Progressive relaxation begins when all the physical work of the full Kata movement series has been done and the body enters a state of rest.
There are two parts to this. The first series is progressive muscle relaxation—tensing and releasing all the big muscles of the body to begin to activate the relaxation response. Many people hold chronic tension without being aware of it, and this series can help you notice where you are holding tension in your muscles by at first exaggerating it with a tight contraction, and then fully releasing it, along with coordinated breathing.
The second series does not involve any movement, but rather focuses on relaxing with awareness from the inside, paying attention to each part of the body in turn. This is also a time to experience the state of your body, mind, heart, and soul, your entire being, just noticing whatever state you are in without judgment. If there is any discomfort you would like to release, you can invite it to dissolve and release into the earth. Allow about five minutes for this part of the practice.
Becoming aware of our bodies in ways that we may not have been before is a great benefit of the Kata. In an open state of awareness, we have the opportunity to feel pleasure and relaxation, as well as to tune in to any area of discomfort that may be calling for our attention. Tension and pain are there for a reason. Feelings that we may suppress with our minds are clearly reflected in our bodies, and without attention, those bottled‐up feelings can cause discomfort and may eventually result in disease. The goal is not to get rid of these feelings or sensations immediately, but to notice and be present to them, to be curious about why they are there. Long‐term pain may need the attention of a medical practitioner. As we pay attention to the body, we learn to more clearly discern its messages. During this relaxation part of the practice, take the time to enjoy any good feeling in your body and being—you may feel a sense of ease, warmth, tingling, or waves of energy sweeping through you.
It feels so good when you lie down after the movements of the Kata and prepare for relaxation. Why is that? When you lie down after activity, the cerebellum can turn off. The cerebellum is a part of the brain that receives information from the sensory systems, the spinal cord, and other parts of the brain, and then regulates motor movements. The nervous system is allowed to quiet as it doesn’t have to do much. You are in a totally relaxed position.
About progressive relaxation
During the first sequence of progressive relaxation, originated by Dr. Edmund Jacobsen in the 1920s, we tense and relax each part of the body in turn, while keeping the rest of the body relaxed. We increase the tension as much as we can, and then we let go. Gradually, the whole sympathetic nervous system quiets down. This body system makes adrenaline and cortisol, makes your heart race, and muscles tighten.
When the brain feels the lack of sympathetic system activation (i.e., when you aren’t physically active or stressed), the parasympathetic system comes to the fore, activating what is known as the relaxation response. With parasympathetic activation, cortisol levels go down, as does heart rate and respiration rate, blood pressure goes down, adrenaline levels go down. The overactive mind quiets down. In a state of relaxation, the body’s natural healing abilities are activated.
The second series is also known as the body scan, where you pay attention to each part of the body in turn, starting at the toes and gradually working your way up to the head; then feeling the entire body at once. The body scan provides an opportunity first to notice sensations in each part of the body. This capacity is known as interoception, an inner awareness of the state of the body. The body is filled with sensors in muscles, joints, organs, and bones which send a constant stream of information to a part of the brain known as the insula. These reports are gathered and integrated with other data streams, such as our thoughts and memories, as well as sensations from the outer world, giving us a sense of our present state in the moment. In her book Extended Mind, Annie Murphy Paul suggests that by doing a body scan we can increase our sensitivity to physical sensations and are better able to hear the wisdom of the body, which Leonard emphasized. Attention to the body gives us more than physical information. The body shows us how we are feeling in ways that the mind may miss. The more able we are to listen to the body by paying attention to sensations such as shivers, muscle tension, or changes in breathing, the more we can make use of these sensations to make better decisions or to rebalance after a stressful situation.
There is also a deep relationship between interoception and emotion, Paul says. People who are more attuned to their inner state feel their emotions more intensely and are better able to manage their emotions. This is because the body’s sensations form the building blocks of even our most subtle emotional states, such as affection, gratitude, and regret. In addition, those who are attuned to their own inner states can better tune in to the emotional states of others. The body has much to offer as we navigate our experience. We think not just with the mind but with our entire body.