Relaxation Techniques
Jacobson’s Relaxation
In the 1920s, a physician named Edmund Jacobson developed a systematic technique to work each muscle group in the body separately and progressively. His studies showed that by contracting a muscle as tightly as possible, holding it for a few seconds, then abruptly releasing the tension, produced a deep state of relaxation. This methodology is widely used today and is known as by various names such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), Sequential Muscle Relaxation (SMR) or Jacobson’s Relaxation.
Dr. Jacobson’s landmark book, Progressive Relaxation, outlined 200 different exercises but most practitioners use just 15 to 20 of them. In this short workout, you will tense each and every muscle group in your body, starting from the bottom and working up: feet, legs, buttocks, hips, arms and hands, stomach and chest, back, shoulders, neck, face and jaws.
Beginning progressive relaxation you can practice on your own
Lie down on your back and get comfortable. Start with the muscles in your feet by tensing them for 5 to 10 seconds. Abruptly release the tension and concentrate on letting your feet go limp.
- Give yourself 15 to 20 seconds to relax before going on to the muscles in the legs.
- With each release of tension, empty your mind of worries. You can use imagery when relaxing each muscle group and focus on the tension flowing out of your body. When working on a particular group, keep the rest of your body loose and relaxed. Some areas like the neck and shoulders may need to be tensed and released two or three times to feel the relaxation effect take hold.
- Gradually work your way up the body, tensing and releasing each muscle group.
It should take you about 10 to 20 minutes to complete the cycle. Even if it is your first try at PMR, you can achieve a noticeable, relaxed state, and after a few weeks of daily practice you’ll be able to reach even deeper levels of relaxation.
Basic guidelines for PMR
- Do the exercises in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted. If you think you’ll have difficulty doing it alone, you can use an audio tape of a recorded progressive relaxation program to talk you through each step.
- Consistency is important, so try to do these exercises at the same time each day.
- Don’t try to attempt progressive relaxation after eating a full meal since digestion will interfere with your session.
- You can lie down on the floor or sit in a chair, but it is not advised that you do progressive relaxation while lying in bed or on a couch, as you don’t want to get too comfortable and drift asleep before getting all the way through. Deep relaxation requires your full attention.
- One of the goals of progressive relaxation is to help you sleep better. Your body needs a good night’s sleep to recuperate, but unfortunately sleep does not always permit deep relaxation especially if you toss and turn all night thinking about work or family problems. By practicing relaxation exercises for 10 to 20 minutes just before going to bed, you’ll get to sleep more easily and then sleep more restfully.
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