Quick Overview: Mindfulness and progressive muscle relaxation are not the same. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes mindfulness as present-moment awareness without judgment. It describes progressive muscle relaxation as tensing different muscles and then releasing the tension. The National Institute of Mental Health states that psychotherapy can include mindfulness and relaxation techniques as elements of care. These general descriptions do not determine what will be included in a particular therapy conversation or what fits a particular person.
Two Terms With Different Definitions
The phrase mindfulness vs progressive muscle relaxation compares two practices described differently in the available source material.
Mindfulness is described by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health as maintaining attention or awareness on the present moment without making judgments. Progressive muscle relaxation is described by the same organization as a technique that involves tensing different muscles in the body and then releasing the tension.
These descriptions identify different actions. Mindfulness is defined through present-moment awareness without judgment. Progressive muscle relaxation is defined through tensing muscles and releasing tension.
The National Institute of Mental Health states that mindfulness and relaxation techniques can be elements of psychotherapy. That statement does not establish that either practice will be part of every psychotherapy approach, individual therapy service, or conversation with a therapist.
Mindfulness Is Present-Moment Awareness Without Judgment
The supplied description of mindfulness centers on awareness or attention in the present moment and the absence of judgment. It does not provide a required topic for awareness, a required length of practice, or a required result.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health discusses mindfulness within information about meditation and mindfulness. Its description states that some forms of meditation include mindfulness, which involves maintaining attention or awareness on the present moment without making judgments.
For this article, the source-bounded definition is straightforward: mindfulness means present-moment awareness without judgment. The available information does not determine how an individual person experiences mindfulness or whether a particular mindfulness-based approach is appropriate in a particular circumstance.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Involves Tensing and Releasing Muscles
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists progressive relaxation, also called progressive muscle relaxation, among relaxation techniques. It explains that the technique involves tensing different muscles in the body and then releasing the tension.
This definition identifies a muscle-based action: tension is applied to different muscles and then released. The supplied information does not set out a required order for the muscles, a required pace, or a required duration. It also does not establish a particular effect for every person who uses the technique.
Progressive muscle relaxation is therefore distinct from mindfulness at the level of definition. Its description includes tensing and releasing muscles; the supplied definition of mindfulness does not.
A Direct Comparison of the Terms
The table below is intended for reflection, not for selecting a practice or predicting an outcome.
| Reflection question | What the available descriptions say |
|---|---|
| What is mindfulness? | Mindfulness involves present-moment awareness without judgment. |
| What is progressive muscle relaxation? | It involves tensing different muscles and then releasing the tension. |
| Does the mindfulness definition require muscle tensing? | No such action appears in the supplied definition of mindfulness. |
| Does the progressive muscle relaxation definition describe present-moment awareness without judgment? | The supplied definition describes tensing muscles and releasing tension. |
| What remains unanswered by these definitions? | They do not determine personal fit, individual outcomes, or what a particular therapy conversation will include. |
What the Comparison Can and Cannot Answer
The comparison can clarify the terms as they are defined in the supplied materials. Mindfulness is described through awareness of the present moment without judgment. Progressive muscle relaxation is described through muscle tension and release.
The comparison cannot determine whether one practice is preferable for a particular person. It also cannot establish whether either practice will be used by a particular therapist or within a particular service. Those are questions that general educational definitions cannot answer.
Practice Note: The descriptions in this article are general information. They do not determine personal fit or outcomes for an individual reader. A conversation with a mental-health professional can be a place to ask how these terms are understood in a particular care setting.
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques in Psychotherapy
The National Institute of Mental Health describes psychotherapy as a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. It states that therapists may use one primary approach or incorporate elements from multiple approaches depending on their training, the disorder being treated, and the needs of the person receiving treatment.
Among the elements that psychotherapy can include, the National Institute of Mental Health names mindfulness and relaxation techniques, including meditation and breathing exercises. This is a general description of possible elements of psychotherapy. It does not identify progressive muscle relaxation as an element of every psychotherapy approach, and it does not establish what will occur in a specific appointment.
The available material also does not provide a basis for predicting clinical outcomes from mindfulness or progressive muscle relaxation for an individual reader. Questions about a therapist’s approach, the rationale for an approach, and how treatment may proceed can be raised in a preliminary conversation.
Considering Individual Therapy
Rooted Integrative Therapy offers individual therapy. Alina Hovsoyan, LCSW, provides services in person near Orem and Provo, with virtual therapy across Utah.
Rooted Integrative Therapy’s FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as a first step. The consultation is an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit. Its Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests through the listed contact details or form.
A consultation may be a place to ask what mindfulness means in the therapist’s work, whether progressive muscle relaxation is discussed, and what information is relevant to considering fit. The available practice information does not state that a particular approach will be used in a particular service.
Questions to Bring to a Consultation
- When you use the term mindfulness, how do you describe it in your work?
- How do you describe progressive muscle relaxation?
- Are mindfulness or relaxation techniques among the elements you may discuss in individual therapy?
- What is the rationale for the approaches you use?
- What questions would be useful when considering fit?
FAQs
Is mindfulness the same as progressive muscle relaxation?
No. Mindfulness involves present-moment awareness without judgment. Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing different muscles and then releasing the tension.
Can psychotherapy include mindfulness and relaxation techniques?
The National Institute of Mental Health states that psychotherapy can include mindfulness and relaxation techniques as elements of care. This does not establish what any particular therapy conversation will include.
Is progressive muscle relaxation a relaxation technique?
Yes. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists progressive relaxation, also called progressive muscle relaxation, among relaxation techniques.
Do these definitions show which practice is right for me?
No. The supplied source information does not determine personal fit or outcomes for an individual reader.
Can I ask a therapist how they use these terms?
Yes. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that a preliminary conversation can help a person understand how treatment will proceed. Rooted Integrative Therapy describes a consultation call as an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources used for this article:
- National Institute of Mental Health: Psychotherapies
- nccih.nih.gov: Meditation And Mindfulness Effectiveness And Safety
- nccih.nih.gov: Relaxation Techniques What You Need To Know
A Grounded Next Step
To ask questions about individual therapy at Rooted Integrative Therapy, visit the Connect page. Please do not include urgent or highly sensitive clinical information in a general inquiry.
This article is for general education only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for individualized mental-health care. A qualified mental-health professional can help you consider what fits your circumstances.