Now I want you to sit or recline comfortably as we begin the progressive relaxation technique.
You can do this exercise with your eyes open or with your eyes comfortably closed.
It's up to you.
But I want you to start by taking a few moments and adjusting yourself into a nice comfortable position and taking some nice long,
Slow,
Deep comfortable breaths.
And with each breath that you take,
With each word that I utter,
Perhaps you can feel your body relaxing a little bit more.
Some people like to imagine that they're standing underneath a waterfall of relaxation.
Just imagining that relaxation flowing down all over their body,
All the way from the top of their heads right down to the tips of their toes.
But for this exercise,
We're going to concentrate on individual parts of your body.
What I'd like you to do in this exercise is to learn to choose a part and to tense that part up just for a few seconds.
And then what we're going to do is relax that part entirely once again.
So for this exercise,
What I want you to do is to focus all of your attention on your right foot.
Focus all of your attention on that right foot.
And I want you to inhale and at the same time,
Clench all the muscles in that right foot as hard as possible for five seconds.
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Then exhale and release all the tension as you allow all the muscles in that right foot to become loose,
Limp and relaxed.
Move your attention to your right lower leg.
Focus all of your attention on that right lower leg and I want you to inhale and at the same time,
Clench all the muscles in that right lower leg as hard as possible for five seconds.
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Then exhale and release all the tension in that right lower leg.
Let all of the muscles become loose,
Limp and very relaxed.
Now we're going to proceed up to your entire right leg.
Inhaling and tensing for five seconds.
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhaling and relaxing your entire right leg.
Moving your attention to your left foot.
Inhaling and tense for five seconds.
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale and release any tension.
Now to your left lower leg.
Inhale and tense for five seconds.
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale and release that tension.
Now to your entire left leg.
Your entire left leg.
Inhaling and tense for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
And relax.
Exhale and relax.
Release any tension.
Now we're focusing on your right hand.
Inhale and tense that right hand for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale and release any tension in that right hand.
Now to your right forearm.
Inhale and tense for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale and release any tension.
Now your entire right arm.
Inhale and tense for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale and release any tension in that entire right arm.
Now it's time for the left hand.
Inhale and tense that left hand for five seconds.
Four,
Three.
Exhale and release that tension.
Now your left forearm.
Inhale and tense for five,
Four.
Exhale and release any tension.
And now for your entire left arm.
Inhaling and tensing that left arm for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale and release any tension.
Now to your abdomen.
Inhale and tense for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale and release any tension in that abdomen.
Now to your chest.
Inhale and tense that chest for five,
Four,
Three.
Exhale and release any tension in that chest as we focus now on your shoulders and neck.
Your shoulders and neck.
Inhale and tense for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And release that tension.
And lastly your face.
I want you to inhale and tense every muscle in that face for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale and release any tension anywhere in that face.
Allow all the muscles in your entire body to come loose,
Limp and relaxed.
Your entire body may now be experiencing a state of physical calmness.
There may be some tingling sensations throughout because of all the blood flowing through the various muscle groups.
But overall,
That's the progressive muscle relaxation technique.
You can now open your eyes if they're closed and feel how relaxed your entire body is.
This is the technique you need to practice daily.
