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by David Tomaselli
Negative thoughts and feelings can significantly contribute to
the tension we experience in our bodies.
Most of the time we are
unaware of the tension in our bodies until it manifests as a
physical condition such as muscle tightness in the body, headaches
and even stomach ulcers. Progressive relaxation serves as a great
way relax the body at the first sign of tension.
Progressive relaxation involves systematically tensing and
relaxing various groups of muscles in an orderly sequence. By
regularly practicing this technique, you can train yourself to
recognize the feelings associated with tensed and relaxed muscles.
Recognizing the tension or stress in your body at an early stage
gives you the opportunity to stop it before it becomes a major
physical problem.
When performing the progressive relaxation technique it important
to follow the following guide lines - Do this technique in a quiet
room where no one can interrupt you
- Sit on a comfortable chair, couch, recliner or lie on a bed
- Allocate around 10-15 minutes every day as your scheduled time for
this technique
- Note the sensations you experience tensing and relaxing the
various muscle groups
Start off by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths for one
minute. Then start progressive tensing and relaxing the various
muscle groups. The sequence of muscles varies slightly depending on
how much time you have however the general order is as follows:
- Toes Knees
- Entire right leg
- Entire left leg
- Right hand
- Right forearm and hand
- Entire right arm
- Left
hand
- Left forearm and hand
- Entire left arm
- Abdomen
- Chest
- Neck and shoulders
- Face
At the end you should be feeling quite relaxed. Keep your eyes
closed and breathe in deeply. Slowly start moving your fingers and
wriggling your toes. Breathe in deeply again and stretch gently.
Then breathe in deeply one more time and open your eyes.
NOTE: because this technique involves deliberate tensing of
muscles, it is important to check with your physician if you have
any medical history of muscle problems.
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