Patients often come to our office for relaxation. But what exactly is relaxation and how do we experience it? Relax means “to make or become less tense or anxious.” Scientifically, when people express a desire to ‘relax’ they’re looking for an activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS is responsible for ‘rest and digest’ functions and is important for regulating energy and physical needs like digestion and elimination. When we experience periods of high stress (hello, global pandemic) our bodies can get ‘stuck’ in patterns of the sympathetic nervous system: fight-or-flight mode.