Interesting to hear on the radio last night that Australia’s Olympic athletes have been banned from using sleeping pills following renewed concern about their excessive use.
More interesting was hearing the AOC president John Coates reflect on the new ‘sleep and relaxtion strategies’ being introduced .. that will include deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation instead of medication.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (and 'The Relaxation Response') were first described by Dr Herbert Benson of Harvard University in 1968. In a series of experiments into various popular meditation techniques, Dr. Benson established that these techniques had a very real effect on reducing stress and controlling the fight-or-flight response. Direct effects included deep relaxation, slowed heartbeat and breathing, reduced oxygen consumption and increased skin resistance = helping to counter the effects of stress on the body and mind.
In most meditation practices there is a focus on deep and relaxed breathing, and we actively engage in a process of deeply relaxing the body. Many of the meditative exercises that I bring to class are based on deep breathing/pranayama techniques that have been practiced for thousands of years in the yogic tradition. The Bodyscan meditation (which I have recorded on our Find The Stillness CD) uses a similar approach to muscle relaxation based on using the mind only.
You might like to follow this simple meditative exercise based on deep breathing .. and you can find out more about our Bodyscan Meditation on the CD here.
The idea behind PMR is that you tense up a group of muscles so that they are as tightly contracted as possible, holding them in this state for a few seconds .. then letting go .. allowing the muscles to relax. Then, consciously relax the muscles even further so that you are as relaxed as possible.
By tensing your muscles first, you will find that you are able to relax your muscles more than would be the case if you tried to relax your muscles directly.
Try these steps:
*Sit quietly and comfortably.
*Close your eyes.
*Start by tensing the muscles of your feet as tightly as you can .. and hold for a few moments before letting the feet full relax.
*Move from one group of muscles to the next .. moving then to the calf muscles .. the thighs .. buttocks .. tummy etc
*Notice the tensing, the holding, the releasing .. and relax.
*Slowly move through the body to the head, and then try a total body relax .. and enjoy!
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