the effects of stress on the body and can make one's life more balanced and peaceful. I believe that learning to relax deeply is clearly one of the best things you can do for your body, your mind, and your soul.