Hello and welcome.
My name is Staré,
And today I'm going to guide you through a progressive muscle relaxation practice,
Which is different from passive relaxation.
Instead of simply observing the body,
You'll be gently invited to intentionally tense and then release different muscle groups one at a time.
This process helps the nervous system recognize the contrast between tension and relaxation,
Often making it easier for the body to let go of stress that it may be holding unconsciously.
As you move through each area,
You're not forcing anything,
Just noticing.
Releasing and allowing the body to soften.
If at any point tensing a muscle doesn't feel supportive for you,
You're welcome to simply imagine the release instead.
This practice is about building awareness,
Not effort.
Let's begin.
To begin,
Sit comfortably in a chair with your hands on your lap.
And your feet on the floor.
Bring your awareness to your feet and toes.
Breathe in deeply through your nose and as you do,
Gradually curl your toes and tense the muscles in the soles of your feet.
Hold that tension.
And hold your breath for just a few seconds.
Now release the muscles in your feet as you breathe out.
Feel the tension in your feet wash away as you exhale.
Notice how different your feet feel when they are tense and when they are relaxed Take another deep breath in and point your toes up towards your knees.
Tighten the muscles in your calves.
Hold this position for a few seconds.
Now release feel yourself relaxing more and more deeply With each breath,
Your whole body is becoming heavier,
Softer,
And more relaxed.
Now bring your awareness to your upper legs,
To your thighs.
You can tense these muscles by pushing your heels down to the floor.
Take a deep breath in.
And tense the muscles in your thighs.
Home.
For just a moment.
Then release everything.
As you do this,
The blood flow to your muscles increases.
And you may notice a warm tingling sensation.
Enjoy this feeling of soothing relaxation in your thighs.
Again,
Draw in a nice deep breath.
And gradually tighten the muscles in your buttocks.
Hold this contraction for a few seconds.
And then release.
Build tension leaving your muscles.
Feel them relaxing completely Feel all the tension washing away as you become more and more relaxed.
Take another breath.
Gradually tighten all the muscles in your legs from your feet to your calves to your thighs to your buttocks.
Do this in whatever way feels natural and comfortable to you.
Hold it.
And now release all the muscles.
Enjoy the sensation of release.
As you become even more deeply relaxed.
Now bring your awareness to your stomach.
Draw in a nice deep breath.
And then tighten your stomach muscles.
Imagine you are trying to touch your belly button to your spine.
Now release.
And let your muscles relax.
Notice the sensation of relief that comes from letting go.
Bring your awareness to the muscles in your back As you slowly breathe in,
Arch your back and slightly tighten these muscles.
Now release your breath and let your muscles relax.
Now give your attention to your shoulder muscles and the muscles in your neck.
As you slowly draw in a nice deep breath,
Pull your shoulders up towards your ears and squeeze these muscles firmly.
Now breathe out,
Completely drop your shoulders and allow your contracted muscles to go loose and limp.
Now lower your chin to your chest.
Notice the tension at the back of your neck.
Bring your hand slowly back up to the center.
Slowly tilt your head back and notice the sensation again.
Slowly bring your head back to the center Feel the heaviness in your body and enjoy the feeling of relaxation.
Feeling yourself become heavier and heavier Feel yourself becoming more and more deeply relaxed.
You are calm,
Secure and at peace now.
It is time to let go of all the tension in your arms and hands.
Let's start with your upper arms.
As you breathe in,
Lift your wrist towards your shoulders.
Make a fist and tighten the muscles in your upper arms.
Hold that contraction for just a moment.
And then gently lower your arms and breathe all the way out You may feel a warm burning sensation in your muscles when you tighten them.
Feel how relaxing it is to release that tightness and to breathe away all the tension.
Now bring your awareness to your forearms.
As you breathe in,
Curl your hands.
And wrist as though you're trying to touch the inside of your elbows with your fingertips.
Now breathe out and feel the tension subside.
Take another breath in and tightly clench your fist.
Off for just a few seconds.
And then release.
Let your fingers go limp Your hands are becoming very soft.
Your arms and your hands are feeling heavy and relaxed.
Take a couple of nice long slow breaths now.
And just relax.
Feel yourself slipping even deeper into a state of complete rest now.
Now I want you to tighten the muscles in your face by squeezing your eyes shut and clenching your lips together.
As you do,
Breathe in fully.
Hold it.
Now breathe out.
And relax all the muscles in your face.
Feel your face softening Now bring your awareness to the muscles in your jaw.
Take a deep breath in.
And then open your mouth as wide as you can.
Feel your jaw muscles stretching and tightening.
Now exhale and allow your mouth to gently close again.
Fill your lungs with air.
And then open your mouth wide.
And let your mouth relax.
Let your breath come all the way out.
You are now completely relaxed from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
Please take a few more minutes to relax.
Listen to the sound of your breathing.
And enjoy the lovely warm sensation of physical relaxation.
When you are ready.
Bring your attention back to the room around you and come back to the present moment.
Feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.
As we close out this meditation,
Take a moment to notice the sense of ease in your body.
You may feel lighter,
More grounded,
Or simply more aware.
All of that is welcome.
This practice can be especially helpful when you're feeling physically tense,
Emotionally overwhelmed,
Or before rest or sleep.
You're invited to return to it anytime your body needs support in releasing and resetting.
Move gently back into your day or evening.
Carrying this sense of relaxation with you.
