Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Relax with this progressive muscle relaxation, taking you through the entire body, leaving you relaxed and present with your breath and body. Use this recording as a way to welcome more peace and calm when feeling anxious. Background music from a pedal steel complements the relaxation guided exercise.

Transcript

Go ahead and make sure you're in a relaxed position.

You can be laying down or sitting up,

Whichever you're more comfortable with.

Close your eyes and focus entirely on the sensation of each muscle group.

If you would like,

You can add an image to this process.

For example,

Imagine you are lying outside in the sun,

And the sun is gradually shining on you,

Touching your toes first,

And then moving along your body as you go through this exercise.

We are going to start with the bottom of your feet.

We are going to go ahead and tighten your feet by curling your toes or pushing your feet into the earth,

And holding that tension for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Focusing on your breath and the sensations you are feeling with each muscle group.

We are going to do that again with your feet and toes,

Either curling your toes down or pushing your feet into the earth,

Breathing,

And relax.

We are going to do that one more time.

We are going to focus on your feet and your toes.

Tighten by either curling your toes or pushing your feet into the earth for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

You can wiggle your toes around and your feet around,

Always coming back to your breath.

Your breath is a safe space.

Now we are going to work on the calves and the shins.

We are going to tighten by pointing your toes and feel the stretch down the shin and the contraction in the calf for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Now reverse by pulling your toes up,

Pushing the heel down,

And feeling the stretch down your calf and the contraction in your shin,

And relax.

Always going back to the breath.

We are going to do that again with the calves and the shin.

Tighten by pointing your toes and feel the stretch down the shin and the contraction in the calf for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Now reverse by pulling your toes up,

Pushing the heel down,

And feeling the stretch down your calf and the contraction in the shin for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

One more time with the calves and the shin.

Tighten by pointing your toes down,

Feeling the stretch down the shin and the contraction in your calf.

Now reverse by pulling your toes up,

Pushing the heel down,

And feeling the stretch down your calf and the contraction in the shin for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Relax and breathe into the lower part of your legs.

Now we are going to concentrate on the thighs by tightening and tensing your quad muscles for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Again on your thighs,

Tighten and tense your quad muscles for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Always going back to the breath.

One more time with your thighs.

Tighten and tense your quad muscles.

Now we are going to move into the buttocks by tightening and squeezing together for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Always breathing,

Always honoring the changes and the shifts in what we may feel,

Letting the judgment go,

Allowing our body to understand our breath,

And giving it the attention that it needs and that it deserves.

We are going to go back to the buttocks by tightening and squeezing together for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Again with the buttocks,

Tightening and squeezing together,

And relax.

Focusing again on the breath and the body,

Acceptance,

And just noticing.

Now we are going to move to the back and the abdomen.

We are going to tighten this area by imagining a string pulling your belly button toward the spine for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Maybe even filling the belly up with air and the breath expanding into the chest.

Focus again on the back and the abdomen by imagining a string pulling your belly button toward your spine and holding that for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

And one more time on your back and abdomen,

Tighten this area by imagining a string pulling your belly button toward your spine,

Into your belly,

Down through your toes,

Accepting and noticing any feelings you are having,

Anything your body is trying to tell you.

Now we are going to move into your arms.

Go ahead and tighten your forearms,

Your wrists,

And your hand by clenching your fists for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Wiggle your fingers a little bit,

Move your wrists around,

Whatever feels comfortable.

Notice the shifting after you release that tension.

We are going to do that again with your arms.

Go ahead and tighten your forearms,

Your wrists,

And your hand by clenching your fists for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Feel the blood going back into your hands.

Move your fingers around.

Focus back to your breath.

And one more time,

Tighten your forearms,

Your wrists,

And your hand by clenching your fists for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

We are going to move into our shoulders where a lot of us keep a lot of tension.

I want you to raise your shoulders up,

Hunch them for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Always breathing,

Always accepting,

Always noticing.

Raise your shoulders up again,

Hunch them for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

And one more time,

We are going to focus on the shoulders by raising them up,

Hunching them for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Now we are going to concentrate on the neck.

I want you to go ahead and bring your chin towards your chest.

You will feel a stretch down your back,

Even as far as your lower back,

For 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Let's go ahead and do that again.

Again,

Pull your chin towards your chest for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

And if this is hard for you,

Then maybe don't even pull your head all the way up,

Just to what's comfortable where you can feel that stretch.

Let's do it one more time for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

And we are going to go ahead and tilt your head to one side with the ear moving directly towards the shoulder.

You will feel the stretch as far down as your shoulder blade for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And go ahead and put your head upright.

Feel the warmth flow in where the stretching was.

Now let's do the other side.

Bring that ear to the shoulder,

Moving it in that direction,

Whatever is comfortable for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And bring it back.

Again,

With the start,

Let's bring that ear towards the shoulder for 5,

4,

3.

Remember your breathing.

Now the other side,

Your ear to the shoulder for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Breathing in and out,

Paying attention to your body and how relaxed you are,

The warmth that you feel.

We are going to do that again.

Tilt your head to one side with your ear towards the shoulder for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

Bring it back up.

And for the other side,

Ear towards the shoulder for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And back up.

And one more time,

We are going to tilt your head to one side,

Your ear moving directly over your shoulder.

Bring it back up.

We are going to take a couple breaths here before we do the other side.

Alright,

Let's go ahead and do the other side for 5,

4,

3.

Now we are going to do your face.

I want you to squint your eyes,

Wrinkle your nose,

Pierce your mouth to tighten up your face for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

And remember your breath.

Relaxing all of your muscles,

Accepting,

Feeling the different parts of your body.

We are going to do that again with your face.

Whatever is comfortable to you,

Squint your eyes,

Wrinkle your nose,

And pierce your mouth so you tighten up your face for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Maybe wiggle your face around a little bit.

We are going to do that one more time with your face.

Squint your eyes,

Wrinkle your nose,

And pierce your mouth to tighten your face for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

Now we are going to do your forehead.

I want you to wrinkle your brow for 5,

4,

3.

Remember to breathe.

Remember to notice.

Remember to accept.

Wrinkle your brow again for 5,

4,

3.

We are going to do the forehead one more time by wrinkling your brow for 5,

4.

Finally,

We are going to do the scalp by raising your eyebrows and tightening the scalp for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1.

We are going to concentrate on the scalp again.

Raise your eyebrows to tighten the scalp for 5,

4,

3,

2,

1,

And relax.

One more time with the scalp.

Raise your eyebrows to tighten the scalp and relax.

I want you to go ahead and notice from bottom up the feeling of being completely relaxed from head to toe.

Notice how totally relaxed,

Warm,

And peaceful you are.

Give yourself permission to remain relaxed as long as you desire.

Or,

If you are going to another activity,

Give yourself permission to remain physically relaxed,

Yet refreshed,

Alert,

And fully present while doing it.

Always going back to the breath,

Acceptance,

And noticing.

Reviews

🙏

I actually feel much calmer immediately afterwards.

Very effective thank you. It helped me relax.

Hi Melissa
Thanks for a great meditation
Namaste
🙏