Ask someone who knows: Kicking back is neither frivolous nor self-indulgent; it is essential to wellness and, believe it or not, productivity. "Relaxation has quantifiable benefits in terms of health, mental acuity, and emotional resilience," says Natasha Korshak, director of mindfulness training at Miraval resort and spa in Tucson, Arizona.

But sometimes a beach, a hammock, or a swimming pool is not enough to trigger the relaxation response. In fact, Korshak says, the feeling of relaxation is so unfamiliar to some people that it actually makes them uncomfortable.

This summer vacation, that needn't be you. To help you savor these long, warm days, we asked five experts in the relaxation field -- from a doctor to a monk to a Slow-movement activist -- for their advice on slipping into the tempo of the season.

If you need a doctor's order to relax, Kenneth Pelletier, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, will happily write the prescription. When the mind and body are in a state of relaxation, he says, inflammation in arteries, joints, and nerves decreases, pain in the muscles subsides, the heart rate decreases while blood pressure drops, and the gastrointestinal system functions better as well.

In addition, electrical activity slows down between the two hemispheres of the brain so they "become more synchronous, more in harmony, and you have more access to both sides of the brain," Pelletier says. Relaxing can also help keep you trim, as high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can lead to deposits of abdominal fat.

"The state of relaxation is biologically, psychologically, and chemically a time when the mind and body are in a state of regeneration," says Pelletier. But these days, stress levels are at an all-time high, believes Pelletier, who cites four contributing factors: "hurry sickness," or the sheer pace of everyday activities; financial worries in an unsettled economy; post-9/11 fears of terrorism; and the pressure on baby boomers who must care for children as well as parents.

Pelletier feels it is especially crucial, therefore, to "exercise our relaxation muscles all the time" by incorporating mini-breaks into our daily lives. So for him, part of the enduring value of a relaxing summer vacation is bringing home that "feeling of inner balance, equanimity, and unity between mind and body."

Clench and relax. If you find yourself holding an inordinate amount of tension in your arms, legs, or back, for instance, tensing then releasing the muscles in that area will remind your body to relax there.

Visualize a favorite place. In moments of stress, close your eyes and imagine a place you've spent time -- perhaps on a previous vacation -- where you felt happy, safe, and at ease.

Smile, even if you don't feel like smiling. The acts of smiling and laughing actually release biochemicals that can change your mood to happy.

"The fastest way to still the mind is to move the body," says Gabrielle Roth, director of the Moving Center dance studio in New York City. "The harder you dance, the deeper you breathe. The deeper you breathe, the deeper you live. Breath, body, beat, bliss -- they go together."

If Roth had her way, we'd all be moving all the time, tuning in to our internal rhythms as well as the rhythms of the natural world. She says, "Everything alive is moving, so why be the exception?"
During our regular, over-scheduled days, we tend to surrender to patterns and rhythms imposed on us from work, family, social interactions. Summer vacations are a prime time to "take yourself back," says Roth. "Vacation is not simply a time to stop but a time to tune in to the rhythms, patterns, cycles, and waves that make you who you are. Following your own rhythm even for a week nourishes your entire psyche."

Shake it up. Try this exercise with or without gentle, percussive, tribal music. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and gently bounce to the beat of the music without moving your feet. Keeping your feet planted helps you to relax as you move the rest of your body. Soften your knees to cushion your bounce.

Shake and relax each body part, from face to shoulders to hips to knees, until your whole body is shaking. Continue until you feel loose and sinuous. When you practice shaking, you don't get thrown when the universe shakes you up.

Yes, relaxation is good for your health, but Carl Honore has a different reason for de-stressing: When you stop hurrying, you feel better all over, and then "you begin to notice individual pleasures," says the journalist, who has become an unofficial spokesman for the "Slow" movement, the groundswell that began in Italy in 1986 and has since encouraged people worldwide to apply "a more human pace" to everything they do. Now that he has slowed down, Honore reports that his life "has a lot more color, texture, and flavor to it. Everything is more vivid." Even his food tastes better.

Vacation is the perfect time to get reacquainted with our gusto and deep appreciation. First, simply recognize when you are anxious and hurrying. Then, return to any activity -- driving, walking, reading, cooking, and eating -- at a more measured pace. If you can gently slow yourself down while on vacation, you'll retain the pleasant feeling and will be more likely to incorporate it back home.

Unplug. Switch computers and cell phones off as much as possible. High tech keeps you in high gear.

Underschedule. Cultivate "open moments" and "empty spaces," to allow for serendipity and sensual experiences.

Over-chew. Vacations allow you to enjoy long, leisurely meals and savor flavors, settings, and conversations. Good meals often create memories that people bring back from vacation and remember for years. Eat slowly.

When you are totally absorbed in an activity, says John Daido Loori, author of "The Zen of Creativity," the mind can "take a break from that incessant internal dialogue that scatters our energy." Creative activities that engage our bodies and minds at once are especially conducive to this absorption, so bringing paints, pencils, and paper on vacations is an excellent way to stop the mind from chattering.

If drawing or painting is not your thing, don't despair. "There are so many ways to be creative," Loori points out. "You can be creative with cooking, with solving problems, with sewing or knitting."

Not only can creative activity help us to release tension, but being in a state of relaxation can also aid the creative process. "Creativity has to do with an awareness of what is around us," says Loori. "Your hearing becomes more tuned in, and all your senses wake up."

Make love with light. Try this art "koan" practice: Create a visual word or image of the feeling of love you have for some person, place, or thing. Use whatever medium you choose to express the feeling itself, not simply to represent the subject. Your work should evoke the feeling of love in your audience. Wait a few days and repeat this exercise until you are able to clearly express your feelings of love.

True relaxation "is a release of tension and a letting go of everyday cares and worries, combined with the letting in of fresh nourishment -- physical, emotional, spiritual, psychic, even intellectual," says Belleruth Naparstek, psychotherapist and founder of Health Journeys. "Relaxation can look like anything -- reading a book in a hammock; meditating on the beach; learning to sail a schooner or mastering the art of rock climbing; taking an intellectually stimulating tour sponsored by a university."

Those experiences can also provide us with fresh perspectives, evocative images, and sensory memories to draw on when we return home. Try conjuring up "the more delicious sensory details" of your summer and you can benefit from self-guided imagery. No matter where she is, Naparstek, who has vacationed on Martha's Vineyard for decades, can conjure up "the balmy feel of that luscious, scent-laden Martha's Vineyard breeze on my face... or the feel of waves lapping at my ankles and the sand squishing between my toes" and be instantly transported from tension to peace.

Try guided imagery. Guided imagery, which uses the power of the imagination and senses for relaxation and healing, is an excellent way to prepare for and begin a vacation, especially in those first few days, when it can be hard to let go. Learn guided-imagery practices, or listen to a relaxation-oriented guided-imagery recording first thing in the morning, or for a few minutes anytime you want to unwind.

Kenneth Pelletier, M.D., a lifelong open-ocean sailor, takes long sailboat trips. "When you're traveling hundreds of miles at five miles per hour on the open ocean, there's nothing to look at, and everything just slows down and goes into a state of suspension. It's very spiritual."

Gabrielle Roth incorporates dance and movement into her daily life, but when she goes on vacation, she always mixes in some stillness. "I like to sit by the pool and read. Mostly I like to drift and dream."

Carl Honore and his wife, who live in London with their two children, rent an old cottage in the countryside and immerse themselves in the surroundings. "Everything revolves around the pleasures of the table." They might spend the morning visiting farms and buying fresh food, and then cook and set the table together, creating a sense of ceremony around the evening meal.

John Daido Loori goes to the wilderness alone, usually in a canoe, on a river or lake, and photographs and camps, with no agenda.

Belleruth Naparstek returns to Martha's Vineyard every year, where she enjoys reading, walking the beach, and keeping tabs on the nesting swans that also return every year. Cooking, something she rarely has time for in her everyday life, becomes a focal point. "I find it very restful to chop veggies and make sauces and create good food. And, believe it or not, I adore grocery shopping."

Natasha Korshak brings attention to her body with basic, slow stretches, wherever or whenever she finds herself sitting or standing around. "In airports, I put my back to a wall and hang down over my legs for a few moments. While sightseeing, I find a railing to hang on to, then squat and release my back and legs. At the beach, I do seated forward bends; the body molds gently into the sand while the waves create a natural rhythm with the breath."