Summary
Christopher Fitton of Sleep Cove delivers a PMR session using the Jacobson relaxation technique, progressing from the eyes and forehead down through the face, jaw, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, stomach, hips, legs, and feet. He explains the technique has been used in medicine and therapy for decades and can be learned for self-guided practice after a few listens. The session uses gentle tense-and-release cycles with hypnotic language, encouraging listeners to notice the contrast between tension and relaxation in each muscle group. A final body scan invites listeners to check for remaining tension and breathe it away before drifting off to sleep.
Key Points
- Uses the Jacobson relaxation technique, a medically established PMR method
- Progresses from eyes and forehead down through the entire body to feet
- Tense-and-release cycles help muscles learn the difference between tension and relaxation
- Designed to be learned and practiced independently after a few guided sessions
- Hypnotic language and pacing guide listeners toward sleep
- Final body scan identifies remaining tension areas for targeted relaxation
Key Moments
Jacobson relaxation technique for sleep
Christopher Fitton explains that the session uses the Jacobson relaxation technique, a medically established method used in therapy for decades, where each muscle group is tensed then relaxed from head to feet to release all stress from the body.
"this is often also called a muscle progressive relaxation. As we go through each muscle group, we will tense then relax each group. and we'll go from the head right down to the feet and we'll let go of all the muscles and stresses in the body this is often known as the jacobson relaxation technique and has been used in medicine and therapy for tens and tens"
Tense and release arms to deepen relaxation
The guided session demonstrates the core tense-and-release technique on the arms and hands, showing how each cycle of tensing and releasing allows progressively more relaxation to flow into the muscles.
"now maybe you can tense your forearms a little and let them go and notice how much more relaxation can flow into those arms"
Body scan to identify and release remaining tension before sleep
A final body scan invites listeners to mentally check every body part for remaining tension, focus on those areas, and use breath to release the last bits of holding before drifting off to sleep.
"If you are still feeling tension, what I would like you to do now is mentally go around every part of your body and just check if there is any tension."
