Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Edmund Jacobson, the physician who developed progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) in the 1930s, noted that it is impossible for the mind to be anxious when the body is truly relaxed. Although he initially prescribed progressive muscle relaxation for reducing blood pressure, it has become a staple relaxation technique for treating anxiety.

Jacobson discovered that muscles could be relaxed by tensing them for a few seconds followed by suddenly releasing the tension. Tensing and relaxing a number of different muscle groups throughout the body in succession produces a state of deep relaxation.

Progressive muscle relaxation is the practice of tensing and relaxing all the different muscle groups of the body. The principle is to tense (not strain) each group of muscles hard for about ten seconds and then relax them suddenly. After that, give yourself fifteen or twenty seconds to recover and relax, noticing the difference in the way the muscle group felt when relaxed in comparison to the feelin you felt in the muscle when it was tense, before moving on to the next muscles.

If you anxiety is marked by muscle tension and racing thoughts, progressive muscle relaxation will probably be especially valuable to you. Tension headaches, tightness in the jaw or around the eyes, backaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, and tension in the back and shoulders all respond to progressive muscle relaxation.

When tensing a specific muscle group, do so with vigor and without straining, for seven to ten seconds. You may want to count slowly to yourself as way of timing your tensing. Focus on what is transpiring. Feel the tension build in each muscle group. You may find it helpful to visualize the specific muscle group you are tensing.

When releasing the muscles, do so quickly, and then just relax and enjoy the sudden limp feeling of the muscles. Relax for at least fifteen to twenty seconds before going on the next group of muscles. You might also say to yourself I am relaxing, letting go, let the tension flow away, or any other relaxing phrase during each relaxation period between successive muscle groups.

Allow the other muscles in the body to stay relaxed, as far as possible, while tensing a particular muscle group. Tense and then relax one muscle group at a time. If a specific area feels really tight, try tensing and relaxing it several times, be sure to wait about twenty seconds between each tensing.

Progressive muscle relaxation may seem a bit awkward at first but if you'll stick with it for a few days you'll be amazed at the results you'll get from using this simple relaxation technique.