# Relaxation Methods



## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

http://www.noah-health.org/english/illness...y/progmusc.html Progressive Muscle Relaxation--------------------------------------------------------------------------------First, focus all your attention on your right foot. With your right foot flat on the floor, lift your toes upward and fan them outward. This will create tension in your ankle and the calf of your right leg. Hold the tension briefly. Now relax it quickly; just let go completelyï¿½ Next, focus on your left foot. Extend your left toes upward and fan them out as far as they will go. Once again, there will be a feeling of tension in your ankle and calf. Hold the tension briefly. Now, relax your left foot completely. When I ask you to release the tension, try to let go as much as possible. The secret in relaxing is in the letting go. Now tense the muscles in your right thigh by pressing down with your right heel. Press down really hard on the heel of your right foot. Feel the tension. Now relax your heel and thigh--let go and notice the difference. In fact, each time you let go, try to identify the difference in feeling between tension and relaxation. Notice how pleasant it feels just to have your muscles relaxing and letting go. Let's do the same thing with your right thigh. Tense it as tightly as you can by pressing down with your left heel. Press down hard with your left heel and feel the tension as much as possible. Then let go and relax all over. You may have noticed by now a pleasant sensation as you relax a group of muscles. Next, focus on your stomach muscles. Tighten them into a hard knot. Keep your stomach as hard as you can for just a little while and notice that tension. Now relax, just let go, let all your body muscles loosen completely, and notice the difference once again. You may notice an inner feeling of well-being coming over you as you are able to relax more and more of your muscles. But you need to remember that relaxing is not something that you do, but something you allow to happen. You cannot force it, because it is a perfectly natural response to letting go. You were born knowing how to relax. All you need to do now is to allow it to happen. Just let go. Next, direct your attention to your lower back. Arch your back. Arch your back way up and make your back taut and hollow and feel the tension up and down your spine. Hold the tension briefly. Now, relax and sit back comfortably again. As you let go, try to remember that there is no limit to the amount of relaxation you can personally experience. Theoretically, you can relax to the point of infinity. Go ahead and relax your back. Relax your body as much as possible. Just relax further and further, letting the relaxation go deeper and deeper into your muscles. While you keep the rest of your body relaxed, I want you to clench your right fist. Clench your fist tighter and tighter. Study the tension in your hand and arm as you do this. Now relax and let the fingers of your hand become loose, completely loose. Notice how different your arm and your hand feel. Next, clench your left fist, really tight. Clench it really tight and notice the tension in that arm. Now, let go. Relax your left hand. Let your fingers straighten out and become limp. Notice the difference once again. Next, bend your right elbow and bring the fingers of your right hand up to your right shoulder. With your fingers touching your shoulder, tense the muscles of your right arm hard. Study that tension in the biceps muscle of your upper arm. All right, now straighten out your arm and let go of the tension. Just relax all your muscles and feel the warm, pleasant heaviness that comes with relaxing completely. Let's do the same thing with your left arm. Touch your shoulder and tense your left biceps tightly. Hold that tension really tightly and observe it carefully. Now let go, relaxing your left arm. Let it drop limp. Relax it as much as you can. Try to let yourself actually feel the relaxation. Continue to let go. Let your whole body relax further and further into deeper and still deeper levels of relaxation. Now let's focus on your neck muscles. Press your head back as far as you can. Press it back hard, really hard. Feel the tension in your neck. Hold that tension briefly. Then let go. Let your neck relax as much as possible. Let the muscles loosen so completely that your head is as heavy as a bowling ball. Allow the back of the chair to completely support your head so that your neck muscles can relax totally and completely. Next, hunch up both of your shoulders. Bring your shoulders right up to your ears, as if you're trying to squeeze your ears with your shoulders. Feel the tension. Hold the tension briefly. Now drop your shoulders, let them go completely limp, and feel the relaxation. Let that relaxation go deeper and deeper into your shoulders. Then let it flow right down into the rest of your body. Now, raise your eyebrows so that it makes your forehead and the top of your scalp all tight and wrinkly. Feel the tension. Hold the tension briefly. Now, relax your forehead, smooth it out. Try to picture, as in a mirror, your forehead becoming smoother and smoother as the relaxation increases. Next, squeeze your eyes tightly shut. Tighter and tighter. Feel the tension in your eyelids. Then relax them and keep your eyes closed gently and comfortably. Notice how relaxed your eyes feel. Finally, let's tense the muscles around your mouth. Clench your jaws and lips. Clench them tightly together and study the tension around your mouth. Then relax those muscles. Let your cheeks and lips hang loose and limp. Relax your jaw and keep your teeth slightly apart as you continue to relax all the muscles around your mouth. Try to notice the contrast throughout your entire body between tension and relaxation. If any tension has crept back into your body, release it and let it go. In your mind's eye, picture your face as though looking in a mirror and actually see the relaxation all over your face. Observe it all over your forehead. Actually feel the relaxation progress further and further. Just allow yourself to feel the relaxation take over and go deeper and deeper, and still deeper into the muscles and very fiber of your body. As you become more and more deeply relaxed, your body may feel very heavy. It is also possible that parts of your body may feel very small or maybe even quite large. You may feel warm all over, or perhaps parts of your body have no feeling. For instance, maybe a hand or foot even feels like it is disconnected from the rest of your body. Whatever you feel as you sit there completely relaxed, just go along with it and enjoy it. Let it happen without trying to control or question it. The reason is that these feelings are perfectly natural in a deeply relaxed state. They are normal, for instance, when you are drifting off to sleep. The difference here is that you can let your mind go blank or let your thoughts drift around without going to sleep. Let yourself feel calm and peaceful, warm and relaxed. The final part of training in relaxation is the most important part because it is concerned with mentally letting go as well as physically relaxing, of getting rid of cares and frustrations and mentally relaxing without going to sleep. To begin, I want you to picture in your mind's eye a scene representing pure, unconditional pleasure to you. You may want to concentrate on something you've experienced recently, or perhaps you remember something wonderful about a vacation you've taken, or you may recall something you've seen in a movie or read in a book. It is even possible to think of some happy event that may have occurred while you were in the middle of some hectic activity. Of course, you may want to recall something serene or pleasurable from your childhood. Whatever comes to you, let it be your own private experience to feel fully again for just a little while. Let your mind drift peacefully and relaxed wherever it wants to go. If your mind begins to wander, don't be concerned or fight it. Rather, gently bring your mind back to the scene you have chosen. I am going to remain silent now for a few minutes while you allow yourself to follow anything pleasant, happy, or peaceful that appears to you. Let it take you wherever you want to go, just drifting and enjoying. After a few minutes of silence, I'm going to slowly count from one to five while you bring yourself back to the present, at which time you will awaken yourself, refreshed and calm. Two minute pause Please keep our eyes closed until you are asked to open them. It is now time to come back to the present. You may have been relaxed for so long that it may take a minute or two for you to become fully alert again. This is to be expected at first, but with regular practice you'll find that you can become relaxed very quickly, and that when you have refreshed yourself in this way, you will always be able to arouse yourself effectively by counting from one to five. This counting will always bring you back from your deep relaxation fully alert and refreshed with all physical exertion and emotional strain gone. I'll count for you this time. You may wish to count silently to yourself along with me: You are more aware of the present and finding yourself more refreshed and more invigorated than you have ever been in your whole life. It's time to stir about by moving your feet and legs. Remember that when you open your eyes, you will be refreshed as though you were awakening from a long nap. You might want to stretch your arms out. From head to foot you are feeling perfect mentally, physically, and emotionally. Now you can move your head around a bit. You are now completely refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to open your eyes. Open your eyes.


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