Essentials of
Managing
Stress, Fifth Edition
Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.
Chapter 25
Additional
Relaxation
Techniques
“That the birds fly overhead,
this you cannot stop. That
the birds make a nest in your
hair, this you can prevent”
— Ancient Chinese Proverb
Tai Chi
There is a life force of
subtle energy that
surrounds and permeates
all of us, which the Chinese
call Chi.
To harmonize with the
universe, to move in unison
with this energy, to move as
freely as running water is
to be at peace or one with
the universe.
Philosophy of Tai Chi
Philosophy of Tai Chi
Concept of
Yin/Yang Balance
• Fasting the heart
• Return to nature
• Wu-Wei
• Winning by losing
Tai Chi
Fundamentals
• Breathe effortlessly.
• Free the body of all
unnecessary tension.
• Maintain a stance
perpendicular to the floor.
• Keep the center of gravity
low.
• Maintain an even speed.
Tai chi is a
wonderful metaphor
for conscious
relaxation and the
ability to move in
balance and
harmony within our
environment.
Progressive
Muscular
Relaxation
Dr. Edmund Jacobson
created PMR after
observing that so many of
his patients who
exhibited countless
health-related issues
ALSO held “residual
tension” throughout their
bodies.
“Relaxation is the direct negative of
nervous excitement. It is the absence
of nerve-muscle impulse.”
—EdmundText Jacobson, M.D.
Creator of Progressive Muscular Relaxation
The Protocol:
• Start with the feet first,
working your way up
toward the head.
• Isolate each muscle
group.
• Work the same muscle
groups on each side of the
body at the same time.
• Hold contractions for
5-10 seconds with a 45-
second rest between
contractions.
• Focus on the intensity of
contraction.
• During the relaxation
phase, comparisons are
made to the preceding
tension levels.
Since Jacobson first
developed this relaxation
technique in the early 20th
century (with a specific
protocol to follow), many
adaptations have been
created from the original—
all with positive results of
powerful states of
relaxation.
Clinical
Biofeedback
Designing Your Personal
Relaxation Program
Designing Your Personal
Relaxation Program
