Basic Relaxation Techniques - How to do a Muscle Reduction Relaxation

So, Hi. This is Allison Abizaid with Health Forward Wellness Center, and what we are going to go over right now is another relaxation technique called a Muscle Reduction Relaxation. So, what we are basically going to be doing is we are going to be tensing and releasing the muscles in order to create a form of relaxation for the body to experience, and this helps in a lot of medical conditions including high blood pressure when its practiced on a regular basis. So, what we are going to do is we are going to start with her feet and we are going to have Katie (ph) point and flex her feet.

So, Katie (ph), if you wouldnt mind pointing and flexing your feet from your ankles, there you go, just pointing all the way down, and flexing all the way up. You see, how the tension -- she has got a lot of tension in her feet right now, and now I am going to do is ask her just to relax, just relax your toes, and relax your feet, good. Now, the next thing we are going to do is go ahead and start tensing your muscles in your legs, tense them really tight, and hold it for about five seconds, and then go ahead and release; good, excellent.

The next thing we are going to do is we are going to come right up here to her buttocks, I am going to ask her go ahead and squeeze your buttocks, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, as tight as you can, and slowly release. That in each time as she is releasing, her body is going to be experiencing a form of relaxation. Now, I have realized that I am going through her different body parts fairly quickly because this is a demonstration, but when you are at home, and you are doing this, take the time that you need, hold it for five to ten seconds and then go ahead and release after that. The next part of the body we are going to go to is her stomach, go ahead and suck your stomach all the way in, there you go, good. You will let belly button all the way down to the smaller back and slowly release, excellent. And feel now the tension in your chest, go ahead and tense your chest up, good, and raise the shoulders up to the ears, all at the same time, and relax, good, breathing out, excellent. Take a deep breath in and go ahead and tense the muscles on your arms, make a nice and strong and straight, squeeze the hands and the wrists, good, and exhale and relax. Go ahead into the shoulders and into the neck, bring the shoulders up, go ahead and tense the neck all the way up. Good, take a deep breath in, you are tense, tense, tense, and slowly relax as you breathe out, good. Now, with the facial muscles, go ahead and just quench your face up. Make all those funny looks that we all make, and just make sure they are quenched up, and your muscles on your face are all tight, there you go good, and now slowly relax as you breathe out. Good, excellent. So, this is just a demonstration of some of the relaxation technique.