Progressive Muscle Relaxation To Reduce Stress & Anxiety

One of the most effective ways to relieve anxiety in a safe, healthy, and effective way is to induce the relaxation response through Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR. PMR is the most evidence-based relaxation exercise for stress and anxiety reduction. It works on the basis that relaxation is incompatible with tension. PMR involves tensing different muscles groups in a systematic way and then releasing them to create a deep state of relaxation in your body and your mind.

Transcript

Loosen any tight clothing and remove your shoes and sit or lie down in a comfortable position.

When you're ready,

Slowly close your eyes.

And now take a few long,

Slow,

Deep breaths all the way into your abdomen.

Inhale slowly with each breath and as you exhale,

Breathe out all the tension from your body.

Inhale and exhale.

Breathing in your own easy and relaxed way.

Now direct your attention to your body.

Listen to the sounds and notice the feelings and movements of your body.

Scan your body from the tips of your toes all the way up to the top of your head.

Notice any tension in your body.

You are becoming aware of the areas of your body that are feeling tight or stiff or experiencing pain or strain.

As you bring these areas into your awareness,

Be willing to observe these physical experiences and accept them as part of your current reality.

Through acceptance,

We no longer struggle against unpleasant or distressing thoughts,

Feelings or physical sensations.

We see them as part of our experience and then we can take steps to improve our reality if this is possible.

One way to release the tension from our bodies and our minds is through slowly and methodically tensing and releasing our muscles from the tips of our toes to the top of our heads.

Turn your attention to your toes and feet.

Now tighten your feet by curling your toes downwards and feel the tension in your feet as you hold it there.

And release.

Let your feet relax.

Feel your feet relaxing more and more with each breath.

And now tighten your calf muscles by pulling your toes towards you and hold.

Feel the tension in your calves as you hold it there.

And relax.

Feel your calf muscles release as they let go of tension.

They are feeling warm and relaxed.

Now turn your attention to the muscles in your thighs.

Extend your legs and squeeze your thigh muscles and hold it there.

And relax.

Release any remaining tension from your thighs.

Let your muscles relax.

Notice how your legs feel after tensing and then relaxing your muscles from the top of your thighs to the tips of your toes.

What do you notice?

Take a few moments to observe the sensations in your legs.

Now tighten your buttocks by squeezing them together and hold.

And release.

Feel your muscles relaxing more and more with each breath.

Observe the feeling for a moment as you feel yourself sinking into the surface you are sitting or lying on.

And now concentrate on your lower back.

Gently arch your back and hold it there.

And release.

Let your back settle into a relaxed position.

Feel the warmth in your muscles as your lower back feels more and more relaxed.

Now direct your attention to your stomach.

Sense your stomach by sucking your stomach in and holding it there.

And release.

Let go of your stomach.

Feel it moving to its natural position as you release the tension from your stomach,

Relaxing it more and more with each breath.

Now tighten the muscles in your chest by taking a long,

Deep breath until your chest is ready to burst.

And then take in one more little puff and hold it.

And now exhale slowly as the tension in your chest drifts away.

Notice the muscles in your chest becoming more and more relaxed as you exhale.

As you breathe normally you notice the tension slipping away with each exhalation.

You feel warm and heavy,

Peaceful and relaxed.

Feel how smooth and soft and warm your muscles are from your chest to your toes.

And as you observe this feeling release any tension you feel and let these muscles relax more and more.

Now turn your focus to your upper back.

Focus on your upper back by pushing your shoulder blades back as if you're trying to touch them together.

And relax.

Let your back and shoulders return to a natural and comfortable position.

And now concentrate on your hands.

Be aware of how they feel.

Now clench your hands into fists.

Touch them as hard as you can and hold it.

Now release.

Your hands are now open and lying comfortably by your side.

You notice the difference between the feeling of clenching your hands and letting them open into their natural position.

Let your hands and fingers rest how they want and where they naturally want to be placed.

Observe your experience of sensations in your hands and fingers.

And now pay attention to the upper part of your arms and tighten your biceps by drawing your forearms up towards your shoulders like you're making a muscle with both arms and hold it.

Now relax.

As your arms straighten,

Your biceps are released of tension.

Feel the sensations in your arms as they let go of the tension and gently fall back down by your side.

Take a moment to observe how your arms feel from the top of your arms to the tips of your fingers.

They're feeling more and more relaxed,

Warm and relaxed.

Now direct your attention to your shoulders.

Scrug your shoulders as high as you can and hold it there.

Now let your shoulders go.

Feel them droop down as you release the tension and let them relax.

Feel the muscles in your shoulders relax more and more.

Now focus on the muscles in your neck.

Tighten the muscles of your neck by slowly and gently pulling your head back as if you were to look at the ceiling.

And relax.

Feel the muscles in your neck loosening as the tension slips away.

Take a few deep breaths and enjoy the feeling.

Your muscles in your neck and shoulders feel more relaxed as they return to their natural position.

Your neck is still.

Your shoulders are drooping.

Feel the weight of your arms as your shoulders relax and your neck relaxes.

Spend a few moments noticing the feeling in your neck and shoulders.

And now turn your attention to your face.

Notice any tension you may be feeling in your face.

Now tense your jaw by clenching your teeth and hold it there.

And release.

Feel your jaw relax as it loosens.

Your jaw now hangs loose as your lips begin to part.

Notice how the bottom half of your face feels as it settles into its natural position releasing all the tension from your jaw.

Now smile widely feeling your mouth and cheeks tense and hold it there.

And release appreciating the softness in your face as you release the tension.

Now concentrate on your eyes.

Notice any tension in and around your eyes.

Tense the muscles around your eyes by clenching your eyelids tightly shut and hold it.

And relax.

The muscles around your eyes are feeling more and more relaxed and you feel the tension slipping away from your eyes and your face.

Now turn your attention to your forehead.

Tense the muscles in your forehead by raising your eyebrows as far as you can and feel the tension in your forehead and hold it.

And relax.

Your forehead returns to its natural position feeling smoother and more relaxed.

You've tensed and relaxed the muscles all over your body.

Take a moment to notice how you are feeling in your body.

Now scan your body for any remaining tension.

If you feel tension in any muscle in your body take a few moments to release any remaining tension.

You feel a wave of relaxation envelop your entire body.

You relax the muscles in your body from your toes to your head.

And now the relaxed feeling is seeping down from your head throughout your body down to your toes.

Feel the weight of your body as it relaxes.

Your muscles feel warm and relaxed.

When you allow yourself to release tension from your body your mind follows leaving you feeling more calm,

Peaceful and relaxed.

Notice these feelings as a wave of contentment washes over you.

Observe this state of contentment and calm.

Remember this feeling.

Let your mind and body appreciate this state.

Now focus your attention on your breath noticing the cool air coming in as you inhale and the warm breath flow out of you as you exhale.

Notice how you are feeling relaxed and refreshed with each breath.

A quiet and warm energy fills your body.

Notice how relaxed and yet how strong you are feeling.

Now I'm going to count back from 5 to 1 and as I count you will feel more and more alert and refreshed.

5,

4,

3,

2,

And 1.

Allow your body to feel fully alive and flowing with plenty of energy.

Stretch your arms over your head and wiggle your toes.

Enjoy the feeling of being calm,

Relaxed and refreshed.

And when you are ready open your eyes.

And if you're lying down slowly sit up.

And if you are sitting you may stand up when you're ready and continue your day.

Reviews

Awesome

So invigorating. Just what I needed in this moment.

Very relaxing and calming. Thanks

The teacher gave very clear directions for a relaxing each part of my body. Thank you very much. Namaste. 🌺🌸