This is a practice for progressive muscle relaxation,
Also known as PMR.
Give yourself time to settle into a comfortable reclined position.
Let your arms rest at your sides and allow your eyes to gently close or for your focus to soften.
Take a moment to connect with the purpose of this practice,
To systematically tense and release your physical body in a way that leads you inward to a state of relaxation and ease.
To begin,
Take one deep cleansing breath in through your nose and let it out through your mouth with a sigh.
Take another full breath in and hold full,
Squeezing the muscles around your lungs.
Then open your mouth,
Big exhale,
Sigh it out.
One more time,
Inhale and hold the air in while squeezing the muscles around your lungs.
Then big exhale,
Release and relax.
Notice the sensation of tension dissipating and allow your normal gentle breath to return.
Let your torso rise and fall softly with each breath.
As you return to gentle breathing,
In and out through your nose,
Lengthen your exhalations to signal to your body that it's time to settle in and begin practice.
Now,
Shift your awareness down to your feet.
Take a breath in,
And as you do,
Curl your toes inward.
Keep breathing,
Squeezing the muscles around your toes and the soles of your feet.
Feel the engagement in your toes,
Arches,
And the tops of your feet.
Hold that tension.
Take a big,
Deep breath in.
Hold there.
And now exhale completely,
Let it go.
Uncurl your toes,
Let them wiggle.
Gently rock your feet side to side or shake out your toes.
Notice the sensation of release spread across your feet.
And let your feet settle into a relaxed position as the tension dissipates.
Bringing awareness now to both feet,
Just resting.
Now bring awareness to your lower legs and ankles.
On your next breath in,
Flex your feet back towards your shins.
Engage your calf muscles tightly and squeeze the lower legs.
Bring awareness to tension there.
Inhale,
Observing the sensation of your lower legs.
Exhale,
Release the tension.
Point and flex your feet slowly.
Gently rock your ankles and lower legs side to side,
Letting that tension dissipate.
Both ankles and calf muscles now at ease.
Bring attention to your upper legs and glutes.
Notice the muscles around your hips,
Glutes,
And down into your hamstrings and quads.
Squeeze all of the muscles around your upper legs and glutes.
Inhale as you hold this tension.
Exhale and release with a sigh.
Let your thighs and glutes soften into the support beneath you and wiggle your hips gently side to side until all tension is released.
Both hips and legs just resting now.
Bring awareness now to your fingers,
Hands,
And forearms.
Spread out your arms and open your hands wide.
Feel a stretch across your wingspan and out into your palms.
Feel the space that opens in your palms.
As you inhale,
Open your arms and hands as wide as you can.
Exhale and squeeze your hands into fists.
Inhale,
Hold that tension in your arms and hands.
Exhale,
Let it all go.
Wiggle your fingers and gently roll your arms side to side as your breath returns to normal.
Allow tension to fade until both arms feel relaxed and calm.
Bring awareness now to both arms totally at ease.
And notice the contrast between the effort of holding and the ease of letting go.
Bring awareness now to your shoulders.
Squeeze your shoulders toward your ears and hold that tension,
Inhaling deeply.
Then exhale and release the shoulders away from your ears.
Gently wiggle your shoulders or make little circles with them until the tension fades away.
Both shoulders now at ease.
Feel your neck lengthen and feel the broad,
Open space across your collarbones and between your shoulder blades.
Feel the physical body beginning to relax into a more grounded state of being.
Now bring awareness to your head,
Jaw,
And the muscles of your face.
Scrunch up your face and squeeze your eyes shut.
Wrinkle your nose and tighten your jaw and forehead,
Drawing your brows together.
Hold this tension as you inhale deeply.
Then exhale and release every muscle in your face.
Let the forehead smooth out.
Open and close your jaw a few times like a yawn until it can relax and settle.
Soften your tongue,
Relax the muscles around your eyes and eyelids.
Your face completely relaxed and serene now.
Rest here awareness of the head,
Neck and jaw at ease.
Invite your entire physical body to be still now.
Scan from your toes up through your legs,
Hips,
And torso,
And from your hands and arms up into your chest and shoulders.
Nothing left to hold on to.
Relaxing all the way to the crown of the head.
There is no muscle that needs to work.
Relax deep down into every nerve and cell of your body.
Nothing else to do but welcome relaxation.
And with the physical body relaxed,
Naturally shift your awareness inward to the energetic body.
Feeling the gentle and unobstructed flow of your breath as it moves like a soft wave.
Effortless,
Rhythmic,
And soothing.
Rest here in this quiet,
Spacious place,
Allowing your consciousness to drift deeply into the stillness of this present moment.
Reflect back on this process of progressive muscle relaxation and any effect it may have had on your mind or body.
Notice all that you are now aware of within your entire mind-body system.
Only one more choice to make.
To stay here resting or to move into the next part of your day.
Whatever you choose,
May you carry the energy of this practice with you.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
Take care.
