Welcome to this progressive muscle relaxation meditation.
In this meditation you're going to be moving your attention to the various parts of your body,
Then tensing each part for 7 seconds before then releasing to gradually alleviate tension and deeply relax your muscles,
Setting the stage for a restful night's sleep.
As a quick note before we get started,
I'd advise you aim to tense each muscle group to about 70-80% of your maximum effort.
Feel free to adjust that intensity according to what feels comfortable for you,
Tensing more or less intensely as you feel is needed.
If any movement feels uncomfortable,
Feel free to either adjust accordingly or simply skip that body part.
Also when you're ready,
Find yourself a comfortable spot to lie down on your back with your arms resting at your sides and with your eyes closed.
Start by taking a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling your lungs completely with air and then slowly exhaling out through your mouth.
And then once more,
Breathing in slowly and deeply,
Expanding your lungs until they're full of air and then slowly releasing out through your mouth.
Feel your body begin to let go of the day's stress.
Give your mind permission to drop any lingering thoughts or concerns of today or of tomorrow and instead allow yourself to just gently relax into the present,
Just following the sensation of your breath for a minute or so here and you're not trying to change anything,
You're simply observing the natural rhythm of your breathing.
Gently bring your attention to rest in your toes and feet.
Just rest your attention here for a moment.
Notice how your toes and feet are feeling.
What sensations are present there?
Are they warm or cool,
Tense or relaxed?
Take a moment to just observe without judgement.
Now curl your toes tightly,
Squeezing the muscles in your toes and feet.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and now release.
As you let go,
Imagine any tension in your feet melting away,
Leaving them warm and relaxed.
You can opt to hold for slightly longer than our count of seven on subsequent rounds should you wish to do so.
Now moving your focus to your calves,
Just take a moment to simply rest your attention here and notice how your calves feel.
Are they heavy or are they light?
Are they tense or are they relaxed?
Simply observe the sensations.
Now tense the muscles in your calves,
Pulling your toes up towards your knees.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Feel a wave of relaxation wash over your calves,
Making them feel heavy and at ease.
Shift your attention up your legs,
Into your thighs.
Notice any sensations in your thighs,
Are they relaxed or holding tension?
Rest your attention here for a moment without trying to change anything.
Now squeeze the muscles in your thighs,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Now focus on your hips and your glutes.
Before tensing,
Notice how those areas feel,
Are there any areas of tension or relaxation?
Just rest your attention here for a moment.
Now tighten these muscles holding the tension,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Imagine this area becoming completely relaxed,
Sinking into your bed.
Now bring your awareness up to your abdomen,
Notice any sensations in your stomach.
Rest your attention here for a moment.
Now tighten your stomach muscles holding the tension,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Allow your stomach to soften and relax,
Breathing deeply and comfortably.
Bring your awareness to focus now on your chest.
Notice how your chest feels,
Is it tense or relaxed?
Is it light or is there any sense of heaviness?
Just resting your attention here on your chest for a moment.
Now take a deep breath in,
Expanding your chest and hold the tension,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release,
Letting your breath flow out naturally.
Feel your chest become light and relaxed.
Now moving your focus to your back,
Notice any sensations in your back,
Is there any tension or are you relaxed?
Just rest your attention here for a moment.
Now arch your back slightly to create tension and hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Let your back sink into the surface beneath you,
Feeling fully supported and relaxed.
Bring your attention now to your hands.
Notice how your hands and forearms feel,
Are they tense or relaxed?
Just rest your attention here for a moment.
Now clench your fists tightly,
Feeling the tension in your hands and forearms,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Let your hands and forearms become loose and relaxed.
Now move up to your upper arms,
Notice any sensations in your upper arms,
Are they heavy,
Are they light or are they tense or are they relaxed?
Just resting your attention in the upper arms for a moment.
Now tighten the muscles in your biceps and triceps,
Holding the tension,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Feel your arms become heavy and relaxed.
Now sliding your attention up a little higher,
Up into your shoulders.
Notice how your shoulders feel,
Are they tense or are they relaxed?
Through any sensation of heat,
Are they cold?
Just resting your attention on your shoulders for a moment.
Now raise your shoulders towards your ears,
Creating tension,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Let your shoulders drop,
Feeling all the stress melt away.
Finally,
Bring your attention to your face,
Notice any sensations in your facial muscles,
Are they tense or relaxed?
Just rest your attention here.
Now scrunch up your facial muscles,
Creating tension in your forehead,
Eyes,
Cheeks and jaw.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven and release.
Feel your entire face soften and relax.
Now take a moment to just scan your body from head to toe,
Noticing any areas where tension might remain.
If you find any,
Gently tense and release those muscles once more,
Allowing your whole body to become completely relaxed.
Now take a few more deep breaths,
Inhaling peace and calm,
Exhaling any remaining tension.
Allow a sense of relaxation to permeate throughout your entire being.
As we come to the end of this meditation,
See if you can simply let yourself go,
Ready to drift into a peaceful and restful sleep.
Know that you are safe and calm and ready for a night of deep restorative sleep.
Thank you for joining me for this progressive muscle relaxation meditation,
Sleep well.
