Welcome.
This is a short practice called releasing tension.
You can use this anytime you feel you have stored stress or tension in your body such as your neck,
Your shoulders,
Your jaw.
Begin by taking a deep breath in and out,
Releasing any tension and worry as you exhale.
Take a moment to notice your body resting on the chair or the ground.
Surrender all thoughts and see them drift away.
Now we'll begin to progressively tense and relax the whole body,
Starting with the face.
Start to tense your face,
Sticking your tongue out as far as you can,
Opening your mouth,
Your jaw,
Tightening the jaw,
The ears,
The eyes,
The cheeks,
Everything top.
Hold.
Hold.
Just a little more.
And now relax.
Relax your entire face.
Notice all sensations in your body.
Now moving to your shoulders and neck.
Keep your face relaxed,
But begin to scrunch your shoulders,
Shoulder blades and neck,
Holding tension in those areas.
Hold.
Hold.
And now relax.
Move your shoulders.
Let them completely relax.
Your neck relaxed.
Feel how this impacts your body.
Now start bringing tension into the left hand and arm,
Starting with the fingers,
Making a fist,
Tightening the palms,
The forearm,
All the way to the top of the left arm,
Holding the tension.
Stay with it just a few more seconds.
Hold.
And release,
Let go.
Shake your left hand and arm out,
And then let it completely relax.
Notice how this feels.
Just be present to the sensations,
No judging.
Now moving to the right hand and arm,
Bringing tension into the right hand,
The fist,
Fingers,
Palm,
And extend that tension up the arm,
The forearm,
The upper arm,
The whole arm in tension,
Holding,
Holding,
Holding.
Hold just a little longer.
And then release.
Let go.
Shake your left hand and arm out,
And then let it completely relax.
How does this feel?
Notice the sensation.
Now bringing tension into your entire torso,
Both front and back,
The upper chest,
Middle torso,
Abdomen,
Whole back,
The butt muscles,
Holding everything but letting your mouth stay relaxed.
If you think you can't continue to hold,
Try to do so anyway,
Just a few more seconds.
Let the mind take a back seat as you hold.
Hold.
And now completely relax,
Let your body surrender to the ground or the chair that you're practicing on.
Now moving to the pelvis and sacrum,
Tightening,
Squeezing,
Holding.
And now relax,
Let go.
And notice how you feel.
Now we'll begin to tense the left leg all the way up to the left hip,
Tensing the toes,
Foot,
Ankle,
Knee,
Left thigh and hip.
Hold,
Hold just a little bit more.
And release,
Let go.
Feel how this impacts your body and mind.
Now switching to the right leg.
Tense the foot,
Toes,
Ankle,
Knee,
Thigh,
All the way up to the right hip.
Hold,
Hold,
And release.
Relax completely.
And notice sensation in your body.
Now bring tension into the whole body starting with the feet and legs,
Pelvis,
Sacrum,
Hips,
The back,
Up the torso to the chest,
Shoulders,
Arms and hands,
Neck,
Jaw,
Mouth,
The whole face,
Whole body in tension.
Hold,
Hold.
Just dare to go a little bit longer than you think you can.
And now release,
Relax.
Let your body be completely at ease,
Soft,
Loose,
And open.
Now rest for a moment at the space between the eyebrows and feel all sensation in your body.
Notice how different you feel than before you started.
And know that you can use this releasing tension practice anytime that you need.
Have a great day.
