Jacobson’s technique is recommended for anyone who, to one degree or another, has difficulty relaxing the muscular system. In a civilized world, a person lives in excessive haste, in anxiety, in excessive reasons for alarm and tension. Overvoltage builds up over time, which leads to irritability and stress. Since our body is a single whole of our soul and body, neuromuscular relaxation allows us to relax skeletal muscles and, as a result, put our psychological state in order.
Method History
The relationship of the emotional and physical state of the body was noticed by a doctor and scientist from America Edmund Jacobson. Studies of manifestations of emotions he conducted in 1922. Studying the behavior of his patients, he assessed the emotional state, measuring the tone of muscle tension. The result was an established relationship between physical and emotional stress.
The scientist proved that complete relaxation of muscles helps to relieve nervous system excitation. Restoring their balance, leading to a relaxed state, a person is able to independently remove the excitation of the nervous system. Based on these beliefs, Jacobson developed a technique where neuromuscular relaxation became the basis. The name of the technique is “Progressive muscle relaxation”. She allowed patients to get rid of many ailments: depression, stuttering, insomnia. The method was constantly improved until 1948. Having gained great popularity among psychotherapists around the world, it is a success today.
Jacobson neuromuscular relaxation. Who is the method for?
- This technique is suitable for people who suffer from some kind of anxiety disorders. For those who, for example, are afraid of flying, right before boarding an airplane, it will be appropriate to apply this technique in the airport lounge. It will help to remove panic fear, relieve tension, anxiety. A person immediately begins to feel that he can control his emotions.
- Progressive neuromuscular relaxation is also useful for those who suffer from various sociophobia. If you are embarrassed by a wide audience, and you have to make a report, apply the exercises of the technique before the performance. This will give a good effect, the body will relax, the nerves will calm down, in front of the audience you will look confident and not tense.
- Relaxation is useful for anyone who wants to remove background stress. If the day at work is in hustle and bustle, coming home, many relieve stress and spill negative emotions on their loved ones. To prevent this from happening, use the technique at least 3 times during the working day. Regular muscle relaxation will not accumulate negative emotions, relieve tension. You will return home calmly.
- Jacobson's progressive neuromuscular relaxation is suitable for those who wish to remove any excitement, even if there are no anxiety disorders. Everyone has situations when they have to worry, a nervous reaction is a normal state of the body. Relaxation will help to get in shape at the right time, calm down.
Jacobson's technique is perfect. It does not require deep knowledge in anatomy or psychology. A simple technique allows you to relieve stress at any time, restore emotional balance. After applying it, a feeling appears that you are the master of your emotions and you can control yourself.
Relaxation benefits
Neuromuscular relaxation has undeniable advantages:
- The effectiveness of the technique. Allows you to independently bring yourself into shape, reduce the speed of emotional stress. This is a great way to help yourself.
- Simplicity . The simplest exercises included in the complex are easily remembered and assimilated.
- Universality . No special environmental conditions or any equipment is required. You can perform anywhere and anytime.
- Speed . Applying the technique daily, regardless of panic and stress for three weeks 3-4 times a day, your body will remember it on its own. In cases of emotional stress, you can apply it automatically.
How does the technique work?
Any skeletal muscle relaxes automatically after intense tension. Along with this relaxation comes emotional calm. You can easily influence your nervous state by controlling your muscles. For this, neuromuscular relaxation was developed. With simple exercises, you can pull yourself together and control your nervous tension.
The psychophysiological execution technique is methods for relaxing muscles, using exercises and your own mind. For the application of this technique, some convenient conditions are important in order to relax: not a bright light, not tight clothes, no irritating noise. Do not relax with a full stomach, digestion can interfere with relaxation. Jacobson recommends bringing the muscle to maximum tension for 10-15 seconds, then completely relax it and concentrate fully on this feeling. It is important to learn to recognize feelings of tension and complete relaxation.
Major muscle groups
In his method of neuromuscular relaxation, Jacobson initially included 200 exercises that allowed you to strain all the muscles of the body. Modern psychotherapy believes that exercises are enough to perform for the most basic muscle groups:
- Dominant forearm, hand (squeeze your hand tightly into a fist, bend the hand extremely).
- Dominant shoulder (bend your arm at the elbow and press hard on any surface).
- Non-dominant forearm and hand.
- Not a dominant shoulder.
- Upper third of the face (open your mouth as much as possible and raise your eyebrows high).
- The middle third of the face (frown, frown, squint).
- Lower third of the face (squeeze the jaw, part the corners of the mouth).
- Muscles of the neck (lift your shoulders high to your ears, tilt your chin to your chest at this time).
- Pectoral muscles, diaphragm (take a deep breath, hold your breath , reduce and squeeze your elbows in front of you).
- Muscles of the abdomen and back (tighten the abdominals, flatten the shoulder blades, bend the back).
- Dominant thigh (keep your knee in a bent position, while straining your front and back thigh muscles).
- Dominant lower leg (pull the foot toward you, while your fingers are bent).
- Dominant foot (extend the ankle joint, squeeze the fingers).
- Not the dominant thigh.
- Not the dominant shin.
- Not the dominant foot.
The word "dominant" means left for left-handed people, respectively, right for right-handed people.
What is relaxation?
So what is total relaxation? As an example, animals or small children. Everyone remembers how a baby can sleep. For him, the place and time does not matter, if he is tired, he falls asleep in any position, his body becomes "as if without bones." Remember how the cat sleeps in sound sleep. You can raise her paw, she will involuntarily fall. Over time, adults build up so much stress in their bodies that they simply cannot relax like children.
Watching an interesting film, reading a book does not give complete relaxation. A person simply forgets what is happening around him, but his body remains in tension.
Jacobson relaxation deliberately strains muscle groups, then relaxes and relieves emotional stress, the body replenishes the expended resources. Everyone noticed that when working for wear and tear, when you “fall off your feet”, we easily fall into sleep.
Passive neuromuscular relaxation focuses on the signals that come from the striated muscles and the subsequent relaxation of these groups. In this technique, at the beginning of the relaxation cycle, muscle contraction is practically absent.
Exercise instructions
Jacobson neuromuscular relaxation, first of all, for proper development requires regular execution. At first, training lasts 15 minutes. The complex contains 12 exercises. You need to master them one at a time.
Between exercises, the gap should be at least 4 days. On the first day, do only one exercise, the next only after 4 days. Etc. In this way, muscle memory is trained . Over time, it will automatically turn on for relaxation, when performing even one exercise from the complex. For such results, the technique must be mastered for at least three months. After how many weeks you will feel good results.
Each exercise must be performed five times. After stress, focus on the point where the exercise was performed (arms, legs, etc.), feel what is happening there (warmth, trembling, tingling).
Do not overdo it with muscle tension, you should not feel any pain effects.
Active neuromuscular relaxation is carried out in a calm environment. In the classroom, nothing should distract you, interfere. Sit comfortably or lie down, take off your glasses, unfasten tight clothes, close your eyes, throw extraneous thoughts out of your head and proceed.
Neuromuscular relaxation: exercises for the muscles of the legs
- Squeeze your toes, strain them harder and harder. Hold in tension. Relax. Stay relaxed for a few seconds. Do not make any movements. Repeat. Watch for muscle sensations.
- Pull the socks forward, tighten, lock in tension for a few seconds. To relax. Repeat.
- Pull the socks on yourself, tighten extremely, fix in tension for a few seconds. To relax. Repeat. Listen to your feelings.
- Raise your legs 15-20 cm above the floor in an extended position. Keep taut in an extended position. Relax and lower.
Arm muscles
- The right brush is clenched into a fist. Keep energized for a few seconds. To relax. Same thing with the left hand. Then simultaneously with both hands. Relax.
- The right hand needs to be bent at the elbow. Biceps tighten, hold for a few seconds. Relax, straighten your arm. Repeat the same with your left hand. Then with both hands. Do not forget to watch your own feelings.
- Tighten your right hand in an increasing fashion - a brush, then biceps and triceps, while pressing it into the armrest or floor. Relax slowly. Do the same with your left hand. Relax. Perform an exercise on two hands at once.
Muscles of the abdomen and back
- Inhale as deep as possible, tighten the press. Holding your breath, stay in this position. Exhale and relax your abdominal muscles. Repeat.
- Lying position. Raise the pelvis above the floor, while leaning on the heels, shoulders, elbows. Muscle strain. After a few seconds, relax, drop to the floor. Repeat.
- Lying on your back. Raise your shoulders slightly above the floor. Lean on the elbows and the back of the head. The muscles are tense, the body is fixed. After a few seconds, relax and drop to the floor.
Muscles of the head and face
- Lying position. Raise your head. Stretch your chin to your chest. Do not tear your shoulders off the floor. Hold the voltage for a few seconds. Relax. Repeat.
- Jaws tighten tightly. Keep tense for several seconds. Relax. Repeat.
- Wrinkle your forehead, fix the tension for a few seconds, then relax.
- Tighten your lips tightly. Keep energized for a few seconds. Relax.
- The tip of the tongue rests firmly in the sky. Fix it so support. Relieve tension, relax.
- Close your eyes, strain your eyelids. Hold the voltage for a few seconds. Relax.
Final exercise
Tighten all the muscles of the body at the same time (legs, arms, stomach, back, head) for several seconds. Then fully relax as much as possible. Stay at rest for a few seconds, while breathing deeply and exhaling. Listen to the sensations in the body. There should be warmth and a slight tingling in the muscles. Gymnastics is over.