THE MARRIAGE & FAMILY INSTITUTE

Relaxation Techniques

I. Quick Relaxation

Loosen your clothing and get comfortable.

Tighten the muscles in your toes. Hold for a count of 10. Relax and enjoy the sensation of release from tension.

Flex the muscles in your feet. Hold for a count of 10. Relax.

Move slowly up through your body- legs, abdomen, back, neck, face- contracting and relaxing muscles as you go.

Breathe deeply and slowly.

II. Long-Term Relaxation

Get in a comfortable position. Minimally tighten your right fist so that you feel only the smallest amount of tension. Hold it at this level. Be sure you continue to breathe... Now let go and relax... Observe the difference in feelings between the right and left arm and fist.

Now minimally tighten your left fist. Hold at this level so that you just feel the tightening... Let go and relax. Let the relaxation spread through the arms and the rest of the body.

Now tighten ever so slightly the following parts of your body.

(Each time tighten only to the point at which you can observe tension, where you can observe tension, where you become conscious of or can "feel" the tension. Hold the tensions at that level, and be sure you tighten only the intended muscle while the rest of the body stays quiet and relaxed. Be sure you continue to breathe. Each time you let go, let those parts relax further and further.) Tighten ever so slightly your scalp... let go and relax... Let the face become smooth and soft... Let the eyes sink into their sockets... Now slightly tighten the throat and neck. Hold it... Let go and relax.

While continuing to breathe, minimally tighten the triceps. Be sure the neck eyes and tongue are relaxed... Let go.

Raise your shoulders to your ears minimally. Be sure the neck stays loose. Observe how the shoulders feel different from the rest of the body... Let go and relax. Feel the relaxation sinking through the body...

Minimally tighten the stomach. Keep breathing... Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the buttocks... Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the feet, calves, and thighs... Let go and relax. Let yourself reach an even deeper level of relaxation, a calmness and serenity.

Now minimally tense every muscle in your body so that you just feel the minimum tension... jaws... eyes... shoulders... arms... chest... back... legs... stomach... Be sure you keep breathing. Feel the minimum tension in every part... Let your whole body relax. Feel a wave of calmness as you stop tensing.

Now, with your eyes closed, take a deep breath and hold it. Note all the minimum tensions... Exhale and feel the relaxation and calmness developing... Note the feeling of heaviness.

III. Getting Loose

Each session should begin with "Getting Loose" and then followed with "Breathing Easy". It is best to use the relaxation program prior to commencing the warm up and then to use the warm up to achieve optimal level of arousal.

Loosen your clothing and remove your shoes.

Lie down with a pillow under your head (on a bed or on the floor).

Lie flat on your back, feet about 12 to 18 inches apart arms at your sides.

Go as limp as you can from head to foot.

Let your shoulder blades go slightly flat.

Waggle your feet

Settle in with your legs.

Shake your arms gently, rolling the backs of your hands against the floor

Roll your head back and forth.

Now begin the "Getting Loose" exercise for each part of your body, as follows:

Legs

Flex the muscles of your left leg by raising it 6 to 10 inches above the floor Point your toes slightly back toward your head. Hold this position of tension for as long as you can, about 10 seconds or so, until you begin to feel the muscles start to tremble. Then, say to yourself: 'Leg, let go. ' At this point, stop flexing it and let the leg drop. Let the leg rest for another 10 seconds or so, saying to yourself: 'I feel the tension flowing out of my leg ... My leg feels relaxed, warm, heavy ... completely relaxed

Repeat the flex-let go-rest procedure for that leg.

Run through the entire procedure again for your right leg.

Buttocks and thighs

Tighten your buttock and thigh muscles, as tightly as you can. Hold them as long as you can - longer than 10 seconds - until you have to let go. Then release them, saying 'Let go', to yourself. Pause for 10 seconds or so and focus your attention on the relaxed feeling in those muscles, on the tension flowing out.

Repeat the exercise.

Stomach

Do the same procedure twice for your abdominal muscles

Back and Neck

Arch your spine, tightening all along it from your tailbone to your neck, and finish by telling it: 'Let go'.

Repeat the exercise

Arms and Shoulders

Imagine there is a bar suspended above you that you want to use to pull yourself up. Raise your hands, palms upward, above your chest. Grab the imaginary bar and clench your fists around it as hard as you can. Flex the muscles in your arms and shoulders. Hunch your shoulders up as tightly as you can. Hold as long as possible. then say 'Let go. ' Rest for 10 seconds or so, soaking up the warm, relaxed feelings, letting the tension flow out.

Repeat the exercise

Jaw

Tighten your jaw muscles, clamping down on you back teeth. Say 'Let go' and relax.

Repeat the exercise.

Face

Tighten your facial muscles into a strong grimace . Say: 'Let go. ' Rest and focus on the relaxing feeling.

Repeat the exercise.

Eyes

Focus on a point on the ceiling. When, not moving your head, slowly roll your eyes to the right as far as they will go, then to the centre, then to the left, then back to the centre.

Repeat . Rub the palms of your hands together until you. feel heat Close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Let the heat warm them. Rest, and tell your eyes: Let go,' and feel the tension flow out as you feel the warmth.

Entire body

Clench your feet and fists. Pull your shoulders up. Tighten your jaw and face. Now simultaneously flex your entire body, arching yourself as much as you can from your heels to the back of your head. Hold it for as long as you can. until you feel your body tremble. Then say: 'Let go' - and just let yourself go ... all the way, as much as you can.

Lie there and feel the tension drain away.

Get totally relaxed

Close your eyes. Let your attention wander slowly over each part of your body, from legs to face, as you did in the exercise. If any area seems to have some residual tension, tense it: Let you. Feel the tension draining out of you, but don't worry if there is still a little left. Keeping your eyes closed, stay in this relaxed state for the rest of the 10 minute session. Think of a very pleasant, peaceful place. Think of floating in a small boat on a peaceful lake with a soft breeze gently rocking you back and forth, back and forth. Or think of floating in space, lighter than air, weightless. Observe the pleasant, calm feelings. Tell yourself: 'I am relaxed now ... My legs feel relaxed ... My buttocks, thighs, and abdomen feel relaxed ... My back arms, shoulders, jaws, face and eyes feel relaxed ... The tension has been let go. '

Focus your relaxed feelings

Now begin to focus this relaxation on your event. Tell yourself: 'When I am running and I begin to feel tension gripping some muscles, I will be able to tell those muscles: "Let go", saying "Let go " will recall the relaxed feelings I feel now and will release the tension from those muscles.'

Breathing Easy

Having completed the "Getting Loose" exercises remain lying on your back. Carry out the "Breathing Easy" exercise for 10 minutes, as follows:

Inhale

Inhale slowly and deeply, filling your chest with air, counting four seconds to yourself. 'One and two and three and four' The count is to give you a nice and easy, even pace. Try to breathe as fully as you can without discomfort. Imagine your chest slowly filling with air, from your diaphragm to your collar.

Hold breath

When you have inhaled fully, hold your breath for another four seconds, again counting to yourself: 'One and two and three and four'. This should be just a comfortable pause. Don't do it until you are blue in the face.

Exhale

Exhale - but don't blow. Just let the air out through your mouth slowly saying to yourself: 'Easy ...easy... easy... easy.' Let out as much air as you can, down to the lower part of the lungs. Feel yourself relaxing as you do. Feel your shoulders, chest and diaphragm letting go. As you exhale, think of the tension flowing out of you.

Don't worry if the sequence isn't exact or the cadence perfect. It may seem a bit difficult to stay with at first, but just keep going. The important thing is to establish the slow relaxed breathing rate. After the ten cycles, your breathing rate will be automatically slower and you can dispense with the "one and two and three and four" cadence.

Now do as follows:

Inhale - Breathe in fully.
 

Hold breath - Hold it very briefly.

Exhale - Let the air out slowly (don't blow), saying mentally: 'Easy ... easy ... easy ... easy ' with each exhalation.

Repeat this cycle ten times.

You will soon begin to feel a calm, thoroughly pleasurable feeling - some say a warmth radiating from your chest throughout your body

Now let yourself breathe normally and tell yourself relaxing phrases: 'I feel very relaxed ... All the tension is going out of me as I exhale and good feelings are coming into me as I inhale ... When I am playing my sport, I will be able to take a few deep breaths and by saying, "Easy " will be able to tell myself to relax whenever I feel overly tense ... When I'm playing, I will recall the good feelings I am experiencing now and they will automatically return to me ' Imagine all this happening as you say it to yourself.

Now do as follows:

Inhale - Breathe in slowly

Hold breath - Hold it very briefly

Exhale - Let the air out slowly while mentally saying to yourself: 'Easy... easy... easy... easy.'

Repeat this cycle ten times.

Now let your breathing go naturally, and pay attention to the pleasant feelings in your body. Repeat the same encouraging phrases to yourself that you did earlier. Listen to the sound of your own breath coming in and out. You will notice that the breathing is slow and deep without you having to make it that way. The exhaling will last longer - as long as an eight-count, perhaps.

Continue to do the breathing exercises for the rest of the session, each time alternating the ten cycles of inhale-hold-exhale with the mental encouragement. After the last cycle of ten, just let yourself enjoy the feeling for a minute.

Easy