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Progressive Relaxation

There are several things you can do to help yourself get the most benefit from progressive relaxation.

  1. Time - You need a time when it is unlikely that you will be interrupted for at least fifteen (15) minutes.

  2. Place - It’s best to use a comfortable, upholstered chair or a recliner - a bed is also acceptable; it is important that your body be able to become relaxed where ever you choose.

  3. Space - Try to select a space where there are few distracting sounds or lights to disturb you.

  4. Attitude - Try to enter into this with a willingness to let yourself become relaxed; don’t force it or fight it. Exact timing is not important, nor is exact length of practice. Instead, concentrate on how your body feels.

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Here are some specific instructions to help you enter the exercise.

  1. Close your eyes.

  2. Let yourself take a deep breath, breathing all the way down into your stomach, letting your stomach expand. Hold that breath for just a moment, and as you exhale, let your whole body sink down.

  3. Breathe through your nose and relax your body, beginning at your feet, progressing slowly all the way up, over the top of your scalp and back down your arms to your fingers.

  4. As you progress through your body, relaxing the various muscles and groups of muscles, pause if you come to a particularly tense spot and give that spot a mental soothing to help it along towards relaxation.

  5. If you experience distracting thoughts, especially when you are new to progressive relaxation. When these thoughts occur, gently bring yourself back to relaxation by taking a deeper breath, holding it for a moment, and letting your whole body sink down as you exhale. As you do this you will notice that you are even more easily reached a deeper level of relaxation.

  6. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. At that time you need to open your eyes to check the clock, which you should have placed without disturbing your relaxed state. As you practice more and as the relaxed condition becomes more and more natural, you will find yourself automatically ending the exercise and opening your eyes to check the clock. When you finish the exercise, slowly open your eyes and reorient yourself to your surroundings.

  7. Don’t worry about whether you were successful in reaching a deeply relaxed state. Maintain a quiet attitude and expect the relaxation to come to you. Practice at least once a day. Soon you will find the deeply relaxed state effortless.

  8. As you end the exercise, gather that relaxed feeling and bring it back with you, carrying it with you throughout the rest of your day.

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