4 Stage Relaxation

This is a relaxation practice, in 4 stages:
In stage 1 you will go through a process of progressive muscle relaxation, systematically working through the body tensing and releasing the muscles;
In stage 2 you will systematically work through the body again, this time using your breath and awareness to release any remaining tension from the body;
In stage 3 you will be given a couple of minutes to rest in stillness and silence;
Finally, in stage 4, you will gradually return to a state of wakefulness.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of relaxation.

To begin with,

Make yourself comfortable lying on the floor.

Maybe lying on your back with your feet a little apart and your arms by your sides.

Or,

If you prefer,

You can bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor to relieve the pressure from the lower back.

To start with,

We're going to relax the physical body.

So,

Beginning with the feet and the ankles.

Beginning with bringing a little bit of movement there.

Maybe pointing the toes away,

Then drawing the toes up towards the face.

Doing that a couple of times.

Maybe rotating through the ankles one way and then the other way.

And then just release and let go.

Just allow the feet and the ankles to be soft and relaxed.

Next,

Moving into the lower legs.

If you can,

Just gently squeeze the calf muscles.

Or bring a little bit of tension to the lower legs by pushing the knees gently towards the mat.

Release.

And then again,

Tensing the calf muscles.

Then release and let go.

Just allow the calf muscles to be soft.

Next,

Moving into the upper legs,

The thighs.

Squeezing the thigh muscles.

Maybe squeezing the buttocks too.

Then releasing.

Then doing that one more time.

Squeezing the thighs,

Squeezing the buttocks.

Then release and let go.

Just allowing the whole of the lower body now to be soft and relaxed.

Next,

Moving into the lower back and the abdomen.

So maybe just bring a little bit of tension across the abdomen by drawing the belly button in towards the spine.

Or maybe just push the lower back towards the mat or the floor gently.

And then release.

And then do that one more time.

Tensing the abdomen.

And then release and let go.

Allowing the belly to be soft.

Now moving into the upper back and the chest.

So maybe just doming the chest gently by pushing the shoulder blades towards the floor.

And then releasing.

And then do that one more time.

Pushing the shoulder blades towards the floor,

Doming the chest.

And then just release and let go.

Just allowing the chest.

And the whole of the torso now to be soft and relaxed.

Now moving into the shoulders,

The arms and the hands.

Maybe just begin by making gentle fists with the hands.

Then stretching the fingers out wide.

And maybe just lifting the arms a few centimetres off the floor.

And rotating through the arms one way and the other way.

From the shoulders all the way down to the fingers.

Rotating through the arms.

And then just release and let go.

Just allowing the arms to rest heavy and soft now.

Either by your sides or with your hands resting on your abdomen.

Now moving into the neck.

So maybe just bring a little bit of movement to the neck.

Maybe just turning the head from side to side gently a couple of times in each direction.

Before releasing and letting go.

Allowing the neck to be soft and the head to rest in neutral.

And finally coming to the muscles of the face.

Scrunching up the face muscles,

Giving them a squeeze.

Maybe open the mouth wide,

Have a yawn to release the jaw.

Before releasing and letting go.

Allowing the face now to be soft and relaxed.

So next we're going to move back through the body again.

This time just using your awareness and your breath to release any remaining tightness or tension from the body.

So just begin by becoming aware of the feet and the ankles.

Becoming aware of the tops of the feet.

Soles of the feet.

Each of the toes.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Becoming aware of all the bones and the connective tissues of the feet and the ankles.

As you breathe in.

And then as you breathe out just allow them to release and let go a little bit more.

Allowing them to drop to the sides.

Heavier and more relaxed.

Next bringing awareness to the lower legs.

The calf muscles at the back.

The shin bones at the front.

Becoming aware of the lower legs as you breathe in.

Becoming aware of the lower legs as you breathe in.

And then on an out breath just allowing any remaining tightness or tension to just melt away from the lower legs.

Now bringing awareness to the upper legs.

The large bones and the large muscles of the thighs.

Breathing in as you become aware of them.

And as you breathe out give yourself permission to release and let go a little bit more.

Allowing the whole of the lower body now to be soft,

Heavy and relaxed.

Next moving awareness into the back.

The lower back,

The middle back and the upper back.

Becoming aware of the muscles in each of the vertebrae that work so hard all day long.

Becoming aware of the back as you breathe in.

And as you breathe out just allow any remaining tightness or tension to just dissolve away from the back.

Leaving it soft and relaxed.

Now bringing awareness to the front of the body.

The abdomen and the chest.

And not just awareness of the surface of the body but also awareness of the organs underneath.

Becoming aware of the whole of the front of the body as you breathe in.

And then as you breathe out give yourself permission to release and let go a little bit more.

Allowing the whole of the torso now to be soft,

Heavy and relaxed.

Next moving awareness into the shoulders,

The arms and the hands.

Becoming aware of the bones,

Muscles,

Joints and connective tissues of the shoulders,

Arms and hands.

As you breathe in.

And then as you breathe out just allow the shoulders,

Arms and hands to release a little bit more.

Allowing them to become softer,

Heavier and even more relaxed.

Now moving awareness into the neck.

The back of the neck and the throat of the front.

Becoming aware of the neck as you breathe in.

And as you breathe out just allow the shoulders,

Arms and hands to release a little bit more.

And as you breathe out just allow any remaining tightness or tension to just dissolve away from the neck.

Leaving it soft and relaxed.

Finally bringing awareness to the head.

The back of the head,

The crown,

The face.

Bringing your awareness to the head as you breathe in.

And as you breathe out give yourself permission to release and let go a little bit more.

Allowing that wave of relaxation to flow all the way through you now from the crown of the head all the way down to the tips of your toes.

There's nothing to do,

There's nowhere to go,

There's no one to be right now except resting here.

In this stillness and the peacefulness that you've created.

And you may have your own positive words or affirmation you might want to repeat yourself now.

If not I'll offer you the words,

I love,

Forgive and accept myself completely and unconditionally.

I love,

Forgive and accept myself completely and unconditionally.

So just allow those words to ripple through you now.

As I give you some time to just rest here in stillness and silence.

So now we're going to begin to just gradually and slowly wake the body back up.

So maybe just begin by imagining a bright light above the crown of the head.

Just imagining this light filled with refreshing and revitalising energy.

As you breathe in just allow that light to flow through the crown of the head.

Filling the face,

The neck with this refreshing revitalising energy.

Allowing you to feel a little more alert,

A little more awake.

Next breathing in allowing that light to flow down the arms all the way to the tips of the fingers.

Allowing the arms to feel re-energised.

On the next in breath allow that light to flow through the spine.

Filling the abdomen and the chest with this refreshing and revitalising light.

Filling the abdomen and the chest with this refreshing and revitalising light.

And then on the next in breath allowing that light to flow all the way down the legs to the tips of the toes.

So now the whole of the body is lying here filled with this refreshing and revitalising energy.

And as you start to feel a little more awake and a little more alert.

Maybe just bring a little bit of movement back to the body.

Maybe starting with small movements like wiggling fingers and toes.

And then tune in to what your body needs to do next as it starts to make some bigger movements.

You may want to have a stretch and a yawn.

Or you may want to bend the knees in towards the chest and rock from side to side.

Just doing what movements feel good for you.

And now as this practice of relaxation draws to a close.

Maybe very slowly and gradually bring yourself to a comfortable sitting position.

Maybe having another stretch and a yawn.

Maybe becoming aware of the sounds in your environment.

And then finally opening your eyes and having a good look around.

What do you see around you?

This practice of relaxation has now come to a close.

Thank you for listening.