This time of year is super stressful.
Even if you meditate daily, eat well, and exercise, you’re still going to deal with more than you’re used to. And that overwhelm causes frustration, tension, and anxiety.
An interesting thing about people is that we don’t have a natural physical release for when we’re overwhelmed.
For example, when a dog feels frustrated, it might bark a few times. But then you’ll notice it do a quick shake like they would when they’re wet. That shake is their built-in release, which physically resets their nervous system. After they literally shake off their built-up tension, they can go about their day like nothing stressful ever happened.
Sadly, we don’t have the same ability to casually shake off our frustration and keep it moving. That’s why when our inner tension goes unaddressed, it builds and builds until it takes us over.
I’m sure you’ve experienced that plenty of times. You find yourself in a stressful season of life, taking on more than you usually do, with less free time than you’re used to. Over a few days, you start getting a little irritable and reactive. Before long, you notice you’re behaving in an almost unrecognizable way because of the tension you’re holding.
None of us want to let ourselves slide into a pattern of reactive, stress-driven behavior. So, what do we need to keep that from happening? Our own method for releasing nervous system tension.
I absolutely love the practice I’m about to share with you. I discovered it on my own, completely by accident, in my late teens. The constant anxiety I lived with was overwhelming, and laying in bed one night, I started working with my breath and body until I found a method that delivered real results. Years later, I discovered that it’s a legitimate technique to reduce stress and anxiety.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or PMR, is a method used to reduce stress, lower anxiety, and regulate your nervous system. Essentially, PMR is practiced by gently tensing all the muscles in your body and then relaxing them.
Here’s how to combine PMR with breathwork:
Take a long breath in.
As you breathe in, gently tense all your muscles.
Release all your muscles as you exhale.
Repeat for several minutes.
Try to relax your muscles more deeply with each exhale.
I like to have fun with PMR and turn it into a game. I see how much I can release my muscles over five or ten minutes. Of course, you can practice this anywhere, but if you do it while lying down, you can release your body so much that you feel like you’re floating. It’s an amazing sensation.
As the year winds down and the tension of travel, social engagements, and family rises, remember this PMR practice.
Use it every day if you need to. Practice it in small bursts–for a few seconds–or longer sessions when you have more space. Doing so will keep you from feeling overwhelmed and allow you to enjoy this beautiful season of connection with a sense of presence, clarity, and peace.
Elsewhere:
dear cory,
thank you for this breathwork practice! super appreciated!
love,
myq
I LOVE ur posts ! Ur helping save me while I'm going thru divorcing my Narcissist husband of 40 years. I'm being "discarded" in some truly awful ways. Some days I feel so 💔I don't know how I'm gonna get thru it ...so thank you a million times ❣🙏🕊🎄