DEEP MUSCLE RELAXATION*
Deep Muscle relaxation is incompatible with anxiety. Muscle relaxation training consists of learning to tense and relax various muscle groups through the body. An essential part of learning how to relax involves learning to pay close attention to the feelings of tension and relaxation in your body.
We employ tension in order to ultimately produce relaxation. Strong tension is noticeable, and you will learn to attend to these feelings. The initial production of tension gives us some momentum so that when we release the tension, deep relaxation is the result. Learning relaxation is like learning other motor skills. It will take some practice to become good at it.
Remove constraining items such as watches, rings, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and shoes, if desirable. Recline in a tilt-back chair or sit upright with feet firmly planted on the floor and arms lying loosely in your lap. Closing your eyes will often be helpful. Release tension immediately rather than gradually. Once a group of muscles is relaxed, do not move them unnecessarily.
Steps in Inducing Relaxation
1. Extend arms in front of you and clench fists. For this and each successive muscle group, tense for 7 seconds and then rest muscles for 20-30 seconds before moving on the next muscle group.
2. Extend arms in front of you and point fingers toward the ceiling as though you were pushing a wall.
3. Touch fingers to shoulders so as to tense biceps.
4. Shut eyes tightly so as to tense muscles around the eyes, in forehead, and temples (skip this step if you are wearing contact lenses).
5. Push tongue against roof of mouth, clench molar teeth, and pull corners of lips around as though trying to touch ears.
6. Pull chin down one inch from sternum (breast bone) and at the same time try to pull chin farther toward sternum and backwards toward your back. This sets up an antagonistic muscle reaction and causes the head to tremor.
7. Take a deep breath and hunch shoulders up toward ears.
8. Pull shoulders back as though trying to touch them together in the back.
9. Suck stomach in as though trying to touch backbone.
10. Push buttocks into chair so as to tense buttocks muscles.
11. Extend legs in front of you and lift heels six inches off floor so as to tense thigh muscles.
12. With legs extended and heels resting on floor, point toes toward knees so as to tense calf muscles.
13. With legs extended and heels resting on floor, curl toes under toward arches (tense for 3 seconds only as these muscles easily experience cramps).
14. Now, review the condition of each of these muscle groups and visualize them becoming more and more relaxed. See muscle fibers becoming looser and longer – stretching out like wet spaghetti. You may notice that your palms are becoming warmer, that your upper torso is becoming heavier and heavier. Concentrate on these effects since they are evidences of deep relaxation.
Sit quietly for several moments. You might wish to use this experience for implanting more firmly in your mind certain goals, which are important to you. Picture the goal clearly in your mind, and see yourself reaching your goal. Make your picture as vivid and as much in detail as possible. You may find that this is a great aid to your motivation.
Try to practice this exercise twice a day – morning and evening are best for most people. Practice in the morning often helps in beginning the day more centered, less feverishly. Practice in the evening helps to “wash out” the cumulative stress of the day.
*From a program prepared by Kenneth B. Matheny, Ph.D., Counseling and Psychological Services, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.