Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Our bodies and minds are connected.​

Ever notice your muscles feel tense when you're anxious? Do you tend to hold a lot of stress in your muscles? Some may hold stress within their face or upper body. I know for me, I tend to hold stress in my back and neck muscles. But what do we do about this? .... Progressive Muscle Relaxation!

It allows us to take a moment to be self-aware and achieve full body relaxation. The good thing about this is, you can practice progressive muscle relaxation anytime!

What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation? 

It is a method of achieving full body relaxation by tensing and relaxing muscles throughout the body. It allows us to notice how anxiety affects the muscles in your body, exact feelings of muscle tension, and where we tend to hold tension. It was invented in the 1920s by Dr. Edmund Jacobson to help his patients cope with anxiety. 

The image above shows the position typically used to engage in this relaxation technique, but sitting in a comfortable position also works. 

The How-to

​Sit back or lie down in a comfortable position. For each area of the body listed below, you will tense your muscles tightly, but not to the point of strain or cramp. Hold the tension for 10 seconds, and pay close attention to how it feels. Then, release the tension, and notice how the feeling of relaxation differs from the feeling of tension.

The key here is to take deep breaths. On the inhale (counting 10 seconds) tense your muscles, then on the exhale (counting 10 seconds) slowly release muscle tension. Take a short break in between each muscle group. 

Start at your feet, then slowly move up your body:

• Feet: Curl your toes tightly into your feet, then release them.
• Calves: Point or flex your feet, then let them relax.
• Thighs: Squeeze your thighs together tightly, then let them relax.
• Torso: Suck in your abdomen, then release the tension and let it fall.
• Back: Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then release them.
• Shoulders: Lift and squeeze your shoulders toward your ears, then let them drop.
• Arms: Make fists and squeeze them toward your shoulders, then let them drop.
• Hands: Make a fist by curling your fingers into your palm, then relax your fingers.
• Face: Scrunch your facial features to the center of your face, then relax.
• Full Body: Squeeze all muscles together, then release all tension.

But, Why?

To reach full-body stress reduction and relaxation! Research from the American Heart Association detail the negative effects stress can have on heart health and many other systems in the body, even our skin (stress acne is definitely a thing). Here are some other benefits:

• Slowing heart rate
• Lowering blood pressure
• Slowing your breathing rate
• Improving digestion
• Maintaining normal blood sugar levels
• Reducing activity of stress hormones
• Increasing blood flow to major muscles
• Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
• Improving concentration and mood
• Improving sleep quality
• Lowering fatigue
• Reducing anger and frustration
• Boosting confidence to handle problems

Your first time attempting Progressive Muscle Relaxation, may seem a little daunting. Here's a guided session that I thoroughly enjoyed! 

Guided Session for Adults

Guided Session for Children

With everything going on in the world, this is a great time to ensure our internal environments are thriving. Not only by what we eat, but also how we feel. I hope you all were able to find value in this post! There are tons of information out there regarding progressive muscle relaxation and other relaxation techniques.

Comment below if you have ever tried this technique before or any other techniques you are wanting to try. Remember, always be gentle with yourselves.

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Take Care,
Chérie Jade ​

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