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Full Transcript: Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique you can practice to settle into a state of calm awareness by systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. This exercise should cause some minor physical discomfort, but not pain. If you have an injury or experience chronic pain, please adapt the muscle groups you focus on in this exercise to accommodate your body, avoiding unnecessary pain.  

Start like all of the previous exercises, by finding a comfortable but alert posture, ideally either sitting or lying down. Find a neutral place to rest your gaze or allow the eyes to close. 

Begin to feel aware of your breathing, slipping into that state of awareness as the breath easily moves in and out. With each breath out, silently repeat the word “release”, or any similar word that might promote release or ease.  

On your next inhale, tighten all the muscles in the face and head while holding the breath in. Scrunch up the face, tighten the mouth, even try to feel the skin on the ears and back of the head tense. Slowly let out the breath as you gently release the muscles of the head into complete relaxation and neutrality. As you let go of the tension, repeat the word “release”, or your word of choice. Take a few gentle breaths here, noticing the difference between the previously tense state, and the present ease.  

Moving the attention to the hands and arms, on an inhale ball the hands into fists and curl the arms upwards to flex the biceps. Tighten the muscles of the arms and hands as much as you can while holding in a full breath. When you’re ready, use the exhale to release all tension as you repeat the word “release”. Take a few, slow breaths, and absorb the new feeling in the arms and hands.