What Is The Mulry Method?

The Mulry Method is a self-care and Self-Learning system developed by Dr. Reaume Carroll Mulry over more than four decades. It combines psychology with practical mind-body skills to help you better understand yourself and take Focused Action.

At the center of the Mulry Method is a simple idea:

We become what we do.

Understanding yourself is important, but meaningful change also comes through practice. Through greater self-awareness, you can develop skills that gradually become more natural and useful in everyday life.

The goal is not to tell you what to think or what choices to make. The Mulry Method helps you become a Self-Learner, develop greater self-command, and learn to become more Relaxed, Balanced, Flexible, and Focused.

Self-Learning Through Mind-Body Integration

Dr. Mulry viewed the mind and body as parts of the same learning process. Thoughts and expectations can influence how we respond physically. Our physical state can also influence how we think and act.

He described this as mind-body integration with a “full-body attitude.”

Rather than relying on insight alone, the Mulry Method gives you practical ways to experience different states and responses. Relaxation Therapy teaches relaxation as a learned skill. In The Zone Skills Training combines breathing, movement, relaxation, awareness, and psychological principles to develop self-command and Focused Action.

Over time, practice can help useful responses become more familiar and available when you need them.

The Psychology Behind The Mulry Method

An important psychological foundation of the Mulry Method comes from psychologist Julian Rotter’s Social Learning Theory. Rotter was Dr. Mulry’s mentor and friend, and his work strongly influenced Dr. Mulry’s approach to Self-Learning.

Social Learning Theory proposes that behavior is influenced by our expectations and how much we value a possible outcome. The psychological situation also matters. These ideas provide a useful framework for understanding why we repeat some behaviors, avoid others, and sometimes struggle to act even when we know what we want.

Rotter’s concept of Internal Locus of Control is closely connected. It reflects the belief that your actions can meaningfully influence what happens in your life. The Mulry Method puts that principle into practice by helping you identify what you can influence and take purposeful action rather than remaining focused only on circumstances outside your control.

Developing an internal approach also means understanding who you are rather than trying to become someone else. Learning from your own experiences, values, and choices is an important part of becoming a Self-Learner. Don’t Try To Be Anyone Else: Be Yourself explores this idea further.

The Mulry Method 5-Step Method for Internal Locus of Control provides a practical introduction to applying this principle.

Learning From The Nervous System

Modern research and theory also provide additional ways to understand some of the mind-body processes Dr. Mulry emphasized.

Polyvagal Theory examines how the autonomic nervous system responds to cues associated with safety and threat. This offers a useful contemporary perspective for considering why breathing, relaxation, movement, awareness, and physiological state can influence how we respond to a situation.

Social Learning Theory and Polyvagal Theory approach behavior from different directions. One emphasizes learning, expectancy, and reinforcement, while the other emphasizes physiological regulation and nervous-system response. Our post on Social Learning Theory and Polyvagal Theory examines how these perspectives can complement one another.

The Core Mulry Method Tools

The Mulry Method includes several practical resources that can be used individually or together. You do not have to follow a rigid sequence. Begin with the resource that best fits what you want to understand or accomplish.

Personal Concerns Inventory

The Personal Concerns Inventory (PCI) is a structured Self-Learning tool designed to help you identify and prioritize the concerns that matter to you.

Rather than having someone else decide what you should work on, the PCI helps you look at your own life, recognize patterns and priorities, and decide where you want to focus your attention.

When you are ready, you can take the Personal Concerns Inventory.

Relaxation Therapy

Relaxation Therapy uses guided meditation, rhythmic breathing, body awareness, and relaxation practice to help you recognize tension and learn how to release it.

Dr. Mulry began developing Relaxation Therapy in 1976. Through repeated practice, relaxation becomes something you learn to do rather than something you simply wait to feel.

The complete Relaxation Therapy recording collection allows you to practice at your own pace.

In The Zone Skills Training

In The Zone Skills Training is a 40-lesson video series combining Self-Learning, mind-body skills, and psychological principles to develop self-command and Focused Action.

The training integrates movement, breathing, relaxation, and awareness to help you become more Relaxed, Balanced, Flexible, and Focused. Dr. Mulry organized these skills around the four In The Zone Peak Performance Skills: Relaxed Moves, Power Moves, Elastic Moves, and Focused Moves.

Together they provide a practical way to develop the full-body attitude at the heart of his approach to mind-body integration.

Freedom From Back Pain

Dr. Mulry also applied these principles to back health. Freedom From Back Pain applies Self-Learning and mind-body integration to back health. It helps people take a more active role in preventing and managing back problems.

The broader Backcare Programs bring together Dr. Mulry’s approach to movement, posture, flexibility, relaxation, and back safety.

From Self-Learning To Focused Action

The different parts of the Mulry Method ultimately serve the same purpose: helping you understand what is happening, determine what matters, develop useful skills, and act on what you learn.

The PCI can help you identify a concern. Relaxation Therapy can help you recognize and reduce unnecessary tension. In The Zone Skills Training can help you develop physical and psychological skills for responding more effectively. Social Learning Theory can help you examine expectations and behavior, while Internal Locus of Control directs attention toward the choices and actions available to you.

This process moves from Self-Learning to Focused Action.

Focused Action does not mean forcing an outcome. It means using what you have learned about yourself to take realistic, purposeful steps toward a meaningful objective.

The Mulry Method In 10 Steps

For those who prefer a structured starting point, the Mulry Method Self-Care: 10-Step Guide brings the major tools and principles together in a practical sequence.

The 10 steps are a guide, not a rigid program. You can begin with the PCI, learn relaxation first, work through In The Zone Skills Training, or start with the resource that is most relevant to your current situation.

The important part is becoming an active participant in the learning process.

Companion E-Books

Two companion e-books provide a deeper look at Dr. Mulry’s approach.

The In The Zone E-Book explains the principles behind In The Zone Skills Training and its Relaxed, Power, Elastic, and Focused Moves. It connects the physical practices with the broader goal of developing self-command and performing with a full-body attitude.

The Positive Performance Psychology E-Book examines psychological and physiological aspects of performance, including Social Learning Theory, Internal Locus of Control, and Polyvagal Theory.

Become A Self-Learner

The Mulry Method is ultimately about learning through experience. It provides tools for understanding yourself, developing self-command, and taking Focused Action in everyday life.

We become what we do.

You can begin with the Personal Concerns Inventory, practice Relaxation Therapy, develop mind-body integration through In The Zone Skills Training, or follow the complete Mulry Method 10-Step Self-Care Guide.