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ANTI-HEADACHE TECHNIQUE #14: DEEP RELAXATION WITH MUSCLE TENSING

March 23, 2009

More thorough man the previous method, this technique lakes you into deeper levels of relaxation from which you can continue straight on into Biofeedback or Creative Imagery. It is an essential preliminary to Techniques #15 and #16. Choose a quiet room where you will not be disturbed and unplug the phone. Lie down on a comfortable bed, couch or floor rug with a low pillow under the head. Begin by frowning and looking upwards. Hold for six seconds and release.

Press the tongue against the front teeth and squeeze all of the face tightly together. Hold for six seconds and release.

Press the back of the head down on the pillow so that you raise the neck and shoulders off the bed or floor. Hold six seconds and release. Roll the neck loosely from side to side several tunes.

Tense the neck and shoulder muscles as rightly as possible. Hold six seconds and release. Tense the chest muscles as tightly as you can. Hold six seconds and release.

Raise the right arm six inches off the bed or floor and clench the fist. Tense as tightly as possible from the shoulder down. Hold for six seconds and release. Do the same with the left arm.

Tense the abdomen muscles tightly. Hold for six seconds and release. Tense both buttocks tightly. Hold six seconds and release.

Raise the right leg six inches off bed or floor, curl the toes, and tense the entire leg and foot as tightly as you can. Hold for six seconds, release and lower the leg. Repeat with the left leg.

Next, take five slow, deep breaths, filling the abdomen as well as the upper chest each time. Then resume normal breathing.

Stay relaxed. Place the awareness on the soles of the feet. Silently say to yourself. “My feet feel relaxed. Relaxation is filling my feet. My feet are deeply relaxed. Relaxation is filling my legs. My lower legs are limp and relaxed. Relaxation is filling my thighs. My thighs fed limp and relaxed.” You don’t have to repeat these exact words. But give yourself essentially the same suggestions. An you mentally relax tech body part, place your awareness on that area and visualize it as limp end relaxed, for example, you might picture your thighs filled with cotton end at limp and relaxed as a piece of tired, old rope.

Continue felling yourself, “My buttocks feel limp and relaxed. My buttock feel as if they ere filled with cotton. My abdomen is limp end relaxed. My shoulders and neck are limp and relaxed. My arms and hands are limp and relaxed. My whole body feels as limp and relaxed as a rag doll.”

If you locale any area of tension, mentally relax it before going on.

Now place the awareness on the face as you say, “My forehead feels smooth and relaxed. My scalp is relaxed. My eyes are quiet. My eyes are deeply relaxed. My face is soft and relaxed. My tongue is relaxed. My mouth is telexed. My jaw is stock”

Be especially watchful for any areas of tension in the eyes, temple or jaw. Repeat these suggestions, as you visualize these areas filled with cotton, until the tension subsides.

Finally, tell yourself. “My entire body and mind are deeply relaxed. I am in a state of deep relaxation.”