Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

In Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) as developed by Edmund Jacobson, you consciously tense individual muscle groups one after another for a few seconds and then abruptly release them.

When the muscles are suddenly released, the autonomic nervous system switches from alarm mode to rest mode. The so-called “resting nerve” (parasympathetic nervous system) takes over control.

The breathing rate slows down, and breathing becomes deeper and more even. The release of stress hormones such as cortisol decreases measurably.

The conscious tension and subsequent relaxation cause the basal tone of the skeletal muscles to decrease, allowing chronic or unconscious tension to dissipate.