Hi there.
Today we're going to work on a progressive relaxation.
Before we get started,
Be sure to turn off all distractions and find a comfortable position where you can either sit or lie down.
Let's begin.
Allow your eyes to softly close and let's draw the awareness to the breath to the point wherever you notice or feel the breath the most.
This might be the abdomen,
The chest,
Or the nostril point.
As you station the awareness into this location,
Allow yourself to receive a few deep cleansing breaths to become fully embraced into this very moment.
You don't need to shift nor change the breathing.
Just allow it to softly enter and release.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing in and breathing out.
As you start to rest more fully into this moment,
Let's begin to release and let go of any tensions you might find being held in the body.
As we do this,
We'll encourage the body to release any and all known or unknown tensions.
So let's start this by bringing the focus or awareness to the top of your head.
And as you exhale,
Allow your scalp to relax.
Relax the back of your head.
Wrap the awareness around the head towards the ears and invite your ears to relax.
Then draw your awareness to your eyes and just allow the eyes and all of those little tiny fine lines in and around the eyes to let go.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Now invite yourself to relax the upper cheeks,
The lower cheeks,
And the jaw.
Allow your teeth to separate just slightly and even the tongue can relax in the mouth.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Now begin to relax your neck more fully and now your shoulders.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Gently become aware of your right arm and let go of the upper right arm,
Letting the upper right arm relax.
Then invite relaxation to draw down into the lower right arm and into your right wrist and the fingers of the right hand release to their natural curve.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Now become aware of your left arm and let that relaxation spill down the upper left arm,
The lower left arm.
In time,
Let it flow down into the left wrist until the fingers of the left hand release to their natural curve.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Softening the torso now,
Relaxing the heart space,
The physical heart beating in the chest.
And slowly now begin to elongate your breathing.
Just watch as the lungs softly expand and collapse.
Expanding,
Collapsing,
And to allow yourself to let go even more completely.
Draw the focus down towards the area of the abdomen.
Feel the belly rise and fall with the breath.
And so you continue to inhale and exhale,
Just letting go.
As you scan the area of the torso,
Notice the movement in the area of the rib cage,
Just sensing the expanding of the rib cage to the sides.
As you exhale,
A gentle hug of the body,
The movement of the ribs.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Notice how the stomach has softened even more.
You're releasing any gripping or any sense of holding here.
And you invite yourself to relax so completely as you find the pelvic floor releasing.
So completely relaxed now.
And we continue all the way into the lower body.
Relax your right hip,
The right thigh,
Your right shin bone,
Front of the right knee,
The back of the right knee.
Take that relaxation and feel it spilling right down into your right ankle,
The right foot,
And all of the toes.
Breathing in and breathing out.
As you slowly draw your awareness now to your left hip,
Relaxing it as you release more completely the left thigh,
The left shin bone,
The front of the left knee,
The back of the left knee.
So the shin bone and the ankle release more.
And that relaxation draws all the way down and into the left.
Allow yourself to be at ease.
It feels so good to let go of any concerns you might have had this week or concerns from this day.
As you invite yourself to simply rest,
Rest into this moment.
Very good.
And now softly bring the focus back to the physical body.
Notice the breath coming and going.
And as you feel ready,
Start to allow movement to unfold,
Starting to wiggle the fingers,
The toes.
Invite yourself to receive a nice long stretch of the body.
Maybe swoop your arms up and overhead,
A yawn or a sigh or a wiggling around.
And you allow yourself to be back.
