Hi,
And welcome to this guided sauna relaxation practice.
My name is Caroline,
And this practice is designed specifically for those who struggle to relax and let go.
So let your curious mind on board this journey of guided relaxation.
Let's begin by sitting in a comfortable posture with a tall upright spine and loosening any tight clothing.
Now give yourself full permission to relax and start to slow down your breathing.
First,
We will briefly talk about tension and relaxation,
After which I will guide you through a progressive muscle relaxation practice.
Remember to stay hydrated during this session.
Let's talk about tension and relaxation.
One of the body's reactions to fear and anxiety is muscle tension.
This can result in a feeling of feeling tense,
Or relaxation can actually lead to muscle aches and pains,
As well as leaving some people feeling exhausted.
Think about how you respond to anxiety and stress.
Do you tense up when you're feeling anxious?
Muscle tension is commonly associated with stress,
Anxiety,
And fear as part of a process that helps our bodies prepare for potentially dangerous situations.
Even though some of those situations may not actually be dangerous,
Our bodies respond in the same way.
Sometimes we don't even notice how our muscles become tense,
But perhaps you clench your teeth slightly so your jaw feels tight,
Or maybe your shoulders become stiff.
Muscle tension can also be associated with back aches and tension headaches.
One method of reducing muscle tension is through a technique called progressive muscle relaxation.
In progressive muscle relaxation exercises,
You tense up particular muscles and then relax them.
Progressive muscle relaxation in the sauna is a great way to relax,
As you are in a comfortable,
Warm environment,
Free from distractions.
When we allow the body to relax,
We can reignite its healing ability,
Getting us back sooner to our healthy,
Relaxed,
Functioning selves.
Now let's get started.
Begin by bringing the awareness to the right hand and forearm.
Take a fist with your right hand and then bring your awareness to your right upper arm.
Bring your right forearm up to your shoulder to make a muscle.
Tense the muscles and hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Now let's bring the awareness to the left hand,
The left forearm and the left upper arm.
Making a fist with your left hand and bringing your left forearm to your shoulder to make a muscle.
Tense the muscles in your left arm and hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Now let your arms be heavy and relaxed and bring your awareness to your forehead.
Raise your eyebrows as high as they will go,
As though you were surprised by something and hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Allow your forehead to be soft and gentle,
Giving it full permission to be relaxed.
Feeling the muscles of the face go slack and then let's bring the awareness to our eyes and our cheeks.
Squeeze your eyes tight shut and hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Give yourself full permission to relax the eyes,
Letting them rest gently in your skull.
And now let's bring the awareness to the mouth and the jaw.
Softening the jaw,
Opening the mouth as wide as you can,
As though you were yawning and hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and gently relax.
Now allow your entire face to be soft without clenching your jaw,
Softening the lips,
Softening the cheeks and feel all muscles in the face go slack.
Now let's bring the awareness to our neck.
Be very gentle with yourself and gently allow your head to fall backwards as though you're looking up at the ceiling for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Gently bring your head to a neutral position,
Giving yourself full permission to let all muscles in the neck soften and relax.
Now let's bring the awareness to our shoulders.
Tense the muscles in the shoulders as if you were to bring your shoulders up to your ears for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Let your shoulder blades slide down and let the shoulders grow heavy in the body.
Now let's bring the awareness to our shoulder blades and our back,
Pushing the shoulder blades back almost as if you're trying to get them to touch so that your chest pushes forward for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Now let's bring the awareness to the chest and the torso.
Breathe in deeply,
Filling your lungs and your chest with air,
Then exhale slowly.
Great work.
Let's do that again.
Filling up the base of the lungs,
The middle of the lungs,
Filling up the top of the lungs and the chest with air,
Exhaling slowly.
Great work.
Now allow yourself to get back to normal breathing without wanting to change or control it.
And when you are ready,
Let's bring the awareness to our hips and glutes.
Squeeze your glute muscles and hold it tight for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax,
Allowing your body to melt over the seat that you are seated on.
And as you are starting to get more relaxed,
Let's bring the awareness to our upper right leg.
Let's tighten the quad and hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Let's bring the awareness to the right lower leg.
Let us do this gently and carefully to avoid any cramps.
Gently pull your toes towards your knee as if you were to do a calf stretch.
And hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
And as the awareness travels to the right foot,
Curl your toes downwards and hold for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Great job.
Now bring your awareness to the left upper leg and tighten the muscles in your upper leg for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Now gently bring the awareness to the left lower leg,
Remembering to do this one very gentle to avoid any cramps.
Gently pull your toes towards you as if to stretch the calf muscle for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
Great work.
Finally,
Let's bring the awareness to the left foot,
Gently curling your toes downward for 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1 and relax.
And as your body is now feeling relaxed,
Allow yourself to soak up this moment of relaxation.
And as we are nearing the end of this session,
I want to close with practice means progress.
It is only through practice that you can become more aware of your muscles,
How they respond with tension and how you can relax them.
Training your body to respond differently to stress is like any training.
Practicing consistently is the key.
I hope you enjoy this progressive muscle relaxation session and I hope to see you again soon.
Have a wonderful day.
