Healthytarian Minutes with holistic teacher Evita Ochel. This episode shares about a technique for stress relief called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) and how to use it.

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Video Transcript:

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that can help you quickly and easily recognize and reduce the effects of stress on your body, and bring relief to it by decreasing muscle tension. Stress causes us to tense up, which results in muscle tension, body aches, pain and discomfort. Progressive muscle relaxation teaches you how to relax your muscles through a two-step process where you first tense particular muscles or parts of the body and then release the tension to experience a relaxed state.

To practice PRM, sit in a comfortable space, which can include your chair at work. Start with a specific body part, like your right arm. As you take a deep inhale, make a fist, tense the arm and squeeze the muscles as hard as you can, without hurting yourself, for about 5 seconds. Then, with an exhale relax the arm and focus on the tension as it flows out for about 15 seconds. It is essential to focus on and notice the difference between the state of tension and relaxation. Repeat this process with other body parts like your hands, arms, legs, face, back and shoulders. Be sure to avoid any injured areas.

You can practice each day or several times a day, for specific amounts of time, and for specific muscle groups, whether you are in a state of stress and anxiety, or not.

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