Progressive muscle relaxation

What it is and where it comes from

Unlike the body scan (purely attentional), progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) deliberately tenses each muscle group for a few seconds and then releases it, contrasting the sensation of tension with that of relaxation. It was developed by physician Edmund Jacobson in the 1930s as a clinical method to reduce the physiological tension associated with anxiety, on the premise that muscular relaxation and anxiety cannot fully coexist.

• Edmund Jacobson, Progressive Relaxation (1938) — Obra original que sistematiza la técnica de tensión-liberación muscular como método clínico de reducción de la ansiedad.

How to practice it

1. 1.Start with your feet: tense the muscles firmly for 5 seconds, then release suddenly and notice the contrast for 10-15 seconds.
2. 2.Repeat the tension-release cycle moving up the body: calves, thighs, abdomen, hands, arms, shoulders, face.
3. 3.Keep your breathing natural throughout, without holding it while tensing.
4. 4.Finish by noticing the overall sensation of heaviness and relaxation throughout the body.