Audio supplements, including guided meditations, stretching, body scans, breathing and more, for participants of the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) group offered through the U-M Psychological Clinic. These files are available to download from this page (see the the arrow with a line below it on each file). They are also available for streaming directly from this page; offline streaming has been enabled, but ability to do so may depend on your device.
About Progressive Muscle Relaxation
When you have anxiety or stress in your life, your body can often respond with muscle tension and anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is an approach to help you take control of that tension and relieve the anxiety. PMR works as you tense a group of muscles on inhale and you let them go and release them on exhale. You work on your muscle groups in a certain order.
Hands and Forearms - 1
Run time: 2 minutes, 25 seconds.
Muscle Group - 7
Muscle Group - 4
Running time: 5 minutes, 40 seconds.
Muscle Group - 16
Run time: 17 minutes, 53 seconds.
What is MBCT?
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is a method of therapy used as treatment for people with depression as well as other mental health conditions. The Psych Clinic offers MBCT group sessions year-round.
In MBCT, participants learn how to view their thoughts without judgment. The approach uses both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness to help participants interrupt negative thought patterns and to eventually reframe them.
While the chemical and physical aspects of depression and other mental health disorders are far more complex than "just feeling down," current research supports a cognitive approach as a way to change patterns of brain functioning and build resilience in people struggling with chronic depression.
Dr. Todd Favorite, director of the University Psychological Clinic, noted that MBCT is a great mode of therapy to help address depression, especially for people who are susceptible to relapse.
To learn more about ongoing groups, contact the Psych Clinic.