Guided Progressive Muscle Relaxation For Stress Relief

Progressive muscle relaxation is a somatic technique for reducing stress and anxiety. You will be guided through a practice of clenching and unclenching different parts of the body. This process will support you in relaxing the mind and the body.

Transcript

Today we're going to be doing a progressive muscle relaxation exercise and this technique is so beneficial to reducing physical tension within the body as well as anxiety, Emotional and mental stress because what we do is we intentionally give stress to the physical body and then release it through a process of clenching and squeezing different muscles which I'll be guiding you through and this induces a deep state of relaxation after. So let's get started. We'll find our way to a position lying down. If you have a yoga mat that's great. If you want to lay on a towel or lay on your bed or your couch just finding a place where you can fully lay out and feel comfortable in that position and then we'll begin by taking some deep breaths, Inhaling fully so that the belly and the chest expand and then on the exhale releasing that tension. Take a few more rounds here as you sink a little deeper and we'll start to begin the technique. We'll begin with the feet and then we'll move up through the body adding on different parts of the body until we take the full body tension. So we'll start with the feet, Start by squeezing and building tension in the feet, Clenching them, Squeezing them really really really tight and then release it and now we'll move on adding on the shins and the calves, Squeezing the feet, Squeezing the shins, Squeezing the calves, Tensing them up and then releasing it and now we'll move up the legs, Squeezing the feet, The shins and the calves as well as the thighs, Squeezing and tensing all of those muscles really tightly and then releasing them and now we'll move up the legs adding on the glutes and the pelvis and the hips, Squeezing all the muscles from the waist down, Squeezing and tensing them and then releasing it. Now moving up we'll add on the stomach and the abdomen and the lower back, Tensing those muscle groups and areas through the legs, Squeezing and tightening, Tensing, Tensing, Tensing and then releasing it. Now we'll move up through the legs, Up through the abdomen to the chest and the upper back, Squeezing and tensing and tightening all of these muscles including the stomach, The hips, The legs, Squeezing and tensing them and then release. Now we'll move up through the shoulders so tightening all the body from the feet through the chest to the shoulders, Squeezing and tensing and tightening until you release it now. Now we'll move up, Squeezing and tensing all the muscles through the legs, Through the torso, The shoulders and now the biceps, Squeezing and tensing, Tightening all of those muscles and then release it. Now we'll move through all the areas we already took and now adding on the forearms, Squeezing forearms up through the shoulders, Through the body, All the way down and then releasing it. Now we'll tense our body except for the head so everything but the head will be squeezing the legs, The feet, The hips, The waist, The abdomen, The shoulders, Hands, Squeezing, Tightening, Fists, Squeeze and clench it all up and release it. Now we'll move up through the body now adding on the neck and the back of the head so tensing and tightening all the muscles in the body through the back of the head, The neck, Maybe your head lifts off the floor, Tensing and tightening it and then release. Now we'll take the entire body tensing so adding on the face and the jaw, Squeezing and tightening, Make that face tight, Squeeze it all, Tense up the muscles, Squeeze it all the way and then release it now. Now just release, Let go, Relax here, Stay here for as long as you'd like in this state of relaxation until you're ready to move on. Thank you for allowing me to guide you in your muscle relaxation technique today. I'll see you soon.