Warriors At Ease- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
One of the easiest ways to induce relaxation and reduce stress is to practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Explore the contrast between tension and relaxation as you observe sensations in your body. This meditation was developed to be trauma-informed for veterans but all can benefit from this practice. Soothing background music has a healing frequency of 741 Hz, which is known to reduce anxiety and assist the body in releasing stress and tension. Sometimes called the Detox Frequency as it cleanses negative emotions and promotes well-being. Image: "Beautiful Bay On Thai Coast" By pawopa3336 Music: 741 Hz Meditation for Immunity By U_Music
Transcript
Thank you for joining me in this progressive muscle relaxation exercise.
I have adapted this script directly from the Warrior's at Ease Yoga Teacher Training Manual.
My name is Kalyani,
And I will be your guide today into deep relaxation.
Please make sure you have removed all distractions.
Turn off your phone,
Close the computer,
And give yourself this little bit of time to feel better.
This practice can be used at night to fall into deep sleep,
Or during the day to release stress and tension.
If you are practicing during the day,
You may want to set a timer in case you drift off into sleep.
Take a moment to find a comfortable position for your body today.
Sitting on a chair with your feet flat on the floor,
Or sitting on the floor in a cross leg position.
Allow your spine to be tall without working too hard to hold that position.
If you are sitting on the floor,
You might want to consider sitting on a block or a folded blanket to support your lower back and give your knees more space to melt below your hips.
When the knees are lower than the hips,
It takes all tension out of the hip joint.
You could even lie down for this meditation.
The choice is yours.
If you are lying on the floor,
Relax your arms down by your sides.
Use props for support as needed,
Perhaps a bolster under your knees or a blanket under your head.
Make any adjustments that are necessary to get even more comfortable.
Then check in with the sensations in the shoulders,
And become curious.
Is it more comfortable today for your palms to be up or down?
There is no right answer,
Just try both and settle in to whichever position feels better for you today.
Once you have settled into a comfortable position,
Allow yourself to feel supported by the surface beneath you,
Noticing all points of contact between you and the support beneath you.
I invite you to turn your awareness within by closing your eyes,
Or feel free to keep them open if that's more comfortable for you.
Remember this is your practice,
You never have to do anything I tell you to do.
Always listen to your inner guidance and do what is right for your body today.
It will change from day to day.
Today we will explore the contrast between tension and relaxation.
This is an exercise that relaxes the mind and body by progressively tensing and relaxing different muscle groups throughout the entire body.
I will guide you to tense each body part vigorously but without straining,
And then release the tightness and notice the sensations in the body after the tension is released.
You will be tensing each body part I call out for about 5 seconds,
And have approximately 10 seconds in between transitions to observe sensations in the body.
If you have pain or discomfort at any time,
Feel free to stop or skip that body part.
There is no pain in yoga or meditation.
Throughout this exercise you may visualize the muscles tensing and a wave of relaxation flowing over them as you release that tension.
It is important that you keep breathing slowly and deeply through your nose throughout the entire exercise,
Trying not to hold the breath even when you are tightening.
Before we begin,
Let's scan our body noticing how we feel.
No judgment,
Simple awareness of any areas of your body that may be tight,
Tense or sore.
We will check back in at the end to see if anything changes for you.
Sitting at the top of the head,
Notice any sensations of tightness in the scalp,
The forehead,
The eyes,
And all of the tiny muscles around the eyes,
The cheeks,
The jaw,
Ears,
Neck,
And throat.
Notice any tension in the shoulders,
Arms,
And hands,
The chest and upper back,
Front and back of the ribs,
Belly and low back.
Observe if there is any tension in the hips,
The legs,
Ankles,
Feet,
Or toes.
Now that we know our starting point,
Let's shift our attention deeper within by focusing on your breath.
Take slow deep breaths through your nose.
Feel your abdomen expand with your inhale.
And release your exhale through the nose slowly.
As you inhale,
Notice your stomach rising and your lungs filling with air.
As you exhale,
Imagine the tension in your body being released and flowing out of your mind and body.
As you progress through each step,
Remember to keep breathing slowly and deeply.
Let's begin by tightening the muscles in your forehead by raising your eyebrows as high as you can.
Now release,
Totally allowing all of the tension to melt away.
Now tighten your eye muscles by squinting your eyelids tightly shut.
Release and observe the sensations around the eyes.
Tighten your mouth as wide as you can,
Feeling the mouth and the cheeks tense.
Release and observe the sensations in the cheeks and mouth.
Next tense your jaw as if you were gritting your teeth,
Gently tensing the muscles in your neck without straining too hard.
Growing tighter and tighter.
Release and observe the sensations in the neck and jaw.
Now clench your fists and hold this position until I tell you to stop,
Recalling the last time you were angry.
Tighter.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Let go and explore the sensations in your hands.
Flex your biceps,
Feel the buildup of tension.
You may even visualize that muscle tightening.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe the sensation.
Remember to keep breathing in and out through your nose slowly.
Now vigorously tighten the opposite side of your arms,
Your triceps,
By extending your arms out and locking your elbows without hyperextending them.
Make that muscle as tight as you can.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe the sensation in the backs of your arms.
Now shrug your shoulders up towards your ears and squeeze,
Noticing all of the weight of responsibility you carry on your shoulders.
Make them as tight as you can.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe the sensation of lightness after that release.
Now tense your upper back by pulling your shoulders back,
Trying to make your shoulder blades touch behind you.
Make it as tight as you can.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe the sensations in your shoulder blades.
Tighten your chest by taking a deep breath in.
You'll hold the chest tight for about 5 seconds.
When I say to release,
You'll exhale vigorously and completely,
Blowing out all of the tension.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release.
Exhale fully and observe the sensations in your whole body.
Now this one will do a little different.
Tighten your chest as much as you can,
Taking a deep breath in.
Hold your breath in for about 5 seconds.
When I say release,
You'll exhale vigorously and completely,
Breathing out all tension.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release.
Exhale fully and observe the sensations in your chest.
Keep breathing slowly and deeply in and out through your nose,
As you tighten the muscles of your stomach by sucking in.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe all sensation in the belly.
Gently arch your lower back,
Creating some tension in the lower back area,
Only if it feels okay.
Not too much.
Make the low back tight for 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe the sensation of release in the low back.
Now tighten your buttocks as much as you can.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and let go.
Observe all sensation.
Tighten your thighs by pressing your knees together,
As if you were holding a penny between them.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe sensation in the upper legs.
Now flex your feet,
Pulling your toes towards you to create tension in your calves.
Calves growing tight for 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe the sensation,
Feeling the weight of your legs heavy against the surface that is supporting you.
Curl your toes under,
Tensing your feet.
Hold for 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release and observe the sensation in your feet.
Now imagine a wave of relaxation slowly spreading throughout your entire body.
Beginning at the top of your head and going all the way down to your feet.
Feel the weight of your body melting and softening,
Free from all tension,
As you allow your body to grow heavier and heavier,
Comfortably heavy.
Now tune into your relaxed breath and observe the wave-like motion as the breath moves in and out of your body.
Like the endless waves lapping at the beach,
Allow your breath to draw out any last drops of tension,
As the next wave of breath brings in a sense of freshness and lightness,
In endless ebb and flow.
Total awareness on the breath falling in and the breath falling out.
Slow,
Easy breaths.
Now notice the weight of your body completely supported,
And accept the support being offered.
We're all stronger together.
No need to be the lone tower of strength.
Together,
Let's begin to count our breath down from 20.
Inhaling 20,
Exhaling 20.
Inhaling 19,
Exhaling 19.
Continue on your own,
And when you reach zero,
Simply allow your breath to fall in and out with ease,
As you wait for us to join you.
Now just like we did at the beginning,
Let's scan our body once more,
To see if it feels any different after our practice.
Starting at the top of the head,
Check in with your face,
Neck,
And throat.
Do your shoulders feel any different?
Notice your arms,
Hands,
And fingers.
Observe the entire torso,
Legs,
Feet,
And toes,
And ask yourself,
Do I feel more relaxed than when I started?
Take three slow,
Deep breaths to explore that question.
Once again,
Bring your awareness back to the space around you,
Noticing any sounds in your room.
Then notice sounds outside of the room.
Congratulate yourself for trying something new,
For taking time to take care of you.
Begin to draw your breath in a little deeper,
And press your breath out a little longer.
If your eyes were closed,
Gradually open them,
Slowly blinking them a couple of times.
The more you come back and practice,
The easier it will be to tap into the peace and calm hiding out within.
Wishing you a great rest of your day.
In deep gratitude,
Kalyani
