Guide To Progressive Muscle Relaxation Meditation

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I’ve been meditating for over two decades now, and I’ve gone deep—silent retreats, daily practice, Buddhist temples. But I’ll be honest: sometimes, especially in the early days, sitting still made my anxiety worse. My mind would spin. My chest would tighten. I’d feel like I was failing at being calm.

That’s where Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) came in—not as my core practice, but as an extremely effective tool when I either didn’t have the time for meditation or needed something more physical.

PMR is quick. It’s physical. And it works even when your thoughts won’t settle.

For example. Years ago I was a stage actor battling with anxiety. Before shows I didn’t have time to do a full meditation backstage. But I did have the time for some Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR. It was accessible enough that I could even do it between costume changes if I needed a little bit of extra calm during the show. And that perhaps is my favorite thing about this technique: it is incredibly accessible.

So if you’re looking for something fast and easy to do alongside meditation, PMR could be just the ticket.

What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation was originally developed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s. The method is simple:

You tense a specific muscle group, hold it briefly, then release. The act of tensing helps bring awareness to how much stress you’re holding. The release creates contrast—your body learns what true softness feels like.

A typical PMR session moves from your toes to your forehead in slow, deliberate steps.

Guided Meditation

Steps:

  • Feet and Toes – Curl tightly, then let go.
  • Calves – Flex upward toward the knees.
  • Thighs – Squeeze the muscles, then release
  • Glutes – Tighten and soften
  • Stomach – Draw inward, then relax.
  • Chest – Expand, hold, and exhale softly.
  • Hands – Make fists, then unclench.
  • Arms – Tense and release both.
  • Shoulders – Shrug up to your ears, then drop.
  • Jaw – Bite gently, then completely let it go.
  • Eyes/Forehead – Scrunch, then smooth.
  • Pause. Let the body breathe in the difference.

You don’t have to do the whole body every time. During my stage shows I would often just relax my face and hands because those areas have increased connections to the brain so they are the fastest ways to relax in PMR. If you find one specific area tense you can also just target that.

Guided PMR Meditation

Benefits of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) offers a direct, physical way to release stored tension. By deliberately tensing and releasing specific muscle groups, you retrain your body to recognize the difference between stress and relaxation. Usually after a few weeks my clients find that they’re more aware of tension in the body and more able to release it. This is especially true if they do it alongside somatic healing.

Over time, this practice lowers baseline tension, reduces physical symptoms of anxiety, and improves sleep. It also calms the nervous system by shifting you out of fight-or-flight and into a parasympathetic state. PMR can help with panic attacks, chronic pain, insomnia, and general stress by offering quick, tangible relief—often within minutes. For those who feel disconnected from their bodies or trapped in muscle guarding, PMR creates a safe, structured way to re-enter physical awareness. It builds body trust through action, not just observation.

Where the Benefits Differ from Meditation

What I especially like about Progressive Muscle Relaxation is how well it complements mindfulness.

While both meditation and PMR aim to calm the mind and body, they take different routes. Meditation builds awareness, PMR builds physical release. In meditation, you might notice tension and breathe through it. In PMR, you act on it. This makes PMR especially useful when your body is too activated to sit still. Meditation tends to work over time, cultivating long-term change. PMR is immediate—it offers a fast track to softness when awareness alone isn’t enough. Used together, they’re a powerful pair.

Tips for combining meditation and Progressive Muscle Relaxation

  • Use PMR as a warm-up
  • Before meditation, do a short PMR cycle to release surface tension. Focus on key areas like shoulders, jaw, hands, and thighs.
  • Exhale with each release
  • Pair each muscle release with a full, slow exhale. It helps deepen the relaxation response and anchors the breath to the body.
  • Start with the body, then move into awareness
  • Once you’ve gone through PMR, shift into stillness. Let meditation begin after the body feels safe and soft.
  • If you notice physical discomfort or tension while meditating, take a moment to gently release that specific area—then return to awareness.
  • Use PMR when seated meditation feels hard. Start with a full-body PMR session lying down. You can always sit later.
  • Let stillness follow
  • After PMR, don’t rush off. Rest in the quiet space your body just created. It’s a meditation in itself.
  • Be trauma-informed
  • Soften areas that feel emotionally charged. You don’t need to force anything—let the body set the pace.
  • PMR and meditation don’t need to be separate. Blend them. Let one lead into the other.

Summary

PMR is an incredibly easy and effective way to release tension and relax. What I love most about it is how accessible it is. Out and about when you suddenly feel stressed? Clench and release some muscles, and suddenly you’re more relaxed.

My clients always tell me how helpful it is to have an exercise to do alongside meditation, one that’s accessible wherever you may be.

If you’d like to learn more about PMR and meditation, book a private session with me today.