Progressive Muscle Relaxation Meditation

A calming body-based practice to release stored tension and invite ease. In this episode, you’ll be guided to gently contract and soften different muscle groups throughout the body, helping the nervous system recognise the difference between holding on and letting go. A practice for winding down, easing stress, and releasing what no longer serves you.

Transcript

Hello, Welcome back. I'm Sarah, A somatic facilitator and coach, Here to help you build nervous system resilience so you can live up to your fullest potential with ease and confidence. I'll be guiding you through meditation, Breath work, Visualization, And deep rest so that you can explore the pause between where you've been and where you're going. Welcome to Liminal Space. Today I'll be taking you through a guided meditation called progressive muscle relaxation. It's a simple but powerful technique to help the nervous system down regulate by intentionally tensing and then releasing different muscles in the body. The contrast between effort and ease allows the body to recognize what relaxation actually feels like and catch any areas that are being held embraced without intention. There's nothing to achieve here, You're not trying to fix your state, We're just exploring the difference between holding and letting go. If at any point you want to soften your effort, Please honor the intensity of the energy your body needs. I find this technique is best practiced lay down, But find a place that works for you right now, Somewhere your body feels supported and start to settle into the shape you choose. Maybe your eyes start to close or your gaze lowers. Can you notice the softness from within? With each breath your body relaxes and a sense of heaviness washes over the body. Take three clearing breaths, A slow inhale and a sigh out of the mouth. Ah another deep in through the nose and slow emptying as you sigh out. Final time fill the lungs and let everything go. Ah and now drawing your awareness to your toes, Gently start to tense the toes. Notice the effort this takes and hold for just a moment and then release. Feel the toes soften and the feet completely relax. Notice the difference between tensing and letting go. Draw your attention up to the legs and start to gently engage. The muscles start to tighten as you feel the backs of the legs pressing into the earth beneath you. Just an activation, No need to strive and hold here. Find that effort and then release. Let the legs go heavy, No holding, No contracting. Feel them drop into the surface beneath you. Observe that sensation of easing and relaxing. Now gently bring your awareness to the hips and the glutes, Bringing a small activation to the middle of the body, Holding this effort. Feel the contraction and then release. Let everything melt and be held, Creating space in the act of letting go. Your awareness is now drawn to the abdomen and torso. Create a light engagement, Draw the belly button in and up and hold. Slowly soften, Let the breath move freely. Observing the difference between this act of contraction and softening. Observing the difference between the sensations of effort and ease. Allow your awareness to drift towards your hands, Gently clenching them into fists, Feeling the tension rise into the forearms, Holding this and then release. The fingers unfurl and the hands rest heavy and open. You gently start to engage the arms, Slightly flexing the muscles as you hold and you feel the tightness before letting everything go. The arms drop heavy in their sockets. Your awareness makes its way to the shoulders as you start to lift them up towards your ears. You're holding, Feeling a slight bracing rise through the neck and then relax, Let them fall away from any effort. Notice the difference in the space around the upper torso. Bring your awareness to your face, Gently scrunching the muscles around the eyes, The forehead wrinkles, The jaw clenches. Feeling the strain build as you hold and then release. The face completely softens, The tongue rests on the roof of your mouth and your eyes feel heavy in their sockets. And as the body is at ease, Starting to map the whole body, Scanning for any residual tension from the toes to the crown of the head. And if you meet any tightness, You don't need to fix it, Perhaps just weakening any bracing that's present. And then observing your breath as it breathes its natural rhythm, No manipulating or controlling, Just simply happening without effort. And witness the quality of your body right now, Exactly as it is, Not evaluating but sensing from the inside out. And just reflect on the experiences of shifting between effort and ease. Maybe you sense a shift energetically, Perhaps you notice certain areas that you are holding unintentionally. The next few breaths are a space for you to just absorb the experience. Notice the body sinking, Soft, Relaxed. And when you are ready, Delicately awaken the body. If the body urges to move, Allow the expansion of this urge and then let the eyes open to take in your surroundings. Carry this sense of release with you into the rest of your day, Without needing to hold on to it. Rest well, And I'll see you next week.