Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
Ten Minutes to Better Health

The energy field of a person when they are relaxed feels very different from when they are tense and anxious. On an energetic level, relaxation allows our energy to shift more easily to a state of healthy balance and flow.

On a physical level, relaxation feels great and allows our bodies’ natural self-healing and restoration processes to work like they’re supposed to.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation is an extremely effective technique for relaxing the tension that gets lodged in our muscles. Often we don't even know that we are holding tension in various parts of our body.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation helps you learn to be aware of when your muscles are tense, and how to relax them voluntarily.

The physical relaxation induces psychological relaxation as well. Your breathing slows down, and your brain stops whirring. Peace at last!

Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a two-step process. You tense and then relax your muscles, working systematically through the muscle groups of the entire body. The whole process usually takes about ten minutes. You can spare that!

Getting Ready

• Find a quiet place where you will be undisturbed. You should have as little background noise as possible, not even music.
• Wear comfortable clothing; remove your shoes.


• Never practice after using any intoxicants.
• Sit in a comfortable chair if possible. You’re less likely to fall asleep than if you’re lying down.

Tension–Relaxation Procedure

Step 1: Tension
First, focus on the first group, e.g your right foot. Inhaling deeply, tense the muscles for 8-10 seconds.

Step 2: Releasing the Tension
After the 8-10 seconds of tension, quickly let the muscle go, exhaling at the same time. Let the muscle relax as completely as possible, becoming heavy and limp. You might want to imagine the tension and effort draining out of the body part, like water out of a faucet, and into the ground.

Notice the difference between a state of tension and relaxation in those muscles.

Stay relaxed for about 15 seconds, and then repeat the tension-relaxation process with the same muscle group.

Then move on to the next group, working your way systematically through the whole body.

The Sequence
Take yourself through the two-step procedure in the following order.

The order doesn’t really matter, it’s just good to be systematic so you don’t skip anything and you don’t have to think about it. Feel free to fine-tune the list, so that you spend more attention on areas where you feel you need extra relaxation.

Right foot

Right lower leg & foot

Entire right leg

Left foot

Left lower leg & foot

Entire left leg

Right hand

Right forearm and hand

Entire right arm

Left hand

Left forearm & hand

Entire left arm

Abdomen

Chest

Lower back

Upper back

Neck

Shoulders

Face

Afterward
After you finish a session, relax with your eyes closed for a few seconds, and then get up slowly.

Try to maintain a deep, even rhythm of breathing to maintain your relaxed state.

Important
If you have a history of serious injuries, muscle spasms, or back problems, you should check with your doctor before doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation. The muscle tensing could worsen these issues.


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