Progressive Relaxation Technique

Sometimes we don't have time to engage in one of our favorite activities for creating inner peace.  Kayaking on the Palmer River shown in this photo is a delight for me.  But life usually happens on the run and requires "easy to use - while on the go" techniques.  Progressive Muscle Relaxation is one of those easy to access and use mind/body interventions.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a method for mentally rebooting and reducing tension by progressively tensing and relaxing your muscles.  Credit goes to an American physician during the 1920’s by the name of Edmund Jacobson.  Jacobson figured that since muscular tension coincided with stress and anxiety, a focus on relaxing muscular tension would reduce anxiety. 

Some folk prefer this method because it primarily focuses on the body sensations and is more active than the more internal and mental techniques.  Physically you tense and relax muscle groups over the legs, abdomen, chest, arms and face.   Focus on a muscle group and tense for ten seconds and then release for twenty before continuing with the next muscle group.

It is helpful to close your eyes to center your focus on the sensations of tension and release.  If your anxiety is high and thoughts plague you like, “this will never work!”  Gently return your focus to the sensation of the muscular tension and release.  Usually, you will experience a feeling of warmth or heaviness in the body that will also result in a more relaxed mind.

The following script was designed for college age kids and tends to be shorter.  For a longer script that begins with the feet and moves toward the head clink on this link.

The Recipe
1.  Scan you body areas for tension.

2.  Inhale deeply.  Hold your breath for a few seconds.  As you exhale, allow the tension to leave your body.

3.  Clench right fist, notice tension in fist, hand, and forearm.  Relax – feel the looseness in your right hand.

4.  Clench left fist.  Tight.  Tighter!  Now, gently release.  Feel the tension leave your hand.

5.  Clench both fists.  Clench them tightly.  Now relax.  Let the tension flow out of your hands.

6.  Bend elbows, tense biceps; now straighten out your arms, and relax.

7.  Bend your elbows again, now release and relax.

8.  Turn your attention to your head; wrinkle your forehead as tight as you can.  Now relax, smooth it out, imagine your forehead and scalp becoming smooth and at rest.  Now frown and feel the strain throughout your face ad brow; allow your brow to become smooth again.  Breathe deeply, fill your lungs full and enjoy the healthy feeling.

9.  Continue practicing progressive relaxation with all the major muscle groups in your body.

My Experience
I ran across this technique during my college years (decades ago).  My struggle with this technique back then was finding the patience to stick with it to the end (particularly with the longer script).  Today, I might add relaxation (brainwave music) sounds alongside this technique to enhance relaxation of both the body and the mind. 

This technique works well with folk who are more kinesthetic in their learning style or who need to be “doing something physical” in order to relax.  When the internal/mental techniques fail to work, give Progressive Relaxation a try! 

Autogenic Relaxation

Autogenic Relaxation Training is a relaxation method that was developed by a German Johannes Heinrich Schultz and around 1932.

Autogenic training is telling yourself to create feelings of heaviness and warmth in different parts of your body. If you're successful, you will have used the power of your mind to experience heaviness and warmth as blood flow increases. This can be very relaxing.

Autogenic training restores the balance between the sympathetic (flight or fight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches of the autonomic nervous system. This has important health implications as the parasympathetic activity reduces inflammation, blood pressure and slows the heart rate - strengthening our immune system.

The Technique (adapted from the original method)

Start by taking 3 deep breaths, close your eyes and repeat slowly to yourself: "I am relaxed, I am calm, I am quiet."  Repeat each phrase to yourself, slowly, leaving time between each one to experience the sensation (taking 1 - 2 deep breaths inbetween each phrase).

•   My right leg is heavy.
•  My right leg is heavy and warm.
•   My right leg is warm and relaxed.
•   I am calm and quite relaxed.
•   My left leg is heavy.
•   My left leg is warm and relaxed.
•   I am calm and quite relaxed.
•   I am quiet and at peace.
•   I am relaxed.
•   My right arm is heavy.
•   My right arm is heavy and warm.
•   I am calm and quite relaxed.
•   My left arm is heavy.
•   My left arm is heavy and warm.
•   I am calm and quite relaxed.
•   My body is warm and relaxed.
•   I am quiet and at peace.
•   I am relaxed.

Once your body feels relaxed, allow an image to emerge that connects to this feeling of calm.

When you are first learning autogenic relaxation try it when you are calm to see if you can deepen your state of relaxation. Beginning when stress is mild or moderate is better than waiting until you are in a state of high anxiety. It may take several repetitions to achieve the sensations of heaviness and warmth, but the results are worth it.

Autogenic Relaxation is a more mental and sensate technique for inducing calm. Try adding light tapping rounds with this technique to achieve faster results for reducing anxiety and achieving deep relaxation.

EFT & Wt. Loss

...for more information on the EFT & Wt. Loss workshop being held on Friday on April 8th at 6:30 - 8:30 pm click on...
http://www.gcarpenter.net/2011/01/workshop-eft-weight-loss.html

Practical Methods for Changing your "Mind"

Challenging our free floating – automatic negative thoughts and feelings is key to managing stress and staying connected to our best self. In Dr. Herbert Benson “The Wellness Book” his colleagues write, “When governed by strong emotions, the mind becomes a filter, letting into consciousness only those thoughts that reinforce that mood. Little else is allowed through.” (p.274)

Our own self- justification for feeling angry, worried or stressed strengthens the mental filter. Notice your reaction to shifting your emotional state next time you are angry, stressed or anxious. Most folk will experience some form of inner protest in the form of “…but this is how I really feel… this is me!” The answer isn’t to deny or repress these feelings (sometimes they are quite helpful and necessary). Rather, we want to notice them and reflect on whether they are needed. If not then we move to create a gentle shift.

Dr. Benson has a four step process that he recommends for stress relief (p. 184-5)…

Next time you are stuck in traffic and feel you blood pressure rise try this…

• Stop – as soon as you catch yourself feeling stressed simply saying “Stop!” can interrupt the Negative Stress Cycle. This prevents your thoughts from going in the “awfulizing” where you mind jumps to the worst possible scenario.


• Breath & Release Physical Tension – During times of stress most folk hold their breath, physiologically creating even more stress. Taking a diaphragmatic breath can elicit the relaxation response.


• Reflect and ask yourself these questions: - Stopping the escalation of the stress hormones allows you to actually think about your situation. You can sift through helpful thoughts and feelings versus irrational beliefs and distortions.
  - “What is going on here?”
  - “Why am I so distressed?”
  - “Am I late or just racing against time?”
  - “Is it really a crisis that I am late?”
  - “If I am late what is the worst thing that will happen?”
  - “Will worrying about it help?”

• Choose not to think so anxiously – now that you have stopped the stimulus – response cycle, taken a breath to divert your attention from the stress, reflected on the cause of stress, you can now choose how to respond and reboot your thoughts and feelings.

This four step process: Stop, Breathe & Release Physical Tension, Reflect, and Choose – can be turbo-charged by tapping several rounds on the Emotional Freedom Technique points as you go through each of the steps (click for The Basic EFT Recipe and points http://www.gcarepnter.net/search/label/EFT%20Instructions)

An additional way to spice up Dr. Benson Four Step Model is to add what I call The Dimmer Switch. As you go through the four steps, just hold your hand over the correct eye while keeping both open. Here are the instructions for this technique...

The Dimmer Switch (One Eye Technique)

This is based on a bi-lateral theory of the brain (left is logical - right is emotional). That is an oversimplified explanation. Rate your stress or feeling intensity on a scale of 1 -10 (SUDS) Keeping both eyes open, place your hand over your left eye to block input. Hold for 60 seconds(or as you go through the four steps for stress relief. Relaxation breathing during this time will create added benefits. After one minute, rate your feeling intensity on the same scale. Most persons report a reduction of 2 - 4 in intensity. Repeat to bring further down in intensity. Combine this technique with Relaxation Breathing for best results. Some folk find covering the right eye to be more relaxing. Experiment and see which works best for you.

Last but certainly not least, simply put on your favorite relaxation or brainsync music and go through the four steps with the added benefit of sounds triggering the relaxation response (“What’s In Your Wallet? Stress and Music - http://www.gcarpenter.net/search/label/The%20Brain) Relaxations sounds or music is the easiest of the all the techniques. Just slip on the headphones and run the four steps.

Each of these techniques are highly effective individually. But in various combinations they quicken the results and multiply their effectiveness. Experiment with various combinations for customizing your own relaxation - stress buster toolbox.

Let me know how these work for you. Enjoy!