This technique is about using countdown to produce deeper levels of relaxation.
It is a short technique.
So lie down,
Get comfortable,
And close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in.
Hold it for a moment.
And as you breathe out,
Let all your muscles relax completely.
Take another deep breath in.
Hold it for a moment.
And as you breathe out,
Empty your mind of all thoughts.
Allow your mind to become like a blank screen,
Peaceful and calm.
Now take another deep breath in.
Hold it for a moment.
And as you breathe out,
Let your emotions quiet down.
Just allow them to relax.
Allow yourself to be quiet,
Calm,
And peaceful.
We're going to count backwards from 10 to 0.
As we do,
Silently say each number as you breathe out.
And as you count down,
You will relax more and more.
When you reach 0,
You will be completely relaxed.
10 9,
Relaxing more and more.
8 Going deeper and deeper.
7 6,
Peaceful and calm.
5,
Relaxing more and more.
4,
Becoming as limp as a ragdoll.
3 2,
Deeper still.
1,
Very,
Very relaxed.
0,
Totally relaxed.
Now drift still deeper with each breath.
Feel that deep relaxation all over.
Your emotions are calm.
You feel tranquil and serene.
You feel safe and secure.
Calm and at peace.
Feel a quiet inner confidence.
Feel good about yourself and relaxation.
Once more,
Study the feelings that come with relaxation.
And let your muscles totally relax.
Feel the overall feelings of well-being.
You are calm and secure.
You're feeling quiet and peaceful.
Now we're going to add visualization.
Using your imagination,
See yourself standing at the top of a winding stairway.
See the steps in front of you.
See the handrail.
You are all alone here,
Standing at the top of the stairway.
It's your private stairway and you know it well.
You feel safe and at home.
You feel very comfortable.
When we count backwards from 10 to 0,
Silently say each number as you breathe out.
And with each descending number,
You'll take one step down the stairs very slowly.
With each count,
You will relax more and more as you go into a deeper and deeper state of relaxation.
When you reach 0,
You will have reached the bottom of the stairs and you'll be in a place of perfect calm.
10,
And you take your first step down.
9.
8,
Relaxing more and more.
7,
Gently walking down the stairs.
6,
Deeper and deeper.
5.
4,
Serene and calm.
3.
2,
Deeper still.
1,
Very,
Very relaxed.
0,
Gently stepping off the bottom step into a perfectly relaxed and calm peace.
Now,
Drift still deeper with each breath.
Feel that deeper relaxation spread all over your body,
Relaxing more and more.
You feel emotionally calm.
You feel tranquil and serene.
You feel perfectly safe and secure and a calm sense of peace washes over you.
Just enjoy this feeling for a few minutes.
We'll count forward now from 1 to 5.
As you take a deep breath,
Silently say each number.
When you reach 5,
You will open your eyes,
Feeling relaxed and alert.
You will find yourself back in the room you left.
The environment will seem slower and calmer and you will feel more relaxed and peaceful.
You will be relaxed,
Peaceful and calm.
1,
Still deeply relaxed.
2,
Feeling very relaxed.
3,
Feeling more alert and aware of the sounds around you.
4,
More and more alert but relaxed.
5,
Open your eyes,
You're alert and refreshed.
