Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a relaxation technique where you clench and then release different muscle groups one by one around the whole body. It has been researched and is an effective, scientifically proven way to relax. It can also be used as a mindfulness exercise by simply being aware of the body more purposely and is perfect to do before meditation.

Transcript

Today I'm going to talk you through a progressive muscle relaxation exercise where we're going to tense each part of the body and then relax each part of the body.

So this exercise is best done lying down making sure that you're comfortable and warm.

So just taking a moment to make sure that you're comfortable and then taking some nice slow deep breaths,

Just helping you to relax and as the breath leaves the body with each out-breath just feel your body sinking down into the floor,

Real bed,

More and more with each exhalation.

And then you can allow the breath to return to a natural rhythm and then bring your awareness to your toes and now I'm going to get you to point your toes and scrunch your toes,

Scrunching your feet as well as hard as you can.

Curling your toes up towards you holding for a few moments and then release your toes and your feet noticing the sensation of relaxation as the tension leaves your feet.

And then doing this one more time so scrunching your toes,

Scrunching your feet,

Bringing as much tension into your toes and feet as you can pointing your toes away from you,

Holding for a few moments and then release.

Now I want you to gently push down into the floor with your heels and tense your legs also pushing down with your buttocks,

Clenching your buttocks,

Clenching your thighs and your calves,

Holding for a few moments and release.

And once again pushing down into the floor with your heels and pushing down with your buttocks and clenching your buttocks,

Clenching your thighs,

Your calves,

Holding for a few moments and release.

Feeling the tension from your buttocks,

Legs draining away.

And then moving up to the back now,

Arch your back up towards the ceiling as if there is a pillow underneath your lower and middle back and move your shoulder blades towards one another so that there is tension in the whole of the back.

Holding here for a moment and release.

Feeling the sensation of relaxation as the tension drains away and then once again arching the lower back,

Bringing the shoulder blades together,

Pushing the back away from the floor so that there is tension in the whole of the back now,

Holding for a few moments and release.

Once again letting that tension drain out of the back and then bringing awareness to your belly and then drawing the belly in and down towards the floor,

Tensing your belly and holding here for a few moments and release.

Letting your belly be completely soft and then once again drawing the belly in,

Clenching your belly,

Holding for a few moments and release.

And now taking a nice big deep breath in and then holding the breath,

Keeping that tension in the chest and then exhale and release that tension.

And one more time taking a nice big long deep breath in,

Holding the breath now,

Feeling that tension in the chest and exhaling and release.

Now we're going to move to the arms and hands,

Bringing your hands by your side,

Your palms facing down and pushing down into the floor with your hands and tensing your lower arms,

Your upper arms,

Feeling into that feeling of tension in the arms and release.

Noticing as that tension drains away from the arms and hands.

And once again engaging the palms next to you,

Pushing down into your palms,

Engaging the whole of your arms,

Your forearms and upper arms and once again release.

Working with the upper arms and the shoulders now,

We're going to lift the shoulders up towards your ears,

Feeling that tension in your shoulders,

Upper arms and into your neck.

Hold for another moment and relax.

Once again shrugging your shoulders up towards your ears,

Feeling that tension in your shoulders and upper arms and perhaps your neck and release,

Letting that tension go.

And then bringing awareness to your jaw and your face.

So bringing a forced smile to your face so that there's tension in your jaw and in your mouth.

Holding with this false smile,

Feeling the tension and release.

Once again letting this false smile come to your face,

Forcing this smile,

Feeling that tension in your jaw and up into your cheeks,

Your mouth.

And release.

Now scrunching both eyes and your nose as tightly as you can,

Feeling the tension once again and gently release,

Letting that tension drain from your face.

One more time,

Scrunching your eyes and your nose,

Holding here,

Feeling into the tension and discomfort and then releasing this tension,

Totally relaxing your face.

And finally becoming aware of your forehead and lifting your eyebrows up as high as you can,

Creating tension in your forehead,

Holding for another moment and release and soften your forehead.

One last time,

Lifting your eyebrows,

Feeling that tension in your forehead,

Holding and release.

Letting the whole face be soft now,

Seeing if you can soften your face even more so and soften your whole body even more so.

Just for a few more moments really feeling into this hopefully very relaxed state.

And when you're ready you can bring a little bit of movement into your fingers and toes and gently open your eyes.

Thank you.

Reviews

Wow, this was so, so, so effective! I felt like I was floating towards the end. I’ve been feeling really anxious lately with the stresses of being a toddler mom and the weather getting increasingly cold. This meditation really helped me relax. I will be practicing it again, thank you!

I really enjoyed this exercise. I have done progressive relaxation for a long time, but you taught me some new ways to add tension that I really found helpful. Thank you.

Lovely guided muscle relaxation practice. Saving this one to use again later!

One of the best of the progressive muscle relaxation meditations

Brilliant exercise.. just the right amount of tension for the time. Lots of involuntary sighs after each and body is warm and relaxed now. Thank you 🙏

Excellent at relaxation techniques and preparing for next steps for sleep with ocean sounds!

Thank you, I really felt able to allow myself to focus with this relaxation.

Excellent muscle relaxation... very effective. Thank you 😌

Clear directions from a teacher with a welcoming, gentle voice. Very relaxing. Thank you.🌺🌸

Wonderful thank you 🙏

Great cues throughout. I feel so relaxed on my most tense of mornings

This is so well paced. Gives time to tense up enough. The feeling after the practice is overall relaxation and calm. I enjoyed it and will continue to. Thank you🙌

Great guided PMR session. Good pace and explanation - thank you! 💞

Very nice and structured progressive muscle relaxation

Great meditation. 13 minutes went by really fast. Voice is good and clear. No music is a plus for me. Good quality recording.

beautiful! I feel great! Thank you so much

If you actually do the work that this meditation requires to be effective, then it’s the shit. If you’re looking for a passive meditation—this is not that. I’ve been practicing kundalini for 5 minutes (2 months) and I feel like the discipline I’ve learned there helped me take this mediation seriously. I guess I’m saying this meditation will be probably be good for yoga practitioners.

And even if you don’t do the work, her swift and direct voice has a wonderful lulling quality to it.

Question for the teacher: is there such thing as passive meditation?

Absolute gold. Finally found a way to relive the tension between my shoulders. Thank you.

Really helps me to relax. Good instruction, soothing and clear.

Really effective! Thank you!