About this episode
This episode discusses how reading poetry can reduce stress and activate relaxation responses.
Reading poetry can reduce stress and help give you words to express the things you're feeling. And reading a poem out loud has been shown to be a surprisingly simple way to activate your relaxation response and bring about a sense of calm. It’s all to do with the way it slows and controls your breathing rate, which in turn stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and can lead to many beneficial effects. Michael Mosley speaks to Dietrich von Bonin from the Swiss Association of Art Therapies, who says as little as 5 minutes of rhythmic poetry read aloud can be even more effective than slow-paced breathing at relaxing your body and mind. Our volunteer Colm dives into the world of Irish poetry and incorporates reading it aloud into his bedtime routine. Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small Editor: Zoë Heron A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
People in this episode
Host: Michael Mosley
Guest: Dietrich von Bonin
Topics covered
- poetry
- stress reduction
- relaxation techniques
- breathing
- art therapy
Keywords
- poetry
- stress relief
- relaxation
- breathing techniques
- art therapy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Swiss Association of Art Therapies
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