Hello and welcome.
This is Natalia Michelson and I'm grateful you're joining me today for a progressive muscle relaxation meditation.
This is a wonderful way to deepen relaxation and offer relief from anxiety.
Throughout this practice,
I will invite you to flex different parts of your body.
As you increase tension in your body while flexing,
Do so without straining.
If you're unable to flex a particular area,
Or if it hurts to do so,
I encourage you to skip that area and shift your focus to your breath.
Let us begin our practice.
I invite you to get into a comfortable position Feel free to lie down or sit comfortably.
Allow yourself to gently close your eyes or soften your gaze Let's get started with a slow,
Deep inhale through your nose.
And exhale out through your mouth really allowing yourself to settle into this practice Let's shift your attention down to your feet.
Start by rotating your feet in little circles,
Wiggling your toes gently bring awareness to them.
Now slowly pause any movement here and begin to curl your toes creating tension throughout your feet in your arches and in your toes holding onto the tension for a few moments here and release.
Allowing your feet to become heavy and perhaps naturally drift apart from each other.
Let's take another deep breath in through your nose and exhale out through your mouth.
Releasing any lingering tension in your feet or in your body Now shift your focus to your legs and glutes.
You can create tension here by squeezing your glutes together and tightening your legs.
Holding on to the tension here without straining and release allowing your legs and glutes to fully relax and gently sink into the earth as you notice this feeling of relaxation in your body Let's take another deep breath in through your nose and exhale out through your mouth.
Shift your attention to your abdomen.
Squeezing your abdominal muscles here creating tension and holding for a few moments and release allowing your body to fully relax allowing your belly to soften Another deep breath in here.
.
.
And a long exhale out.
Let's now bring your attention to your chest and the muscles surrounding your lungs.
Let's take another deep inhale through your nose and hold generating tension in your lungs.
And in a slow and controlled exhale through your mouth.
Release the air you've been holding in your lungs release the tension in your chest allowing your chest to fully relax and sink in focusing on this feeling of relaxation take another slow inhale in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Now bring your attention to your forearms and hands.
Gently move your wrists in little circles and wiggle your fingers now pause any movement here and slowly begin to close your hands creating fists building tension in your forearms and hands allowing that tension to radiate up into your arms hold on to this tension and remember not to strain and release.
Noticing your arms go limp and allowing the feeling of tension and stress to melt away let's take another breath in here and exhale out.
Shift your attention to your shoulders and neck gently roll or wiggle your shoulders roll or wiggle your neck.
Now pause any movement here and begin to slowly move your shoulders up up and into your ears building tension and holding and release,
Allowing your shoulders and neck to be heavy and fully relaxed really noticing the feeling of relaxation take a breath in here and breathe out Now let's move your attention to your face.
Begin by contorting the muscles in your face,
Squeezing your eyes shut,
Growing your brows,
Scrunching your nose Pursing your lips and holding on to this tension now release any tension in your eyes,
Eyebrows,
Nose,
Lips allowing for all of your face muscles.
Relax,
Soften notice what this feeling of relaxation is like Let's take another breath here and an owl.
Now shift your attention to your whole body.
And begin creating tension.
Curling your toes,
Tensing your legs,
Glutes,
Abdomen hands,
Arms,
Shoulders,
Neck face muscles holding on to this tension.
Remembering not to strain.
And release all of the tension throughout your body.
Allowing your body to melt and sink in allowing it to be supported by the earth beneath you noticing this feeling of relaxation radiating throughout your entire body Let's take another slow,
Deep inhale here and long exhale out.
Notice the feeling deep relaxation throughout your body.
Notice if there's any lingering tension in your body Gently and slowly release it.
Continuing to melt and sink into the earth Let's take a few more deep breaths here into your nose and out through your mouth in again through your nose and out through your mouth continue breathing at your own pace As you're breathing,
Slowly and gently begin to introduce slight movement back into your body.
Moving your toes,
Feet abdomen.
Fingers hands,
Arms shoulders,
Neck space.
Gently waking up each part of your body inviting some very gentle movement in a way that feels good and when you're ready.
Bring your awareness to the present moment you may flutter your eyes open or lift your gaze Thank you for meditating with me today.
Take lots of care.
