Progressive Muscle Relaxation

We’ve all been there before …

We’re going about our busy day, and then we finally slow down and realize … our body is TENSE AF. We feel the stiffness in our jaw, shoulders and legs. If you’re self-aware enough, you can remind yourself to pull your shoulders down from your ears and let your jaw hang. But sometimes we need to incorporate Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) into our daily routines in order to signal to our bodies that it’s okay to relax.

So what exactly is Progressive Muscle Relaxation? It’s a deep relaxation technique that involves tensing and relaxing targeted muscle groups in your body. This practice is beneficial for anyone who is feeling stressed, anxious, experiences hyperarousal or PTSD.

One of the best things about PMR is that it offers INSTANT relief from stress and signals to your body that it’s time to chill. The primary goal is not only to release the tightness in your muscles, but to also bring awareness to what that tension feels like so you can recognize it in the future.

The technique was created by a physician who realized that you can relax a muscle by tightening and releasing it, and that this technique also helped relax the mind.

To practice it, you start in a sitting or lying down position. You can kick off the relaxation train by taking 3 deep belly breaths, making sure to blow out all of the air in between inhales.

TENSE your face muscles as much as you can. Don’t forget your eyes, lips and forehead.

HOLD for 5 seconds.

RELEASE and let your muscles melt into a relaxed position.

TENSE your shoulders by lifting them up to your ears. Tighten the muscles in your neck. Feel everything pull upwards.

HOLD for 5 seconds.

RELEASE and allow your shoulders to fall down. Roll your neck in circles and notice the change between tense and relaxed.

TENSE the muscles in your arms by making them as straight and stiff as possible. Ball up your fists and squeeze.

HOLD for 5 seconds, feeling the muscles contract.

RELEASE and let your arms fall to your sides.

TENSE your legs by holding them out straight, tightening the muscles all the way up to your thighs and hips.

HOLD for 5 seconds,

RELEASE (If you have knee problems, put a pillow behind your knees to reduce the pressure).

TENSE your feet by pretending you’re trying to squeeze sand between your toes.

HOLD for 5 seconds.

RELEASE and wiggle your toes.

Enjoy the feeling of relaxation blanketing your body. Keep breathing deeply and evenly.

The most important part of PMR is NOTICING the different states your body can exist in. If practiced regularly, you can encourage your body to exist in a relaxed state more often.

*Keep in mind that body scanning can be triggering for some people who’ve experienced trauma. If you start to feel uneasy, acknowledge your emotions and stop the practice. You can explore the trigger if you have the space or shelve the experience for analyzing at a later time. As you learn about relaxation techniques, it’s best to give yourself grace. Not every practice is right for every body.