For Releasing Shoulder Tension

A short guided practice for releasing physical tension held in the shoulders, jaw, and face. Using a simple repeated sequence of shoulder lifts and releases, this practice helps the body let go of stress that has been held unconsciously. No visualisation or breathwork required. Just your body and permission to release. Suitable for complete beginners and can be done anywhere.

Transcript

Wherever you are, Whatever you are doing. We are going to begin by taking a moment to bring a more relaxed quality to the face. Start by bringing awareness to the area around your eyes noticing any tightness or tension. And then inquire into the possibility of unfurrowing the brow. Softening around the eyes. Bringing awareness to your jaw, Noticing any tightness or tension. And then inquiring into the possibility of softening around the jaw. You might Bring your lower teeth a little more away from your upper teeth. Releasing the lower jaw. Bringing awareness to your shoulders. Noticing any tightness or tension and then lifting your shoulders up towards your ears give them a squeeze and then release bringing the shoulders back down. We're going to take two more of those. This time perhaps as you inhale lift the shoulders up towards the ears. And as you exhale release them down. Inhaling the shoulders up towards the ears and this time perhaps taking a sigh as you release them down Oh. Pause. Noticing how the shoulders are feeling. Any sensations. Simply noticing. We're going to take three shoulder shrugs again so inhaling lifting the shoulders up towards the ears Exhale release. Inhaling as you lift. Exhaling release. Inhaling as you lift and on this third one you can sigh Ahhhh as you release the shoulders. PAUSE Noticing how the shoulders are feeling. Nothing you need to do. Just noticing. We're going to take one final round exactly as we've been doing. Inhaling lifting the shoulders. Exhaling as you release. Inhaling as you lift. Exhaling release Inhaling, Lifting. And this last one taking that sigh as you release Pausing. And then inquiring into the possibility you could perhaps let the shoulders release even further away from the ears. Any tension will likely creep back in at some point. It's a steady, Continual practice of releasing. Which you can come back to any time it feels helpful.