![]() Tightening and relaxing the first muscle group for each area of the body, while saying the world RELAX, is one way to shorten the practice with experience. It is possible to become so proficient at PMR that it is only necessary to focus on one muscle group to produce these results. For example, a shorthand method might include tensing only hands and arms or just the forehead, eyes and jaw. Once this practice is learned, an abbreviated version can be practiced by creating tension in certain muscle groups. Though this technique is simple, it may take several sessions of practice before it is completely mastered. You might experiment with saying a phrase to elicit relaxation, such as the word RELAX, each time you release a muscle group. This rhythmic pattern of breathing and movement can enhance the feeling of relaxation throughout the body and help calm the mind. That is, breathe in while creating tension and breathe out when releasing the tension. One way to avoid this is to synchronize the breath with movements in the body. ![]() If any of the exercises cause discomfort or cramping, ease up, stop or skip this body part entirely so as not to exacerbate any pre-existing injury or cause pain.Īlso, pay special attention to not holding the breath while tensing up muscles as this can inadvertently cause stress in the body. Just creating a little bit of tension is sufficient to cultivate greater awareness of tension in the body and the relaxation that occurs when contracted muscles are released. It is very important to not strain or overly tense the muscle. After the practice, there may be one or two areas that are still tense, requiring one to repeat tensing and relaxing that muscle group. Through repetitive practice, a person can then induce physical muscular relaxation at the first signs of the tension that accompanies stress. Often, it is recommended to create tension and relaxation several times in the same muscle groups, with diminishing degrees of tension, to deepen awareness and train the body to more deeply relax. By moving through the body by alternately tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in a certain order, one builds awareness of how to recognize and differentiate between the associated feelings of a tensed muscle and a completely relaxed one. The second step is to then release this muscle tension and begin to notice what a relaxed muscle feels like as the tension drains away. The first step in this practice is to create tension in specific muscle groups and begin to notice what tension feels like in this body part. PMR is a two-step relaxation practice to reduce stress and build awareness of sensations of tension and deep relaxation in various muscle groups. It was rated an effective nonpharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (1999). (For more information, refer to Power of the Mind.) PMR is a recommended practice to relax the body and mind at bedtime to fall asleep more easily and get a deeper night sleep. PMR was originally used to treat symptoms of anxiety, but more recently it has been found to be effective for treating tension headaches, migraines, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), neck pain, insomnia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, backaches, and high blood pressure. Jacobson published Progressive Relaxation in 1938, detailing this method of relaxation involving alternately tensing and relaxing 14 different muscle groups. ![]() It is a widely-used procedure that was originally developed by Dr. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is one of the simplest and easiest to learn techniques for relaxation.
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