Hello and welcome to your progressive muscle relaxation meditation.
This is a great practice to do either before bed or when you're waking up or at any point when you might be feeling some stress or tension in your body.
It's a great way to relax both the mind and the body.
For this practice I recommend to lie down on your back but if that doesn't work you can always come up to a seat.
Today we will start out with a 4-7-8 breathing practice.
The way a 4-7-8 breath works is you will inhale for a count of 4,
Pause for a count of 7,
And exhale for a count of 8.
If 4-7-8 does not work for you you're welcome to reduce that count to something like 3-5-6 or you could increase that count as well.
I'll guide you through a few rounds and then leave you some time and space to practice on your own.
When you arrive in your most comfortable place to be,
Shift wiggle or fidget so you can get just 2% more comfortable and go ahead and empty all the air from your lungs.
Take a nice deep breath in through your nose,
Fill all the way up,
Open your mouth,
Exhale sigh it out,
Let it go.
Let's do that once more.
Take a full breath in,
Exhale sigh it out.
Allow your eyes to soften down or fully close if they haven't already.
Take just a moment to check in.
Notice how you feel in your body.
You can scan from the top of your head all the way down to the bottoms of your feet.
Notice what you experience.
Notice if you feel any tension or tightness in your body.
Notice if there's any holding or gripping.
If or when you come across something that feels a little tense or tight,
See if you can invite in a little softness,
A little ease.
Go ahead and release all the air from your lungs and we will start with the 4-7-8 breath.
Inhale for 2,
3,
4.
Pause 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Pause 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Pause 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Continue for a few more rounds of this 4-7-8 breath or feel free to change that count to increase or decrease.
If you get lost in the counting,
It's okay.
You're welcome to just simply start again.
Release the counting.
Allow your breath to return back to a pace that feels natural and relaxed for you.
You'll now shift into the progressive muscle relaxation part of the practice.
We'll start with your feet and work all the way up to the top of your head.
I will encourage you to squeeze and tense that particular part of your body on an inhale and on your exhale to soften and relax.
We will do this two times for each part of the body and then we will come back and do the entire body.
Please only squeeze or tense to what feels comfortable for you.
Please only tense and squeeze that particular part of your body but not to the point of strain or discomfort.
And of course if you have an injury or pain,
Please be mindful and skip those areas.
Take a full breath in through your nose and exhale.
Let it go.
Bring your attention to your feet.
Start to inhale and tense your feet by curling your toes and your arch of your foot.
Hold on to this tension.
Notice what it feels like and then exhale.
Release and let it go.
We'll do that again.
Inhale,
Curl your toes,
The arch of your foot.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze and exhale.
Soften and relax.
Let it all go.
Next we'll move to your calves and bring your attention to the backs of your legs.
Inhale,
Flex your toes towards your face.
Create a lot of tension in the back of your legs.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze and then exhale.
Relax and let everything go.
Let's try that again.
Inhale,
Squeeze your calves.
You can flex your feet towards your face.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze and exhale.
Soften,
Relax,
Let go.
Bring your attention to your upper thigh,
Your quads,
Your hamstrings.
For this,
Inhale and squeeze your thighs together.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Create a lot of tension between your upper legs and exhale.
Soften,
Relax,
Let go.
Let's do that once more.
Inhale,
Squeeze your upper thighs.
Engage your quads,
The backs of your legs.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale and release.
Let it all go.
Let's do that once more.
Inhale,
Squeeze your upper thighs,
Your quads and your hamstrings.
Squeeze your thighs together.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Soften and relax.
Release any effort.
Start to bring your attention to your glutes.
Inhale,
Squeeze your glutes.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Once more.
Inhale,
Squeeze your glutes together.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Create a lot of tension in there.
Exhale,
Soften and relax.
Next,
Bring your attention to your abdomen.
Inhale,
Draw your navel in towards your spine and press your low back to the earth.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Soften,
Let go.
Once more.
Inhale,
Draw your navel in.
Create a lot of tension in your abdomen.
And exhale,
Release and let it all go.
This time,
Bring your attention to your upper back.
Inhale,
Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Soften,
Relax.
Let go.
Once more.
Inhale,
Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Create lots of tension.
And exhale,
Create softness in your shoulder blades.
Relax your shoulders.
Relax your upper back.
Bring your attention to your shoulders now.
Inhale,
Shrug your shoulders all the way up to your ears.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Soften and relax.
Let's do that once more.
Inhale,
Squeeze your shoulders all the way up to your ears.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Release and let them go.
This time,
Bring your attention to your arms.
Inhale,
Bend your elbows and draw your arms in close towards your body.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Create a lot of tension in your arms.
Exhale,
Soften,
Relax.
Let go.
Let your arms relax.
Do that once more.
Inhale,
Squeeze your arms in close towards your body.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Create a lot of tension in your upper arms,
Your forearms.
And then exhale,
Soften and relax.
Let go of any effort.
Move to the fingers and the hands.
This time,
Inhale,
Curl your fingers in and make a fist.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze your hands together.
Exhale,
Soften and relax.
Let your fingertips uncurl and just soften.
Once more.
Inhale,
Squeeze your fingers into a ball.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Soften and relax.
Bring your attention to your face and your jaw.
This time,
Inhale,
Squeeze your eyes closed.
Clench your jaw.
Scrunch up your face.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Soften your face.
Relax your jaw.
One more time.
Inhale,
Squeeze your face.
Close your eyes.
Clench your jaw slightly.
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Exhale,
Soften and relax.
This time,
We will move to the entire body.
So on your inhale,
Squeeze your toes,
Your legs,
Your glutes,
Abdomen,
Upper back,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Fingers,
And your face.
Squeeze everything in.
Create a lot of tension in your entire body.
And then exhale,
Soften,
Relax,
Release any effort.
Do that one more time.
Inhale,
Squeeze everything in.
Create a lot of tension and tightness in your entire body.
From your bottoms of your feet to the top of your head.
Squeeze all your muscles.
And then exhale,
Let it all go.
Allow yourself to completely relax.
Feel supported by the earth.
Allow your breathing to return back to a pace that feels natural and relaxed for you.
Stay here for a few rounds of breaths.
Acknowledge how you feel.
Allow your body to feel heavy,
To melt into the earth,
To let go of any stress,
Worry,
Or tension.
Stay here as long as you'd like.
You can continue to scan your body for any residual tension or tightness.
And actively send your breath to those areas that feel tense or tight.
Send a little extra love and kindness.
Or if you'd like,
You can continue to just follow your breath as it flows in and as it flows out.
Thank you so much for practicing with me.
