Take a breath and start to settle in.
Let your body get comfortable and let this be your time.
In this practice,
We'll use a technique called progressive muscle relaxation,
A simple way to guide your body out of tension and into a more relaxed,
Responsive state.
By gently tensing and releasing different muscle groups,
You'll give your body the chance to feel the contrast,
To learn what relaxation actually feels like.
And when your body knows how to relax,
It becomes easier to access clarity,
Presence,
And peace.
You don't have to get it perfect,
Just follow along and give yourself permission to let go.
So go ahead and find a comfortable position now.
Let yourself be supported,
And when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And start to allow your attention to begin to turn inward.
Start by noticing where your body meets the surface beneath you.
Feel the contact points,
The weight of your body,
The quiet support beneath you.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
You don't need to change it,
Just notice the inhale,
The exhale.
Let your breath be an anchor,
Breathing in and breathing out.
And just a reminder,
If your mind is busy or your body feels a bit restless,
That's okay.
You can take time to unwind,
Especially if you've been carrying a lot.
And continuing to notice the pattern and rhythm of your breath at this time.
So now we'll begin to move slowly through your body,
One area at a time,
Using progressive muscle relaxation.
For each muscle group,
I'll invite you to gently engage or contract the area and hold it,
Just enough to feel the tension.
You'll keep breathing gently throughout,
Then on release,
You'll allow the breath to help you soften.
An inhale and an exhale to wash through the space,
Clearing tension,
Inviting ease.
And after each release,
We'll pause for a moment so you can feel the difference.
So let's begin.
Begin by bringing awareness to your feet.
Curling and tensing the toes and gently tensing the soles of your feet and holding.
Keep breathing normally as you hold this engagement,
Just enough to notice the effort.
And now let go,
Release.
Take a soft breath in,
And as you exhale,
Let it wash down through your feet,
Allowing any remaining tension to melt.
Now pause and observe.
What does it feel like to release?
Can you sense the contrast between holding and letting go?
And taking a nice breath in,
And a slow exhale out.
Now shift your attention to your calves and thighs.
Gently squeeze the legs,
Engaging the muscles from the ankles up.
Keep breathing,
Feel the contraction without straining,
And hold.
And now let go,
Release.
Inhale gently,
And exhale down through the legs.
Feel the tension leaving and the weight of your legs softening into the ground.
Can you feel a sense of heaviness,
A deepening into support?
And another breath in,
And a slow exhale out.
Now gently bring your attention to your seat.
Gently contract the muscles of your glutes,
Just enough to feel the engagement.
Keep breathing softly,
And hold.
And now let go,
Release.
Take a breath in,
And exhale down through your hips and seat.
Let that part of your body melt into the surface beneath you.
And pause.
Notice if anything's shifted.
Can you feel the loosening,
The grounding?
Just notice.
Breathing in,
And slow,
Steady breath out.
Now bring your attention to your back.
Gently draw your shoulder blades towards each other,
Engaging the muscles along your spine.
And stay with your breath as you hold.
And now let go,
Release.
Inhale,
And as you exhale,
Let your breath move throughout your back.
Feel your spine soften.
Let everything settle.
And take a moment,
Notice what it feels like when the back releases,
Even if it's just a bit.
Is there more ease?
Is there more space?
Just noticing.
And breathing in,
Now shift your awareness to your arms and hands.
Make gentle fists and lightly contract the muscles of your hands,
Your forearms,
And your upper arms,
And hold.
Stay with your breath.
Just enough tension to feel it,
Not to strain.
And now let go,
Release.
Take a slow breath in,
And exhale down through your arms.
Let the tension unravel through your fingertips.
Let your shoulders drop.
Now pause and notice.
What does softening feel like here?
Is there a sense of warmth?
Of openness?
Of ease?
Just being curious.
And taking that breath in,
And slow exhale out.
Now bring your awareness to your face.
Tense the muscles gently.
Squeeze your eyes closed.
Clench your jaw.
Wrinkle your forehead just slightly.
Stay with the breath.
No need to overdo it.
And hold.
And now let go,
Release.
Inhale softly,
And exhale up through your face,
Your jaw,
Your eyes,
Your forehead.
Let the jaw unclench.
Let the brows smooth.
Let your whole face go neutral and soft.
Observe.
What changed in your expression?
How does your face feel when it's no longer holding?
Nice breath in.
And slow,
Steady exhale out.
Now bring everything together.
On your next breath in,
See if you can engage your entire body.
Gently tighten your feet,
Legs,
Glutes.
Back,
Hands,
And face.
Not too much,
Just enough to feel it.
Holding,
And stay with your breath.
And now,
Release.
Completely let go.
And take one long,
Full breath in.
And as you exhale,
Let the breath move through your entire body,
Like a gentle wave.
Let everything melt.
Let yourself rest.
Now simply feel.
You've moved from effort into ease.
From tension into rest.
Notice what your body feels like now.
This is what release feels like.
Let yourself stay here,
Fully supported.
There's nothing more to do.
Feel the breath moving through your entire relaxed body.
Let each breath soften you further.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out tension.
Let your body be heavy.
Let your mind be quiet.
Turning loose.
Letting go.
The more you practice,
The more natural it becomes.
You can return to this anytime.
And when you're ready,
You're welcome to open your eyes if you feel cold.
You're welcome to stay in this state of relaxation as long as you'd like.
Thank you so much for taking the time to practice this progressive muscle relaxation.
May we all be well.
May we all know peace.
May we all be free.
