Progressive Muscle Relaxation <8/15/06>
Question:
Thank you for all this information – I had forgotten about some of these techniques. Have you tried any of it yourself? How much sucess have you had with what you’ve tried? — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
::Thank you for all this information – I had forgotten about some of ::these techniques. Have you tried any of it yourself? How much sucess ::have you had with what you’ve tried? Dear Crystal, Welcome to ASAPM! Yes, I have tried all of these exercises. I found them to be very helpful, especially the progressive muscle relaxation ones. Give it a try, it definitely cannot hurt. I suggest you do these exercises on a daily basis. Twice a day is even better 
Good luck! Jackie ~*~You have the freak flag… you just don’t fly it~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm
Response:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Progressive muscle relaxation is one example of a deep relaxation technique that can be used to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and certain types of chronic pain. Based upon the simple premise of tensing, or tightening, one muscle group at a time followed by a release of the tension, this form of relaxation is used by physicians (in combination with standard therapies) for a number of conditions, including headaches, cancer pain, high blood pressure, and digestive disturbances. This form of muscle relaxation is progressive in two senses. Firstly, the muscle groups are tightened and relaxed one at a time in a specific order, generally commencing with the lower extremities and ending with the face, abdomen, and chest, although other sequences have been used by some practitioners. Secondly, a greater degree of muscle tension is attempted in subsequent exercises as compared with beginning efforts as one gains experience with the technique. The technique of progressive muscle relaxation was described by Edmund Jacobson in the 1930s based upon his premise that mental relaxation should naturally result from physical relaxation. Like the Relaxation Response pioneered by Herbert Benson in the 1970s, progressive muscle relaxation can be learned by nearly anyone and requires only 10-20 minutes per day. You may practice this technique seated or lying down in a completely quiet place free from all distractions. The individual muscle groups are tightened for 5-8 seconds and the tension is then released. While releasing the tension, try to focus on the changes you feel when the muscle group is relaxed. Imagery may be helpful in conjunction with the release of tension; you can try to imagine stressful feelings flowing out of your body as you relax each muscle group. You should stay relaxed for 15-30 seconds and move on to the next muscle group. In addition to its stress-reduction and health benefits, progressive muscle relaxation is an excellent tool to help learn about the body and its signals. With practice and time, you can learn to accurately identify tension signals in your body and actively work to reduce stress and tension and their accompanying physical reactions. http://stress.about.com/cs/relaxation/a/aa110600a.htm How to Create a Serene Sacred Space "Sacred Space" is a special place you can retreat to and spend time alone in quiet meditation or retrospection. Here are a few helpful ideas for creating an indoor sanctuary. Difficulty Level: average Time Required: 25 to 45 minutes Here’s How: Choose an area within the interior of your home for your "Sacred Space" (a spare bedroom, a revamped pantry area, a corner space, etc.) Clear this space of stagnant energies by performing a ritual smudging (cleanse with smoke from burning sage wand). This should also be repeated periodically after you begin using your sacred space Consider your personal comforts and each of your senses in choosing the suggested furniture and articles to fill this space. Comfort: floor cushions, a gentle swaying rocker, or perhaps a stuffed chaise to stretch out in. Sounds: wind chimes, water fountains, CDs & player, a hand-carved wooden flute. Taste: peppermints for mental clarity, calming herbal tea blends, cinnamon red hot candies to awaken the taste buds. Smells: scented candles, incense, freshly cut sprig of lavender. Visual: mirrors, posters, paintings, artwork, altar. Touch: objects with a variety of textures such as crystals, feathers, sea shells, woven cloths, teddy bears, etc. A window placement within the space is especially welcome to allow fresh air and sunshine for healing and happiness. Tips: Once your space is ready, honor it by making your presence there often. Set boundaries by deciding who else, if anyone, is allowed in your Sacred Space. Keep a supply of colored pens and notebooks if you want to maintain a journal in your Sacred Space. http://healing.about.com/library/howto/ht_sacredspace.htm How to Relax and Ground Your Body Grounding exercises help tremendously with maintaining a balance of our physical and spiritual bodies. This particular exercise can serve as an excellent tool for identifying physical stresses and upsets. Difficulty Level: average Time Required: 25-60 minutes Here’s How: Lay down comfortably on a bed or massage table. Bring your thoughts from its busy mental chatter downward by focusing on your feet. Notice the soles of your feet, your toes, in-between your toes, the top of your feet. Do they feel hot? or cold? Do they hurt? Are they numb? Do you feel your blood circulating through them? Are they feeling tired? Once you have a made a strong connection with your feet, you may then move your focus upwards to your ankles. Notice, but don’t judge how the different parts feel. For example, when you wiggled your toes, how did that feel? Gradually shift your focus now to your lower legs, onto your knee caps, behind your knees, your thighs and upward. Keep reminding yourself not to rush. Allow yourself to breathe throughout the exercise, especially as you come to any areas of discomfort (stressed muscles, soreness, etc.) or at any spot that feels like there may be an energy block. Once you have moved through your torso and up to your neck drop back to your fingertips. Move to the hands, up your arms and shoulders, returning now to your neck. Finish up with your face and scalp. Tips: Don’t rush this process. Take your time moving upwards to each part of your body. Do not touch yourself. Just allow your mind to switch focus from wherever it is and mentally consider your body’s sensations. Do this exercise while laying down is recommended, but for anyone who tends to fall asleep quickly upon hitting the pillow sitting upright in a chair may be preferable. http://healing.about.com/library/howto/ht_ground.htm Basic Guided Relaxation: Advanced Technique Article by L. John Mason, Ph.D. This guided relaxation exercise is taken from exercises from Dr. Mason’s best selling book, Guide to Stress Reduction. A version of this technique is found on most of the guided relaxation tapes/CD’s found at the Stress Education Center’s Tapes/CD’s page. Please find the one that is best for your specific requirements. Look in the health series, if you have symptoms of stress. For the best results, have someone read this guided relaxation slowly to you, with appropriate pauses. You can also read this exercise into a tape recorder and then play it back to yourself when you want to relax. Remember, this exercise will work best for you with regular daily use and repetition over time. (4-6 weeks to see positive change and 8-12 weeks of regular use for the maximum benefits to begin.) Good health and enjoy your relaxation! Start of relaxation. Begin here. When you are ready to begin, start by getting yourself into a comfortable position in a space where you will not be unnecessarily disturbed, for about twenty minutes. As you sit back or lie back more comfortably, check to see if your arms and legs are in a relaxed uncrossed position. Let your shoulders release tension and let your neck begin to relax by letting your head just sink back comfortably into the pillow or chair. Check the muscles of your head and face, especially the muscles around your eyes, even your eye brows, and the muscles around your mouth, including your jaw and even your tongue. Before we begin, let me remind you that I do not want you to try to relax too quickly. In fact, I do not want you to try to relax at all! Because without any effort you will be able drift as deeply into relaxation as you wish to go, by just letting go of stress, thoughts, and physical tensions. To begin, start by taking three deep slow diaphragmatic breaths…pausing after you inhale, and then exhaling fully and completely. You might even imagine that as you exhale you can begin to release thoughts, tensions, even discomforts with the warm breath that you breathe out and away. (pause) After these first three slow breaths, then continue to breathe slowly, but naturally. Perhaps you can feel yourself taking another step deeper into relaxation and comfort with every exhalation. As you breathe slowly and naturally, please turn your attention to the relaxation that may be beginning in your arms and down into your hands. If you look very carefully, you might feel a slight difference, where one of your arms might be just a bit more relaxed than the other. It might be just a subtle difference, but one arm might feel slightly heavier, as if the muscles in that arm were more loose or more flexible. Or perhaps, one arms feels slightly warmer, as if, blood and energy could flow more freely and easily all the way down that arm… as if it were flowing down, through wide open blood vessels, and slowly, but freely, pulsing down into the hand and fingers. (pause) Or perhaps, both of your arms are equally relaxed, and that would be perfect as well. The only thing that matters is that you continue to breathe slowly and naturally, and perhaps you can begin to feel yourself drifting deeper into a dreamlike state where you can feel greater calmness and comfort, and where you begin to develop even greater awareness and control. As you continue to breathe slowly and gently, perhaps you can begin to become aware of the relaxation that may be starting down into your legs and feet. If you were to look very carefully, you might become aware of a slight difference, where one of your legs might be a bit more relaxed than the other. You might also find that one leg feels slightly heavier, as if the muscles in that leg were more … read more »
