Progressive Muscle Relaxation For Sleep

This progressive muscle relaxation can really help improve sleep and overall well-being. Feel the tension melt away as we bring awareness to the different parts of the body. Lower blood pressure and decrease muscle tension to allow the body to relax and recover.

Transcript

So today's meditation is a progressive muscle relaxation.

Find yourself a quiet place to relax.

Make sure your phone is on silent or turned off.

You've got the next 20 minutes for yourself.

This is your time and the time to relax completely.

For this relaxation,

You can either sit or lie down,

Whatever is most comfortable for you.

Just make sure you're warm enough that you're comfortable.

If you're lying down,

You can rest your hands at your sides.

If you're sitting down,

You can rest your hands loosely in your lap.

Whenever you feel comfortable,

You can gently close the eyes.

And begin by just becoming aware of your breathing.

Noticing how your abdomen rises and falls with each breath.

Not changing anything at first,

Just becoming aware.

Now take a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in through your nose,

All the way into your stomach.

Hold that breath for just a moment and then exhale through your mouth.

Allow your breath to carry away all stress and all tension as the air floods out of your lungs.

Take another slow breath in through the nose,

Again filling your lungs completely.

Hold it for a moment and again release the breath through your mouth,

Emptying your lungs completely with the exhale.

Take a third deep breath in,

Hold it for a moment,

Then let it go.

Feel that your body has already begun to change.

The tension you may have been experiencing has begun to loosen and subside.

Now you can let your breathing rhythm return to normal,

Just relax.

In today's relaxation,

I'm going to ask you to tense various muscles throughout your body.

Look to do this without straining,

So you don't need to exert yourself.

Just contract each muscle firmly but gently as you breathe in.

If you feel uncomfortable at any time you can simply relax and breathe normally.

Putting your awareness to your feet and toes.

Breathing in deeply through your nose and as you do,

Gradually curl your toes down and tense the muscles in the soles of your feet.

Hold your breath for just a few seconds and now release the muscles in your feet as you breathe out.

Feel the tension in your feet wash away as you exhale.

Notice how different your feet feel when tensed and when they're relaxed.

Again take another deep breath in,

Tense the muscles in the soles of your feet.

Hold this position for a few seconds and now release.

Feel your body relaxing more and more deeply with each breath and already feel your whole body is becoming heavier,

Softer and more relaxed.

Now bring your awareness to your lower legs,

Your calf muscles.

As you draw in a nice deep breath,

Point your toes up towards your knees and tighten these muscles.

Hold for just a moment and now let the muscles go limp as you exhale.

Once again draw in a deep breath and tighten your calf muscles.

Hold for a few seconds and then let it all go.

Feel your muscles relax and feel the tension washing away with the exhale.

In a moment you'll tense the muscles in the front of your thighs.

If you're lying down you can do this by trying to straighten your legs.

You'll feel the muscles pulling your kneecaps upward.

If you're seated you can tense these muscles by just pushing your heels down onto the floor.

Take a deep breath in and tense the muscles in your thighs.

Hold for just a moment and now release everything.

As you do this you'll notice the blood flow to your muscles increases.

You may notice a bit of a warm tingling sensation.

Enjoy this feeling of soothing relaxation in your thighs.

Again breathe in deeply and tighten your thigh muscles.

Hold for just a moment and then release.

Focus on your muscles going limp and loose,

Allowing your muscles to loosen.

Draw in a nice deep breath and gradually tighten the muscles in your buttocks.

Hold this contraction for just a few seconds and release as you exhale.

Feel the tension leaving your muscles,

Feel them relaxing completely.

Once again breathe in deeply and tighten the muscles in your buttocks.

Hold for a moment and release them.

You're becoming more and more deeply relaxed.

Take another deep breath and this time gradually tighten all of the muscles in your legs from your feet to your buttocks.

Do this in whatever way feels normal,

Natural,

Comfortable to you.

Hold it and now release all these large strong muscles.

Enjoy the sensation of release as you become even more deeply relaxed.

Bring your awareness to your stomach.

Draw in a nice deep breath and then tighten these muscles.

Then you're trying to touch your belly button to your spine.

Now release your breath and let your muscles relax.

Notice the sensation of relief that comes from letting go.

Once again draw in a deep breath and then tighten your stomach muscles.

Hold for just a few moments and then let them relax as you exhale and release all of that tension.

Bring your awareness to the muscles in your back.

As you slowly breathe in arch your back slightly,

Tighten those muscles and now release your breath and let your muscles relax.

Again draw in a deep breath and tighten your muscles in the back.

Hold for just a few moments and then let them relax and release as you exhale.

Now focus your attention on your shoulder muscles and the muscles in your back and neck.

As you slowly draw in a nice deep breath pull your shoulders up towards your ears.

Squeeze these muscles firmly.

Now breathe out completely and allow your contracted muscles to go loose and limp.

Again pull your shoulders up towards your ears and squeeze these muscles firmly.

Feel the tension subside as you relax and exhale.

Feel the heaviness in your body now and enjoy the feeling.

Feel yourself becoming heavier and heavier as you feel yourself becoming more and more deeply relaxed.

You are calm,

Secure and at peace.

Now it's time to let go of all the tension in your arms and hands.

We'll begin with the upper arms and so as you breathe in raise your wrists towards your shoulders as if you are flexing your arms,

Tighten the muscles in your upper arms.

Hold that breath and the contraction for just a moment and now gently lower your arms and breathe all the way out relaxing on the exhale.

You might feel a warm burning sensation in your muscles when you tighten them.

Just feel how relaxing it is to release that tightness and to breathe away all tension.

As you curl your upper arms again tighten the muscles as you breathe in,

Breathing in deeply.

Now relax your arms and exhale.

Now bring your awareness to your forearms.

As you breathe in curl your hands inward as though you're trying to touch the inside of your elbows with your fingertips and as you exhale feel the tension subside allowing yourself to relax fully.

Again take a deep breath in tighten the muscles in your forearms.

Hold it for just a moment and fully relax as you release on the exhale.

Feel the tension washing away.

Now take another breath in tightly clench your fists.

When you finish breathing in hold for just a few seconds and release.

Notice any feelings of buzzing or throbbing.

Notice your hands becoming very soft and relaxed.

Take another deep breath in and clench your fists again hold for just a few seconds and then release allowing your fingers to go limp.

Notice your arms and hands are feeling heavy and relaxed.

Take a couple of nice long slow breaths now and just relax.

Feel yourself slipping in deeper and deeper into this state of complete rest.

Now tighten the muscles in your face by squeezing your eyes shut clenching your lips together.

As you do this breathe in fully hold it.

Now breathe out and relax all your facial muscles and feel your face softening.

Once more breathe in deeply while you scrunch the muscles in your eyes and lips and release.

Now bring your awareness to the muscles in your jaw.

Take a deep breath in and open your mouth as wide as you can.

Feel your jaw muscles stretching and tightening.

Now exhale and allow your mouth to gently close.

Then fill your lungs with air and then open your mouth wide.

Now let your mouth relax and let the breath float all the way out.

You're now completely relaxed from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.

Please take a few more minutes to rest and relax.

Listen to the sound of your breathing and enjoy this feeling.

This warm sensation of physical relaxation.

If you have the time you may wish to pause this recording and feel free to fall asleep.

You will wake feeling completely rejuvenated and relaxed.

If you're a little bit shorter on time we'll just take another minute here.

Rehearsing how it feels to calm the body,

To calm the mind,

To reconnect,

To go within,

To come home.

Living in our heads 24 hours a day can be exhausting and so allowing ourselves this chance to become aware of the need for physical connection and relaxation and the need to go from the external noise to the internal calm.

Good night.

Reviews

Amazing, completely relaxed and so zen, I was actually falling asleep at the end! Thank you ✨ calming voice just perfect!🙃🦋

With that accent you could have read the yellow pages and I’d have relaxed, but the method was something I’ve always loved and it was just the ticket. Cheers. I’m gonna go sleep now 🙏🏻

Thank you for this meditation☺️🙏✨💖 feeling such a relief from all the tention feeling calm and relaxed. Thank you

Thank you 🕊🙏💜

Thank you! I really loved this one; although the tension in my body is often quite severe, your meditation enabled me to release some of that and relax a little bit.

Fantastic calming, relaxing, help ease myuscle pains.

Pat’s voice soothes me. It sounds very natural.

Thank you very much this was super nice and helpful♡♡

I listen to the often , thank hou

This is a wonderful tense and release exercise. Usually that’s not my favorite, but your description of how to do it are much more gentle.

Thank you for this lovely meditation, very relaxing indeed.

Super relaxing. Thank you

This is so lovely! Thank you Pat 👋🏻

Great body scan and relaxation. Thank you.

Excellent! Very relaxing! Thanks

This relaxation was wonderful. Lovely soothing voice and gentle background music...