More than three decades ago, Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School proposed a theory in his multimillion-copy bestseller The Relaxation Response, which stated that by calming the mind, one could calm the body and alleviate stress, pain, and illness. Recent landmark research from the genome project has proven Benson's theory: using the mind to quiet the body not only eases stress, it actually alters the activity of thousands of genes, promoting wellness. In short, science now proves that relaxation not only changes how a patient feels physically and emotionally, it has the power to transform genes, molecules, cells, and other physiological functions to relieve a variety of afflictions, from high blood pressure to chronic joint pain.