Progressive Relaxation will relax your body, especially when your muscles are the most tense.

The idea behind PR is that you purposely tense a group of muscles so that they are as tightly contracted as possible. Hold them in this state of extreme tension for only a few seconds.

Next, relax the muscles as you normally would. Next, consciously relax your muscles yet further so that you are as relaxed as you can be.

By first purposely tensing your muscles, you will then be better able to relax your muscles than if you tried to relax your muscles directly.

Experiment with PR by forming a tight fist, and then clench your hand as tight as you can for just a few seconds. Relax your hand now and then go back to the same tension.

Finally, relax your hand again so that it is as loose as possible. You should now feel very deep relaxation in your hand muscles. You can exact the same result by doing this exercise throughout your entire body.

Woman doing yoga by ocean at sunset

Winiker, Barry

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