What is it?

A relaxation technique, also called Contractive-Relaxed, is particularly interesting when you have trouble relaxing your muscles right away. It allows you to better feel the difference between tension and relaxation.

It involves relaxing all the muscles after a previous contraction. This method is interesting (as such or included in R3P) for people who have trouble relaxing their muscles right away because they are not aware of their tensions or for those who think “you have to make an effort to deserve relaxation”.
It is also popular with athletes who have had the opportunity to see the benefits of relaxation after a sporting effort, that is to say after muscle tension.

Principle

The prior voluntary contraction allows you to better feel the relaxation that follows and to obtain a deeper relaxation than the initial relaxation.

Protocol

Preparatory phase

• Installation : “I'm settling in as comfortably as possible” Close my eyes or not
• Weather TOP : What is my internal state?
• Intent : Why am I doing this exercise?
• Environment : “I take into account my environment with all the noises that could occur if these noises are not available, I will stay focused on my internal state”
• Respiratory exercises in order to accentuate the state of relaxation

Work phase

• Contraction on inspiration : more or less slight tension of the muscle group
• Maintaining respiratory blockage : hold the contraction 5-10 seconds with awareness
• Relaxation on exhalation : release completely
• 5 to 10 seconds of relaxation after each relaxation
• Progression from head to toe, group by group
• End up with the body in its entirety

Nota: Take time to breathe freely between each exercise to be repeated at least 3 times

Psycho-physiological recovery

• If in line with the original intention
• ‍Duration: 5 to 20 min

Precaution:

Specify during the briefing that the contraction must be dosed and not maximum because the objective is to feel the difference between the 2 states, contracted/relaxed. It is common for some people to reconsider this instruction after cramps.

Like any session involving relaxation, it should be done well before an activity because of possible hypovigilance.

resources

🎧 Audio: Guided RMI session