What is Relaxation Therapy, or RT?
Relaxation Therapy (RT) consists of a precise relaxation induction and training procedure, first published as four audiocassettes in 1976. It was preceded by Progressive Relaxation, a term coined by American physician Dr. Edmund Jacobson in 1938. Also preceding RT in 1975 is Dr. Herbert Benson’s book, The Relaxation Response, in which he describes his research into the effects of meditation.
What differentiates the Mulry Method’s Relaxation Therapy is its emphasis on rhythmic flow throughout the relaxation induction procedure, which lasts about 15 minutes. This is followed by various sounds of nature that provide their own natural rhythms.
What is Relaxation?
Dr. Mulry defines relaxation as an active process of “letting go” into the flowing rhythm, a parasympathetic nervous system adaptation to the external rhythm provided. This definition underscores the dynamic nature of relaxation.
Dr. Mulry was a modern jazz percussionist before creating Relaxation Therapy, and this played an important role in his conception of active rhythmic flow, an important element of his relaxation induction process. The prevailing objective of Relaxation Therapy is for the learning participant to develop relaxation skills through repetitive RT experiences. Relaxation skills are essential to Dr. Mulry’s emphasis on self-management of physical tension.
How To Do Relaxation Therapy
When you do Relaxation Therapy, first select a quiet, preferably dark room where you are not likely to be interrupted by noise or the activities of others. Lie on your back or select a comfortable chair and close your eyes. The prone position is an excellent position for various physical reasons. If you are comfortable without a pillow under your head, proceed without one. Not using a pillow will help you relax with your spine in a more straight-lined position. Also, you may place a pillow under your knees so that your knees are arched. This takes the strain off your hips near the small of the back. During Relaxation Therapy, your body temperature may drop somewhat, so use a blanket or at least something to cover your chest. If you are concerned about incoming calls, take the phone off the hook.
Relaxation Therapy Consists Of Three Basic Stages
The first stage consists of basic breathing exercises that help you settle in but also prepare you for the overall relaxation experience. It is important that you do not strain yourself during these breathing exercises. Proceed at a pace you are comfortable with, and do not concern yourself with whether you are in perfect step with the speaker. You will find your own natural pace, and this is as it should be. Don’t even worry whether you are concentrating on the tape. If your mind begins to wander from the process and you begin to think of other things, just let it do so. There is nothing you have to do. As a matter of fact, you will get better results if you don’t try to relax. Let your activities be effortless and natural.
During the breathing exercises, inhale through your nose and focus on the expansion of your stomach, not your chest. Expanding your stomach provides space for your lungs to expand. Pulling your stomach in will reduce space within and can diminish the overall relaxation result. You will be instructed to take five deep breaths. You should do all five unless you are uncomfortable doing so because of a recent operation or other constraining factor. Again, do not strain yourself and do not worry whether you are proceeding as you should.
The second stage consists of some muscle relaxation exercises. Allow yourself to follow the line of thought of the speaker, but do not overly concern yourself with your own lack of attention. Just continue to listen to the tape without effort, and you will relax.
The third stage consists of a simple meditation or a dreamlike process. It takes place when you are already in a state of physical relaxation and when you can profit from allowing your mind some freedom of its own. Allow your mind to wander, and you will occasionally have memories and images of personal significance. If your mental images change and seem to follow no pattern, don’t be concerned. Some people develop a pattern of images, and some do not. Also, some people are inclined toward the retrieval of memories, and others are not. Frequently, people fall asleep during Relaxation Therapy and do not recall the third stage. The more tired you are, of course, the shorter time it will take for you to relax and to go to sleep.
Retrieval of memories and the development of images can be very useful to you, as can the dreamlike state often observed in the third stage of Relaxation Therapy. If you find your memories and images uncover some uncomfortable emotions, do not worry about it. This positive process represents a growing awareness of who you are, where you have been in life, and how you feel at some deeper levels. These memories are associated with feelings that you have not been conscious of. Bringing these images, memories and feelings into consciousness is a positive process and one of growing self-awareness. Should this aspect of Relaxation Therapy uncover images and feelings that are conflict-producing beyond the point where you feel comfortable, you might consult a mental health professional in your area. He or she can help you deal effectively with this side of your life and your history. Most people enjoy the second and third stages of Relaxation Therapy and find them to have positive, interesting and facilitating effects.
Six Version Of Relaxation Therapy
The breathing and muscle relaxation exercises are the same on all of the original six sides. The third stage has six different variations intended to provide you with variety in your personal relaxation program.
The first tape is entitled “Imagination and Meditation.” The primary purpose of this tape is to introduce you to the dreamlike process in a somewhat structured manner that allows you to introduce your own personal images and reflections. If you find that you do not allow your mind to wander during this time, be patient with yourself, and you will eventually derive the desired results.
You may even want to continue on to the second tape entitled “Gentle Rainfall.” It is optional that you like or enjoy the first tape. The following tapes contain recordings of nature sounds that are more suggestive of memories and images, and you will probably find these most enjoyable. Some of these programs will be more enjoyable than others. People vary greatly in their likes and dislikes in this regard, and it is normal you will find some of them enjoyable and others less so. I can recall one individual who, unlike most people, disliked the Gentle Rainfall version because she had grown up and then left her native country of Scotland because of the rain. Rainfall was not an enjoyable sound or memory to her.
The last tape is called “A Quiet Place.” On this tape, there are no sounds to suggest imagery. You should do this tape last because it is, in some respects, more difficult to allow your mind to wander in the absence of these suggestive sounds of nature. Let your own experience with the tapes be your guide, and you will find yourself using some more than others and perhaps some not at all. Again, remember, there are considerable differences in how people react to the tapes in terms of their personal preferences.
Experience Relaxation Therapy
Below are all six original versions of RT from 1976. Trust Your Swing: The Power of the Pendulum and Rhythmic Flow was produced in 2004 when Dr. Mulry adapted Relaxation Therapy to the world of golfing to address the physical and mental challenges the game offers its participants. You will also find the remastered versions of An Evening With Nature and Sounds of the Sea from 2007, with enhanced effects and a significant audio quality boost compared to those from 1976.
For the best experience, it is recommended that you use headphones.
Introduction Part 1
1976
Introduction Part 2
1976
Imagination And Meditation
1976
Sounds Of The Sea
1976
Gentle Rainfall
1976
Desert Sunrise
1976
An Evening With Nature
1976
A Quiet Place
1976
Trust Your Swing
2004
Sounds Of The Sea
2007 remaster
An Evening With Nature
2007 Remaster
E329
I first published and copyrighted RT in 1976, and it was included in my self-published book and audiocassette program, Tension Management & Relaxation Therapy: An Approach To A Balanced Way of Living.
CV Mosby / Times Mirror, a leading medical publisher worldwide, bought the rights to RT in 1980 when we again published the same audiocassette program and included RT in our forthcoming Mosby Publications, The Back School and The Portable Back School.
I coined the term Relaxation Therapy, and it is the original RT. There are now hundreds of RT versions, but mine was the first and has been an enduring product since 1976.
People asked me why I called it Relaxation “therapy,” and I responded, “Because it is the therapy of the future,” which has since proven true.
The Mulry Method Relaxation Therapy is a precise process similar to hypnosis induction. We build upon a rhythmic structure, even when the “Sounds of the Sea” are harmonized with the preceding Relaxation Therapy induction.
I traveled thousands of miles and spent hundreds of hours finding the right sounds of the sea, and I have never told anyone where the recording took place. This is primarily because I want the sea to be your sea in your special fantasy/memory environment.
Listen to these as often as you like; they will center you, give you deep focus, and get you In The Zone.
—Dr. Mulry
The History of Relaxation Therapy
Clinical Psychologist Reaume Carroll Mulry, Ph. D., introduced Relaxation Therapy (RT) in the 1970s after one year of pre-production work. The completed work was then copyrighted as a published sound recording on June 24, 1976, registration number 34521.
On December 18, 1980, Dr. Mulry assigned and transferred the same copyright to The C.V. Mosby Company of the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri (medical publishing company now Elsevier) to be included in Dr. Mulry’s forthcoming publications with C.V. Mosby known as Tension Management & Relaxation: An Approach To A Balanced Way of Living and The Back School: A Team Approach To A Balanced Way of Living.
At this time, Dr. Mulry was in private practice as a Clinical Psychologist and was a member of the Associated Medical Staff of the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. Relaxation Therapy was first publicly recognized by the magazine, ‘Los Angeles.’ Relaxation Therapy, Dr. Mulry’s relaxation tapes, were privately acknowledged in a letter of appreciation by George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States of America.
Relaxation Therapy in Print and Audio Publications
Dr. Mulry embedded Relaxation Therapy as a fundamental component of his later works, including books and human development programs. Among these are:
- Tension Management & Relaxation: An Approach to a Balanced Way of Living, published by C.V. Mosby-Times Mirror (1981)
- The Back School: A Team Approach to Low Back Pain, published by C.V. Mosby-Times Mirror (1981) and co-authored by White, A., Mulry, R.C., Mattmiller, W.
- The Portable Back School: Home-study Approach to Proper Back Care authored by Mulry, R.C. and White, A. (1981)
- Freedom From Back Pain (1984) authored by Mulry, R.C., published by Nightingale-Conant Corporation
Relaxation Therapy provided the foundation for the audio CD Trust Your Swing: The Power of the Pendulum and Rhythmic Flow (2004), authored by Mulry, R.C. & Mohr, K., published by American Network Services, Inc. (A Nevada Corporation).
First Aid for Back Pain (2009), authored by Mulry, R.C., published by PureSafety (Occupational Health and Safety Training Organization), as an online training program.
Later in Dr. Mulry’s career, Relaxation Therapy became a fundamental component of his In The Zone multi-media sports psychology training program, which identified the 4-Core Competencies of Winning Athletes (i.e., relaxation, balance, flexibility, and focus). The Arizona Daily Sun article “Finding ‘the Zone’” reported that being at the top of your game and in the zone is built on these four key concepts. Dr. Mulry emphasizes the importance of relaxation training, which is key to preventing injuries and stress management.
To further explore Relaxation Therapy, read the blog post Tension Management and Relaxation – A Natural Approach to Tension Relief or review the Relaxation Therapy FAQ.
02.
The Five Steps Of The Mulry Method
Over four decades ago, Dr. Reaume C. Mulry created an integrated program bringing together original, proven psychological theory and techniques with active physical practices. Since then, he’s refined a repeatable method to help people focus, achieve their goals, and live better lives. It consists of 5 primary components.
03.
