Soothe Now: Mini Progressive Muscle Relaxation Practice

You deserve this. It’s a specific, evidence-based practice for relaxation. This Mini Progressive Muscle Relaxation is an exercise that relaxes your mind and body, as well as soothes your nervous system in just a few moments. We do this by progressively working through certain muscle groups of the body, by tensing and relaxing these muscles. We will tense each muscle, but without too much of a strain, for around 5 seconds. We then release that tension, appreciating what it feels like to relax. Please be mindful of any injuries or parts of your body that are in pain, or susceptible to pain.

Transcript

Progressive muscle relaxation is an exercise that relaxes your body and mind as well as soothes your nervous system.

Please be mindful of injuries or parts of your body that are in pain or susceptible to pain.

Know that you can visualize certain parts of your body relaxing and that can be just as effective.

Start by curling your toes under and tensing your feet and your calves.

Curling your toes under one two three four five and release the tension.

Now flex your feet by pulling your toes upwards towards you.

Feel the tension in your calves one two three four five and release the tension.

Now tighten your left thigh by straightening your left leg and pointing your toes so that your left thigh muscle feels stiff.

One two three four five and release the tension.

Now tighten your right thigh by straightening your right leg and pointing your toes so that your right thigh muscle feels stiff.

One two three four five and release the tension and continuing.

Now tightening your buttocks.

Feel the tension in your hips one two three four five and release the tension.

Feel your hips relax.

Now gently arch your lower back.

Feel the muscles in your spine tighten.

One two three four five and release the tension.

Feeling that relaxation and the tension dissolve.

Now tightening the muscles of the stomach by sucking your stomach in towards your spine.

One two three four five and release the tension.

And now tightening your chest.

Do this by taking a very deep breath in and hold this breath one two three four five and release.

Now tense your upper back.

Do this by pulling your shoulder blades back.

Try to make your shoulder blades touch together.

One two three four five and release.

Now lift your shoulders up as high as they can go as though they are touching your ears.

One two three four five.

Let your shoulders drop.

Release the tension.

Nice and loose.

Nice and heavy.

Now tighten your triceps,

The back of your arms by extending your arms out and locking your elbows.

One two three four five and release.

Now flex your upper arms,

The biceps,

Both together.

Ready?

One two three four five.

Relax.

Appreciating relaxation in your arms in this moment.

Now tightly clench both fists.

Ready?

One two three four five and release.

Connecting to your out-breath.

Beautiful.

And now getting a sense of the fact that in practicing this this was an act of self-care.

Reviews

Great relaxation exercise! Will use this in between client sessions to help reset. Thank you!

Very simple
Quick
Great self care
Released tension

Very helpful in relieving stress and tension. I appreciated how you explained the process clearly and with care. Thank you 😊 🙏

Thank you Reuben. Good relaxation in the morning. 🙏🕊🦋🧡