Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine

The Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine was established in 1988 by Herbert Benson M.D. of Harvard Medical School, based on his 25 years of pioneering work in the field of Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Benson is a leader in this exciting new branch of medicine which integrates mind and body by combining relaxation response techniques, nutrition, exercise, and cognitive restructuring with standard medical practices. Behavioral Medicine is interdisciplinary, comprised of physicians, nurses, psychologists, nutritionists, and exercise therapists.

The Relaxation Response is the foundation of Dr. Benson's work and is defined as a series of coordinated physiologic changes elicited when a person engages in a repetitive mental or physical action and passively ignores distracting thoughts. The alterations include decreases in oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure which are the exact opposite to those that occur during the stress response.

Dr. Benson and his colleagues, working at Harvard Medical School's Thorndike Memorial Laboratory, Boston City Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, and Deaconess Hospital, further defined the Relaxation Response and determined it to be an effective therapeutic intervention in disorders initiated or exacerbated by stress including hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, chronic pain, infertility, insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, back pain, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, mild depression and fatigue. They are also effective in treating many symptoms of cancer.

Recognizing the importance of health promotion and wellness, the Mind/Body Medical Institute began conducting relaxation response based stress reduction programs for the general public. The Institute also began to develop and implement curricula for students and teachers in grades kindergarten through twelve. It is hoped that these educational programs will become national models.