Relaxing your muscles

To give you a deep sense of physical relaxation, you can practice progressive muscle relaxation. It is a simple process of tensing and releasing the main muscle groups throughout the body. This exercise is frequently done with a breathing exercise where you inhale while tensing the muscle, then hold both for three seconds, and then release both the muscle and the breath. You start at your head and work downward until you've tensed and relaxed individual muscle groups throughout your whole body.

Often we are unaware of how tense our body has become. We do not even realize that we need to relax. Progressive muscle relaxation is the way to change that.

To become proficient with this exercise, practice daily for two or three weeks. Over time you will see that you can relax muscle groups more quickly and without having to do the full exercise. You can then move on to an exercise called the "Body Scan," where you notice parts of your body without tensing them. Please remember to respect your body's reaction. If you experience cramping or other discomfort, you should skip that particular muscle group.