Progressive Muscle Relaxation For Deep Calm

This guided progressive muscle relaxation meditation helps release tension and calm the body and mind. You’ll move through each muscle group, gently tightening and releasing to invite deeper relaxation. As the body unwinds, the nervous system settles and the mind becomes quieter. Perfect for stress relief, winding down, or preparing for sleep.

Transcript

Welcome to this progressive muscle relaxation session. Progressive muscle relaxation is a great technique to teach the mind and the body how to relax once again. The reciprocal relationship between the mind and the body is powerful so if we can use our body where we allow it to relax we can teach the mind is also safe to relax. However, Many times that when we experience tension and we experience stress we often find it difficult for our muscles to truly relax. Using this technique will help you teach your nervous system how to relax which then will allow your muscles to finally relax so you can feel free in your body and feel like you are rejuvenated once again. To begin this session please lay on your back in a comfortable position. Take a deep breath in through your nose for four seconds and then slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of six. We're going to do two more of those so breathe in through your nose fully expanding breathing through your belly for a count of four and then slowly exhaling through your mouth allowing the air to leave and your lungs to deflate fully. Continue one more breath. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four. Fully expand through the belly and then slowly exhale for a count of six. Next I want you to just notice your body so without judgment or saying if it's good or bad or anything just notice how you feel. So we're going to start down at the heels so notice how your heels are touching the ground. Notice the pressure along your heels. Notice if it feels the same or if it feels different. Next you're going to notice how your glute area or your butt is touching the ground. Do you feel like your hips are rolled forward rolled backwards? Where is the pressure along your butt on the ground? Notice if there's any differences between your left and your right. Notice any areas of tension or any areas where you feel like you are relaxed. Moving up towards your upper back and your shoulders notice how they are in contact with the ground. Notice how the pressure is along this area. Again notice if there is more pressure or less pressure on the left or the right. Notice any areas of tension. And next moving up to the neck and the head. Taking notice of where your head is lying on the floor or in your bed. Notice any areas of tension and just bring notice to your shoulders. Where are your shoulders? Do they feel like they're closer to your ears? Do they feel relaxed? Do they feel forward? Or are they lying more backwards? Just take notice to your body. Next take a deep breath in through your nose. Hold that for four seconds in. And exhale for a count of six. Next going down to your toes. Try to curl your toes as if you're gripping sand on a beach and hold that. Take another deep breath as you inhale through your nose and while you hold that contraction as you exhale slowly release the contraction of your toes at the same rate you release the breath through your mouth. Next you're going to squeeze your calves as if you were going up on your tippy toes. Again combine it with the breath so as you squeeze both your calves you're going to inhale through your nose. As you release the breath release the contraction of your calves. Just take a pause after you release the contraction. Next moving up to your quads you're going to squeeze your quads so the front and thigh muscles. Squeeze those as you inhale through your nose. Again as you release the breath slowly release the contraction of the quads or your thigh muscles. Take a pause at the end of this and again just allow full relaxation of these muscles. Next you're going to squeeze your butt. Squeeze it as tightly as you can. So again inhaling through your nose holding and as you slowly release slowly release the contraction of your butt muscles. And then take a pause at the end just allow for full relaxation. Moving upward you're going to squeeze your shoulder blades like as if you're trying to pinch something on the ground or on your bed. Squeeze the shoulder blades and again breathe through your nose. Fully inhale hold and as you release slowly release the muscles in the back in between your shoulder blades. Again allow your mom yourself to have a moment of pause at the end. Moving up towards the neck you're going to push your head into the floor or into the bed and you should feel the muscles in the back of your neck gently contract. Again combining it with the breath so inhale as you contract the muscles in the back of your neck slowly exhale through your mouth as you release the muscles in the back of your neck. Take a moment of pause. Next you're going to squeeze all the muscles within your face so try to squish everything together your eyes your mouth your nose your cheeks your forehead trying to squeeze everything as you breathe in through your nose slowly exhale as you release all the muscles of your face. Take a moment to pause and as you take that moment of pause let your body just sink into the floor or the bed wherever you're laying. Again allow everything just to sink down as everything is very heavy and going to the ground everything is relaxed. Take a deep breath in your nose for a count of four hold for a count of four slowly exhale for a count of six. Next we're going to notice how our body feels starting back down at the heels just noticing what you feel in this area notice the pressure in your left and your right heel notice any areas of tension or relaxation notice how it might feel different from what it did before going up to your towards your butt just noticing again how your butt feels on the floor or the bed where do you feel yourself on the bed or the floor where is the pressure along that area just taking notice moving up towards the upper back just noticing what you feel noticing if anything feels different from it did before noticing how your back is in contact with the ground or the bed wherever you're laying and next just noticing your head being supported by the floor or the bed noticing how it feels just noticing at this moment you're being supported and you are safe take a moment as you lay here to be grateful that you've honored yourself in this moment that you've given yourself this gift again take another inhale through your nose for a count of four slowly exhale for a count of six just allow yourself to pause in this moment and give yourself a moment of rest reflection and gratitude you