Take a deep breath and allow your eyes to close.
Just allow your eyes to gently close.
And we'll do some progressive relaxation.
Take your mind down through your body,
Down through your hips,
Down through your legs,
And down into your feet.
Become aware of the weight of your feet,
And the muscles that make up the toes,
The feet,
The heels,
And ankles.
And allow the muscles to relax.
There are two ways to relax muscles.
You can either squeeze and let go,
Or you can imagine them relaxing.
You can imagine them softening and loosening,
And releasing and relaxing.
Whatever way you choose,
The muscles of your feet are beginning to relax.
At their own pace,
They're slowly starting to relax.
Don't try,
Just allow it to happen.
Simply allow the relaxation to happen.
Move up now into the calves.
Letting the muscles of the calves soften and loosen,
Limp and slack.
And up through the knees into your thighs.
Letting the muscles of the thighs switching off,
Releasing,
Relaxing,
Softening,
Loosening.
And up into the stomach.
Relax and release your stomach muscles.
Loosening,
Softening,
Just allowing it to happen.
Relax the muscles in your chest,
And all the way down your back,
All the way down your sides,
Softening and loosening,
Releasing and relaxing.
Good.
Move up into the neck,
Allowing the muscles around and behind your neck to soften and loosen,
Limp and slack.
And down into the shoulders.
Imagine your shoulders dropping.
Allow them to relax.
Imagine them softening.
And all the way down your arms,
Relaxing.
Down through the elbows,
Softening.
Down through the wrists,
Relaxing.
Down into the hands and fingers and thumbs.
Limp and soft and slack.
And relaxed.
Finally,
Up into the jaw,
Relaxing and releasing your jaw muscles.
The mouth and the tongue.
The cheeks.
The little muscles around and behind your eyes.
The forehead.
You can even imagine your scalp relaxing.
Softening,
Loosening,
Releasing,
Relaxing.
As the muscles in your body relax,
As you continue to relax at your own pace,
Very soon you may begin to notice heaviness appearing within the muscles of your body.
This heaviness appears slowly as the muscles lose their everyday natural tension.
This heaviness is to be welcomed,
Encouraged,
Accepted.
Notice where in your body is beginning to feel a little heavier.
Welcome that heaviness.
Imagine it increasing.
Allow it to increase.
Imagine the weight of your entire body becoming heavier and heavier.
Sinking down deeper and deeper.
And heavier and heavier.
And notice how relaxed you've become.
How easy this technique is.
How simple.
How gentle.
Already your breathing has slowed.
Your heart rate has slowed.
Your mind has become a little calmer and clearer.
And your muscles,
In this relaxed state,
Are recharging and rebuilding.
Become aware of your breathing.
Notice the flow of your breathing.
In and down and up and out.
You may notice that there's a different temperature between the in-breath and the out-breath.
Just notice the flow in and down and up and out.
Now if it feels comfortable for you,
If it feels natural,
Take your breathing down a little deeper within you.
Just a little deeper down within you.
As you inhale,
The stomach moves out.
As you exhale,
The stomach moves in.
And try just allow.
Simply allow your breathing to go a little deeper and become a little slower.
And notice that as you breathe out,
Your body seems to relax just a little bit.
Notice that with every exhalation,
The muscles in your body are loosening and softening just a little more.
Take a few moments now,
Allowing each exhalation to take you a little deeper and deeper relaxed.
Deeper and deeper relaxed.
Notice how your breathing is working for you.
Relaxing the muscles.
Making you deeper and deeper relaxed.
And notice how relaxed you become.
And how simple and natural this whole process has been.
In a moment as we end this recording,
You'll hear me count from 1 to 5.
As I count up with each ascending number between 1 and 5,
You become a little bit more aware and alert.
At 3,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
At 5,
Gently open your eyes.
Have a deep breath and a gentle stretch.
And you'll be fully back.
Refreshed,
Relaxed,
Revitalized.
So at 3,
Fingers and toes.
And at 5,
Deep breath,
Gentle stretch,
Eyes open.
1,
Coming back up.
2,
3,
Coming back up.
Wiggle the fingers,
Wiggle the toes.
4,
5,
Eyes open,
Eyes open.
Deep breath,
Gentle stretch.
Stand and state awake.
