Benefits of Inductive Muscle Therapy

How often have you felt a sense of impending doom for you or someone you love?

ANXIETY is a very real and valid experience that the majority of people experience. Understanding how it works can significantly improve your ability to cope and work through some really tough life experiences.

ANXIETY is your brain's response to a situation that is poorly understood or is lacking necessary information. It is different from FEAR, but works closely with it. Often times, ANXIETY will persist until the threat of uncertainty has dissipated or another emotion has taken control (i.e Fear, Sadness, Depression).

When someone says RELAX, does this make you feel even more ANXIOUS?

Okay so nobody likes it when they are told to RELAX. This simple word can cause someone with ANXIETY to feel threatened or devalidated. Despite the negative connotations with this word, there is actually deep benefits in what's called IMT (Inductive Muscle Therapy). IMT involves creating a spontaneous and sometimes mystical source of relaxation through intermittent tensing and releasing of major body muscles.

How Does IMT Work?

IMT is quite simplistic in nature. Usually the tension you feel during episodes of anxiety can be redirected to muscle tension. By focussing on specific muscles to tense and then forcefully relaxing them before moving on to the next muscle is enough to start the relaxation process. In order for this method to fully bring about relaxation, muscles in the face, neck and chest must have tension.

Tension can be applied by squeezing that muscle for extended periods of time and then successively releasing them. The inductive part of the therapy comes from inducing relaxation by redirection the tension in your brain (Which is also a muscle) to other parts of your body. The successive tension and releasing of this tension sends a message to the brain that it is safe to feel relaxed.

How Often Should I do IMT?

It doesn't hurt to perform IMT every time you feel anxious. Once you do it enough, it will become natural and you may develop a tendency towards using IMT as a stress reliever.

Try it out and post here your results!