Welcome to the next installment of the Stress Series! This week we’re focusing on one of my favorite stress management techniques, Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR).  These exercises are especially great for people who have a difficult time falling asleep or feel unable to release tension from their bodies (it’s actually great way to become aware of where your body is holding tension).  As a fun fact, this technique I learned when I was only 7 years old.  I had the most horrible time falling asleep as a kid, struggling with anxiety, nightmares, and sometimes even full-blown night terrors and sleep-walking.  My mother actually used to do this with me to help me relax and fall asleep, and it helped immensely. I still do this exercise quite often when I can’t get my monkey mind to calm down, or if I’ve had an especially stressful day and can’t get my body to relax.

The foundation of PMR is fairly straightforward, and it’s very easy to learn.  The basic premise is that most people find it very easy to tense and flex their muscles, but in turn they find it very hard to relax.  So, if you forcibly contract and tense your muscles as tight as possible, when you let go your muscles will naturally seek complete relaxation.  The second portion to PMR is breathing.  In last week’s installment I mentioned a breathing exercise that instructed you to “breathe in relaxation, and breathe out tension” – with PMR you do something similar.  The only difference is that you are pairing your inhalation with the tension and contraction of a muscle, and the exhalation with the relaxation of a muscle.  For a full PMR session, you start from your toes and work your way up to your face alternating between breathing in with tension, and breathing out with relaxation.

We’ll start experimenting with PMR with your fists…

1. Bring your attention to your hands, try to make them as relaxed as possible.
2. Now, take a deep breath in and clench your fists as tight as possible and hold for 2-3 seconds
3. Let the breath out and release the contraction, allowing your fists to relax.  Feel more relaxed?

A Full PMR Session: To Be Done at Bed Time

1. Lie down comfortable on your back, legs slightly apart, arms at your side,  palms up.
2. Close your eyes, and bring your awareness to your breath.  Take a few deep breaths in the nose and out the mouth.
3. Bring your awareness to the muscles of your feet
4. Take a deep breath in and tense your toes as much as you can and hold for 2-3 seconds
5. Breathe out and release your toes.
6. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your toes and feet completely heavy and relaxed.
7. Bring your awareness to the muscles of your lower leg.
8. Take a deep breath in and point your toes down
9. Hold for 2-3 seconds
10. Breathe out and release
11. Repeat but this time flex your feet
12. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your lower leg completely heavy and relaxed.
13. Bring your awareness to the muscles of your upper leg (quads and hamstrings)
14. Take a deep breath in and tense your thighs as much as you can; hold for 2-3 seconds
15. Breathe out and release.
16. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your toes and feet completely heavy and relaxed.
17. Bring your awareness to the muscles of your glutes and hips
18. Take a deep breath in and tense your glutes as much as you can; hold for 2-3 seconds
19. Breathe out and release your toes
20. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your glutes and hips completely heavy and relaxed.
21. Bring your awareness to the muscles of your lower back
22. Take a deep breath in and arch your back, tensing the muscles of your lower back; hold for 2-3 seconds
23. Breathe out and release.
24. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your lower back completely heavy and relaxed.
25. Bring your awareness to the muscles of your stomach
26. Take a deep breath in and arch your back, tensing the muscles of your stomach; hold for 2-3 seconds
27. Breathe out and release.
28. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your stomach completely heavy and relaxed.
29. Bring your awareness to the muscles of your chest, shoulder, and upper back
30. Take a deep breath in and shrug your shoulders forward, tensing your shoulders and chest; hold for 2-3 seconds
31. Breathe out and release.
32. Repeat with pinching your shoulder blades together, and raising your shoulders to your ears.
33. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your chest, shoulder, and upper back completely heavy and relaxed.
34. Bring your awareness to your hands
35. Take a deep breath in and clench your fists as tight as possible; hold for 2-3 seconds
36. Breathe out and release.
37. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your hands completely heavy and relaxed.
38. Bring your awareness to your wrists and forearms
39. Take a deep breath in and flex your wrists upwards and then downwards; hold for 2-3 seconds
40. Breathe out and release.
41. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your forearm completely heavy and relaxed.
42. Bring your awareness to your upper arm
43. Take a deep breath in and flex your upper arms; hold for 2-3 seconds
44. Breathe out and release.
45. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your upper arm completely heavy and relaxed.
46. Bring your awareness to your jaw
47. Take a deep breath in and clench your jaws; hold for 2-3 seconds
48. Breathe out and release.
49. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your jaws completely heavy and relaxed.
50. Bring your awareness to your face
51. Take a deep breath in and squeeze your mouth, nose, cheeks and eyes; hold for 2-3 seconds
52. Breathe out and release.
53. With your mind, visualize all the nerves, bones, tendons, and muscles of your face completely heavy and relaxed.

Now that you’ve reached the top, take a few more deep breaths in, notice your body feeling relaxed and heavy from head to toe. With every breath it becomes heavier and heavier, sinking into your bed and feel your body letting go of all tension and embracing the sense of complete relaxation.

Sweet dreams everybody, and we’ll see you next week!

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