Progressive muscle relaxation is an exercise that relaxes your mind and your body by progressively tensing and relaxing different muscle groups throughout the entire body.
We will scan the body focusing on different parts of the body as we tense them for about five seconds and then release.
If you notice any pain or discomfort at any time or any really uncomfortable sensation during certain targeted muscle group omit that muscle group maybe just visualize the muscles tensing and then relaxing and just noticing a wave of relaxation flowing over your body.
And it's important to remember to keep breathing throughout the entire session.
Now let's begin.
Slowly find a comfortable position maybe laying down trying to find a completely flat surface to lay down on or maybe sitting in a chair allowing your feet to be firmly on the ground and finding a place of support so maybe a back to a chair.
And just slowly come into your breath.
And just allow yourself to breathe slowly breathing in finding your inhale and gently breathing out just allowing any stress to release trying to find a quiet spot to release all of your stress and your tension.
Now slowly bring your focus and attention to your right hand and your right forearm.
Tense hold and squeeze your right hand your right forearm holding here for five seconds.
And now gently release.
Tense your right upper arm squeezing the muscle hold for about five seconds and gently release the muscle and just notice what you feel at this time in your right arm and your right hand.
Now bring your focus and attention to your left hand and your left forearm tensing the muscles maybe squeezing your hand like a fist hold for five seconds and gently release the hand the forearm.
Now bring your focus to tensing your left upper arm hold for five seconds and gently release.
Now bring your focus and attention to your forehead.
Tense your forehead squeezing your forehead muscles hold for five seconds and gently release.
Now bring your focus and attention to your eyes and your cheeks squeezing your cheek muscles squeezing your eyes closed feel the tension hold for five seconds and gently release and relax the face.
Now bring your focus and attention to your mouth and your jaw tense your mouth and your jaw holding for five seconds and gently release relax the entire face.
Now bring your focus and attention to your neck tense all of your neck muscles and hold for five seconds and gently release relax the neck.
Next bringing your focus and attention to your shoulders tense and squeeze your shoulders holding here for five seconds and gently release.
Now bring your focus and attention to the backs of your shoulders your shoulder blades and your back tense and squeeze those muscles hold for five seconds and gently release remember to breathe remember to maybe visualize a wave flowing over your body of just releasing any stress and tension.
Now bringing your focus and attention to your chest and your stomach please intense your chest and your stomach holding here five seconds and gently release and relax moving down your body bringing your focus and attention to your hips and your buttocks tense the hips tense the buttocks squeeze everything in hold for five seconds and gently release and relax.
Now bring your focus and attention to your right upper leg tense and squeeze your right upper leg holding for five seconds and gently release bringing focus and attention to your right lower leg tense and squeeze the right lower leg for five seconds and relax and breathe bringing your focus to your right foot squeeze your right foot your right toes squeeze intense everything in five seconds gently release and relax your right foot your right toes bringing your focus and attention to your left upper leg tense the left upper leg hold for five seconds gently release and relax the left upper leg bringing your focus and attention to your left lower leg squeeze it intense and hold for five seconds and gently release let go relax and breathe and bring your focus and attention to your left foot and your left toes squeeze everything in hold for five seconds and gently release and relax the foot now squeeze your entire body your face your shoulders your hands your toes your feet hold here for five seconds squeezing everything in and gently release maybe side out let everything go just imagine a wave washing over your body releasing any stress and tension and visualizing your entire body relaxed remember to breathe inhaling and slowly exhaling when you're ready gently flutter your eyes open maybe stretch a little bit just notice the relaxation in your body
