Welcome to this short progressive muscle relaxation exercise.
This exercise is designed to help you release tension from your body and find a sense of calm and relaxation.
As I ask you to bring attention to various areas of your body,
I will then ask you to create tension in this area.
This could be achieved through contraction of the muscles in the area.
Please note that this is not a request to create the greatest tension you can.
As long as you can feel a difference in your body between tension and relaxation,
You are doing it right.
So let's begin by finding a comfortable position,
Preferably laying down.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths,
Inhaling slowly through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Explore exhaling with open mouth like a sigh or with pursed lips like blowing out a candle.
Notice your body supported by the chair or the floor or whatever surface you are in contact with.
Feel the firmness or softness of the surface.
Notice where your body has contact with the surface and notice where your body does not make contact.
Now bring your attention down to your toes.
Curl your toes for a few seconds and then release them completely.
Notice the difference between the tension and relaxation in your toes.
Curl your toes again and release.
Next,
Bring your attention to your feet.
Point your toes upward towards your knees and spread the toes apart and then release them.
Feel the tension in your feet release as you let go.
Repeat this again,
Noticing the sensation between tension and relaxation.
Now bring your attention to your calves.
Tighten your calf muscles by raising your heels off the ground and then release them.
Allow the tension in your calves to melt away.
Repeat this again.
Move your attention to your thighs.
Squeeze your thigh muscles and then release.
Feel the tension in these muscles ease as you let go.
Create tension again,
Then relax.
Bring your attention to your bottom.
Squeeze your bottom,
Contracting your glutes and then let go.
Allow the tension in your bottom to melt away.
Repeat this and bring your awareness to the sensation of both contraction and relaxation.
Now move your attention to your stomach.
Tighten your stomach muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine and then release.
Allow the tension in your stomach to release completely.
Do this again and notice how it feels to tighten and let go.
Bring your attention to your chest.
Take a deep breath in and then release.
Allow your chest to expand and contract with each breath.
Try this again.
How does this feel?
Move your attention to your back.
Arch your back slightly and then release it.
Feel the tension in your back release as you let go.
Imagine the spine curving when you create this tension and imagine it long and straight when you let go.
Now bring attention to your shoulders.
Lift your shoulders up towards your ears and then release them.
Allow the tension in your shoulders to melt away.
Repeat this,
Taking in all sensation in both the tension and the release.
Bring your attention to your arms.
Make a fist with your hands and squeeze your biceps then release.
Feel the tension in your arms release as you let go.
Do this again.
How does it feel in your body to do this?
Bring your attention to your neck.
Tilt your head back slightly and then release.
Allow the tension in your neck to release completely.
Do this again but this time explore sensation by turning head to the left and then to the right and then letting go.
What do you observe in your neck?
Finally bring your attention to your face.
Squeeze your eyes tightly shut.
Crinkle your nose.
Furrow your brow and pucker your lips and then release.
Allow the tension in your face to melt away.
Do this again but this time open eyes wide,
Raise your eyebrows and open your mouth wide and release.
How does this feel for you?
And now let everything go.
Allow your body to completely melt onto the surface you are on.
Allow every muscle to let go and let the body feel heavy.
Notice how this feels.
Observe whatever sensation there is to observe.
Return to the breath in and out,
Receiving and letting go.
Slowly begin to bring yourself back to your surroundings.
Wiggle your fingers and toes or bring some gentle movement into the body and when you're ready slowly open your eyes.
Take a moment to notice how you feel after this progressive muscle relaxation exercise.
Remember that you can come back to this practice anytime you need to release tension from your body and engage in a deep sense of relaxation.
