Progressive Muscle Relaxation To Ease Tension

This is a Progressive Muscles Relaxation where we progressively tense and relax muscles to teach ourselves how to feel the difference between muscular tension and complete relaxation. This will allow us to ease pain and discomfort and relieve stress, thus becoming more embodied and calmer.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this meditation.

Today we're practicing something called progressive muscle relaxation which is a beautiful technique that allows us to really learn what relaxation feels like by progressively tensing and relaxing different areas of the body and this allows us to relieve stress and also decrease pain.

You don't need any props for this meditation.

All you need is to find a comfortable position whether it be lying on your back,

On your side or even sitting on a chair or the sofa.

And take some time to make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Grab pillows,

Blanket,

Make yourself warm.

Make sure that you will not be disturbed.

Before we start our progressive muscle relaxation,

Allow yourself to bring your awareness to your breath.

Just as it is,

There's no need to change it.

Just begin to notice the flow of your breath in and out,

In and out.

Notice where you feel the breath.

If there's any area of the body that subtly moves out as you breathe in and comes back to center as you breathe out.

Notice that movement,

That subtle gentle movement of your body.

Let's give ourselves a little bit of time to make ourselves even more comfortable.

So notice how your head feels,

Notice if there's anything you can do to make it heavier and more comfortable.

Notice your face,

Your neck.

Maybe take a couple of rolls of your head side to side,

Letting the head be heavy if you're on the ground.

Noticing if there's anything you can do to make your shoulders more comfortable and your arms.

Notice your back and your belly.

Make your hips just a bit more comfortable.

And bring that comfort all the way down the legs into the feet.

Let's start our progressive muscle relaxation from the head.

Begin to notice if you're lying on your back,

Where the back of your head touches the ground or the surface it's on.

Or perhaps notice your hair on the scalp or air touching your head.

Now become aware of your face.

Noticing your face,

Start squeezing your eyes,

Your forehead,

Scrunch up the nose and cheeks.

Bring tension to your lips and mouth.

Holding it for a moment.

And completely let go.

Letting all the muscles soften.

Allowing your forehead just move out,

Your eyes to rest and become still.

Resting your eyelids.

Letting relaxation come through your nose,

Your cheeks.

Letting go even more of any tension around your mouth.

And if you wish,

Allow your teeth and lips to part slightly.

Letting your tongue rest softly in your mouth.

Allowing the corners of your lips to completely let go.

There's no need for any facial expression.

Just let the whole face soften and relax more and more.

Now bring your attention to your right arm.

First become aware of your whole arms from your fingertips all the way through to the shoulder.

Now bring all of your attention to your hand and take your hand into a fist.

Tighten up the fist and move your attention up through the wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm and shoulder.

Squeeze for a moment longer.

And now open your fingers wide.

Let go of all the squeezing and tension.

Allow all the muscles in your arm to relax.

Become aware of changing sensations in the body.

Now bring your awareness to your right leg.

The whole of your right leg from the tips of your toes through to the lower leg,

Thigh and hip.

Begin to tense up the muscles.

Squeeze your muscles in towards the bone,

Your foot,

Your calf,

Your thigh.

Hold for a moment longer.

And let go.

Relax the whole of your leg.

And let the leg be heavy and soft.

Shift your awareness to the left side.

Starting with your left arm from the tips of your fingers on up through the forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm and shoulder.

And bring your hand into a tight fist.

Squeeze it in and feel the tension traveling up your arm into the shoulder.

Hold for a moment longer.

And let go.

Spread your fingers wide.

Completely let go feeling the heaviness of relaxation.

Bring your awareness down to the left leg.

From the foot up through the calf,

Knee,

Thigh and hip.

And begin to squeeze the muscles in towards the bone.

Really feel that squeeze.

And completely let go.

Allowing the whole leg to relax.

Notice this comfortable heaviness in both legs and both arms as you relax more and more.

And if you notice this relaxation,

This feeling of tension leaving your body as heaviness.

That's exactly how relaxation feels like.

How the muscles being relaxed feel like.

So let it happen.

Let your body be heavy.

And observe what it feels like.

Now bring your attention to the area all around the hips.

Take a moment to notice all the muscles surrounding your hip joint.

All this big powerful muscles of the glutes.

And the muscles of the hip flexors.

And squeeze this muscles in towards the hip joint.

Feel that tension.

Now relax.

Feeling the tension melt away.

And allowing all this tightness and tension you may hold around your hips to leave and drain away.

And take your attention up to the belly.

And begin to press your navel in towards your spine.

Feel the tension.

Pressing navel in.

And now relax and soften the belly.

This time still placing your attention on the navel.

Imagine pushing it away from you,

Away from the spine.

So expand the abdomen.

Feel the abdominal wall stretch.

Making some room inside and hold.

And now relax.

Softening the muscles.

Feeling the relief.

And each time you breathe out,

You may be able to relax even a tiny bit more letting go of more tension.

Bring your awareness to the neck.

And if it feels good,

Gently roll the head side to side.

Just a few times.

Do that gently,

Slowly,

Softly.

And bring the head back to center.

Bring your attention to your jaw.

And open your mouth just a little.

And gently move your jaw side to side.

Start slowly.

Start by just allowing a bit of side to side movement into the jaw.

Then if that feels good,

You can circle around and move your jaw in different directions up and down side to side and all around.

Letting go of tension in and around your jaw.

Now relax and become still.

Letting your teeth part slightly.

Relaxing the corners of your lips.

Now notice your tongue in your mouth and press the tongue against the roof of your mouth or if it feels better for you,

Against the back of your teeth.

Hold for a little bit longer.

Keep pressing the tongue.

And let go.

Relaxing your tongue and resting it comfortably in your mouth.

Notice the moisture in your mouth.

Experience that moisture and all the space inside the mouth.

Now take your attention to the eyes.

And begin to squeeze your eyes and your forehead.

Feeling that tension all around the upper area of your face.

And all at once,

Let go.

And your forehead relaxes and it smooths out and your eyes feel soft.

Feel your whole body resting deeply.

Feel the comfort of relaxation.

And for a few minutes,

Simply experience this deep heaviness of relaxation.

Letting go.

Letting go.

Letting go.

Letting go.

And if your eyes are closed,

Just for a moment,

You can gently open,

Softly open if you wish.

Let them close once again.

Allow that relief to arrive all around the eyes.

And now become more and more aware of your breathing.

Just let the beginning simply notice your breath as it comes and goes.

No need to change it.

And again,

Take your awareness to your head and your face.

Take a full breath in.

And as you breathe out,

Let go of even more tension,

Feeling your face relaxing even more.

All around your forehead.

Releasing more around your eyes,

Your nose and cheeks.

Allow the mouth to soften.

Guide your attention to your arms.

Take a full conscious breath in.

And as you breathe out,

Feel your arms rest and relax even more.

Become aware of your legs.

Take a full breath in.

And on your breath out,

Feel your legs relax deeper.

Notice this deep relaxation.

Feel the stillness.

Know that you could move if you wanted to.

But your body really wants to be still.

Now bring your awareness to your hips.

Breathe in fully.

And when you breathe out,

Relax your hips and all around even more.

Feeling the heaviness of relaxation.

Now bring your awareness to your belly.

Take a full breath in.

And on your breath out,

Let go of all tension in and around the belly.

Bring your attention around your chest and upper back.

Take a full breath in.

And exhaling completely,

Your chest settles comfortably into relaxation.

Your breath is soft.

Letting go of all the muscles in your body.

Relaxing completely.

Noticing how your body feels.

Surrounded by relaxation.

Just let it happen for a while and become really aware of how relaxation feels for you.

Notice what you're experiencing right in this moment.

And start to become more and more aware of your whole body.

Become more aware of your senses.

Notice what you might be hearing within your room or outside.

And when you're ready,

Begin to gently move your fingers and your toes.

Perhaps come back to waving the head side to side,

Moving the jaw.

If you like,

Begin to stretch all over the body.

Moving slowly and waking up.

And if you're lying on your back,

When you're ready,

Roll over to one side.

And guide yourself up to any comfortable seated position.

If your eyes are closed,

Slowly begin to blink them open.

Taking the room,

The colours,

The shapes.

And really thank yourself for taking this time to practice.

Thank you so,

So much for practicing with me today.

Please join me on the next one.

Reviews

Hello beautiful 🌹🍎🌹🍎🌹Thank you so much for the wonderful relaxation practice 🎀🎀🎀it’s making me feel like melted chocolate 🗺️much love 🕉️Namaste

This is great!! I listened before bed and feel asleep. Slept well. Then listened when I woke up! Fantastic!! ❌⭕️🙏‼️‼️🙏☮️

Every time I come back to this it works so well to relieve my tension and nervousness!! You touch on so many hidden tension areas and the progression has perfect order and timing that allows my mind to let go.
Thank you!!!