The idea is to relax your body by first creating tension.
You will be working with most all the major muscle groups in your body, starting with your feet upwards. Here is the recommended sequence:
- Right foot
- Right lower leg and foot
- Entire right leg
- Left foot
- Left lower leg and foot
- Entire left leg
- Right hand
- Right forearm and hand
- Entire right arm
- Left hand
- Left forearm and hand
- Entire left arm
- Abdomen
- Chest
- Neck and shoulders
- Face
Step 1 - Focus your mind on the muscle group; for example, your right hand. Then breathe in and simply squeeze the muscles as hard as you can for about 8 seconds; in the example, this would involve making a tight fist with your hand.
Step 2 - After the 8 seconds, just quickly and suddenly let go. Breathe out and let all the tightness and pain flow out of the muscles. In the example, this would be imagining tightness and pain flowing out of your hand through your fingertips as you exhale. Feel the muscles relax and become loose and limp. Let the tension flow away. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation.
Step 3 – Go through these two steps with all of the muscle groups
Step 4 - Stay relaxed for about 20 seconds, and then repeat this tension and relaxation cycle. You’ll probably notice more sensations the second time.
Once the muscles relax then the other components of the relaxation response will naturally follow. Relaxed muscles require less oxygen so the breathing pattern slows and deepens. The heart does not need to be beating so fast to carry oxygen out to tense muscles. Heart rate and blood pressure decline. The normal blood flow returns to the belly and digestion resumes. The belly is calmed. Hands and feet warm up. You are directing your body into a completely relaxed state. Soon changes in mood follow, and you become calmer.