Relaxation for Beginners

Clear explanations and instructions through progressive muscular relaxation routine, suited to sit or lying. Also includes hints to take into your day.

Transcript

Progressive muscular relaxation by Kirsten Doesle,

Still potential.

Take yourself to your position of comfort,

Either sitting or lying down.

If you are lying,

The ideal position is on your back with your legs long and your arms beside you,

Palms upwards.

Use any supports such as cushions that you require for comfort.

If you are sitting,

Ensure you are comfortable and well supported,

With feet flat on the floor and hands on your lap.

Make any adjustments for comfort and prepare yourself to transition into this time.

In this routine you will be focusing on each group of muscles,

Tightening and then letting go of the tension you built.

Remember that the important part is the letting go.

You may find that when you tighten a particular muscle,

You sense this state of tension is familiar.

You may recognise it to be how this area feels when you are stressed or anxious.

Practising progressive muscular relaxation will result in you becoming more aware of your level of muscle tension and being able to let the tightness release.

It is important that you work on only one group of muscles at a time and that you tighten only a small amount,

Say 20% of your full effort at the most.

This is not a strengthening exercise.

There is more time and two to three sets of instructions with the let go part of the routine to encourage the release of tension.

Now allow your eyelids to rest gently closed.

Begin by taking your attention to your forehead.

Notice how it feels and slightly tighten into a frown.

Then release and let go and let go again.

Slide your attention to your scalp.

Tighten slightly like there is a firm band around your head.

Then soften,

Release and loosen off again.

Slide your awareness to your eyes.

Shut the eyes a little more tightly.

Feel the tension increase and ease off.

Soften and let go any effort.

Take your awareness to your facial muscles,

Cheeks,

Mouth and lips.

Tighten up these muscles of expression.

Then let go.

Release and allow them to soften even more.

Take your attention to your jaw area.

Firm your teeth a little together.

Notice that sensation in the jaw.

Now let go.

Allow the jaw to drop and soften.

Notice the position of your tongue in your mouth.

Allow it to sit fat and soft in the bottom of your mouth with the tip of your tongue sitting gently behind your top teeth.

Slide your awareness to the muscles at the back of the neck.

Firm up.

If you are lying down,

Gently push your head into the support.

Or if you are sitting up,

Tighten your neck.

Then release.

Let go and allow any tension or tightness to ease away.

If you are lying,

Allow your head to feel heavy and supported.

If you are sitting,

You will need to maintain little muscle tension in those muscles to keep your head upright.

But soften any excess tightness.

Feel a lightening and a lengthening,

As if your head has reduced its weight.

Take your awareness to the front of your throat.

Firm in.

Close the throat.

Then release.

Open and allow those muscles to feel fat and wide.

Slide your attention to the top of your shoulders.

We stretch these muscles by reaching shoulders or hands towards your feet.

Notice that stretch sensation.

Then release and allow the shoulders to come to a soft and open position.

Move your awareness to the front of the chest wall.

Tighten these muscles by bringing the tips of the shoulders forward and together.

Feel the tension across the front of the chest.

Now release,

Open and soften to let go.

Slide your attention to your arms.

If you are lying,

Firm these muscles by pushing your arms into the surface.

If you are sitting,

Tighten the muscles around the bones.

Now let go.

Release and loosen.

Notice your hands open out,

Your fingers and thumbs stretching.

Now let go and allow your hands to come to a soft position of comfort.

Slide your attention to the muscles that run down either side of your spine.

From the top of your neck,

Through your mid-back to the low back.

Now tighten these muscles.

If you are lying,

Push gently into your support.

If you are sitting,

Sense a firming along and around the spine.

You may feel different sensations through this group of muscles.

Now let go.

Switch off.

Allow that tension to ease away.

If you are sitting,

You will need to keep some muscle activity to hold you upright.

But let go as much as possible.

If you are lying,

Allow yourself to feel anchored and melted.

Take your attention to your buttocks.

Gently firm in,

Then release.

And let go.

And soften again.

Slide your attention to your belly.

Draw in,

Feel the firmness,

Then let go and soften.

And let go again.

Slide your attention to your thighs.

Firm these big muscles around the bones.

If you are sitting,

If you are lying,

Push your knees to the floor to increase the tightness in the thighs.

Now let go.

Soften and release again.

Slide your awareness to your lower legs.

By pulling your feet up towards your face,

Feel the tension at the front of the legs and the stretch at the calf muscles.

Now drop.

Let go.

Release.

Move your awareness lower to your feet.

Gently curl your toes and firm your feet.

Then release.

Switch off.

Allow those feet to feel soft and wide.

Take a moment now to notice how your whole body is feeling as the muscles let go.

In your mind's eyes,

Scan over your body.

If you find any areas that have tightened up,

Release,

Soften and let go.

And enjoy that sensation of being let go.

Rest into the stillness.

Awake and alert.

Consciously notice how your body feels as it is resting.

I will stay quiet now as you scan slowly through your body and release any tension that has crept in.

And then easily rest into that sensation of stillness.

This time through the routine,

Notice if there is a word that your body easily understands.

Your body may respond to a particular word and this will be the one that will help to trigger relaxation for you.

Smooth your forehead.

Soften and loosen your scalp.

Rest your eyelids.

Drop the eyeballs deep into the sockets.

Release and unlock your jaw.

Drop your tongue,

Fat and soft,

Into the bottom of your mouth.

Feel the muscles of facial expression become tranquil.

Lengthen and loosen your neck.

Let go and allow your head to feel heavy or light.

Lighten the weight in your shoulders.

Open the front of the chest.

Switch off the arm muscles.

They may feel floaty or fuzzy,

Warm or heavy.

Ease off in the forearms.

Unwind the tiny muscles in the hands,

Fingers and thumbs.

Soften the palms.

Open and release.

Loosen around the trunk and belly.

Melt your back muscles into the support.

Give over the weight of the pelvis to gravity.

Rest your organs.

Unwind the large leg muscles.

Allow those muscles to hang easily on the bones.

Become spacious around your knees.

Ease off and unwind the lower leg muscles.

Soften and widen the feet and toes.

Repeat to yourself the word that describes how this feels for your body.

And sink into that sensation.

Consciously acknowledge how it feels so that you can learn how to bring this sensation to your body again.

Enjoy a few moments awake and alert but deeply let go and resting.

And now to transition out of this state of bodily rest.

Begin to deepen your breath and invite in some gentle movement of your fingers and toes.

Gradually expand these movements into stretches.

Gently open your eyes and begin to return your awareness to your surroundings.

And have the intention to keep some of this sense of stillness with you.

Throughout your day and activities you may also be able to notice areas of your body as levels of muscle tension increase.

And as you notice this tightness,

Release and let go.

So now transitioning into the rest of your day.

Enjoy.

Reviews

Really good progressive muscle relaxation, very helpful to me.

Amazing!! Thank you 😊

A nice little softening journey. Thank you! Namaste.