Progressive Muscle Relaxation | Meditation Northern Lights

Next stop - the illustrious Northern Lights! The breathtaking vision of this wonder is intertwined with progressive muscle relaxation and 4-7-8 breathing which are very effective methods for initiating mindfulness and relieving stress and anxiety quickly. Progressive muscle relaxation is based on the premise that muscle tension is the body's psychological response to anxiety-provoking thoughts and that muscle relaxation blocks anxiety. Individuals who have injuries should speak with a doctor before performing the exercise.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the Travel with Meditation podcast.

My name is Pam and I am honored to accompany you on this journey today.

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Please only listen to this podcast if you are in a situation where it is safe for you to potentially fall asleep.

Being fully in the present moment is a precious gift that we can give ourselves.

I invite you to accept this gift along our journey today.

When you are experiencing anxiety,

Stress or worry,

One of the ways your body responds is by tightening up.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a relaxation technique that helps you release the tension you are holding in your body so that you can feel more relaxed and calm.

The technique is simple.

Working through the body,

Tense one muscle group at a time and then release the tension and notice the contrasting feeling of relaxation.

Not only does progressive muscle relaxation help relieve anxiety in the moment,

But with regular practice,

It can lower your overall tension and stress levels.

Find a comfortable place to sit with your back straight.

Close your lips and inhale through your nose for a count of 4.

Hold your breath for a count of 7.

Inhale completely through your mouth for a count of 8.

When you are ready,

We will repeat this.

Close your lips and inhale through your nose for a count of 4.

Hold your breath for a count of 7.

Exhale completely through your mouth for a count of 8.

Stay how you are seated or recline,

However you feel most comfortable.

Take one more deep breath.

When you are ready,

Close your eyes.

In this meditation,

We will be practicing progressive muscle relaxation,

But before that we will travel to our next destination,

The Northern Lights.

Imagine that you are in the middle of a wide open area and you are stepping on a light layer of soft,

White,

Glistening snow.

There are some small trees around and they are all bare without leaves.

There are small mountains surrounding the space that are decorated with a beautiful layer of snow.

You see a comfortable chair and you imagine yourself sitting in this chair and reclining back.

It is a beautiful night.

The sky is twinkling with stars that are brightly in view.

The air is crisp and cool and it feels easy to breathe.

Slowly they appear,

The Northern Lights.

Great green lights fill the sky as if it was painted with watercolor paint.

The lights appear to dance in the sky as different hues of bright blues and greens swish around.

You cannot stop looking at this beautiful sky.

You feel content and relaxed and captivated by this view.

You will go back to looking at the sky,

But for now you are going to turn your attention inward.

We are now going to work on releasing all the tension in your body by going through every muscle group in the body by tensing each area for about 5 seconds and then letting go and feeling the muscles loosen.

It is important to feel the tension in each muscle group and hold it tightly,

But you shouldn't be feeling pain or cramps.

If you have injuries or pain in any area,

Skip that step and refrain from overdoing any area.

Focus on your forehead.

Wrinkle your forehead,

Then raise your eyebrows as high as they'll go.

Hold.

Feel the tension in your forehead and scalp.

And release.

Feel your forehead relax,

Your eyebrows soften,

All of the tension melting away.

Now scrunch up your face.

Squeeze your eyes closed.

Tense your cheeks.

Hold.

And release.

Feel your face feeling soft and relaxed.

Become aware of the difference between the tensed muscles and the relaxed muscles.

Now focus on your mouth and jaw.

Open your mouth as wide as you can and feel the tension in your jaw.

Hold.

And release.

Relax your jaw and let your mouth gently drop open.

Let the tension soften.

Notice the difference between a tense jaw and a relaxed jaw.

Now focus on your neck.

If you're sitting upright,

Let your head fall back so that your eyes are positioned looking up at the ceiling or sky.

Now gently tense your neck muscles while paying attention not to strain.

Hold.

And release.

Bring your head back down,

Gently dropping your chin to your chest if you're sitting upright.

Or feeling your neck sink into the surface you're on if you're lying down.

Now focus on your shoulders.

Lift your shoulders up towards your ears,

Tensing as you lift.

Hold.

And release.

Gently move your shoulders back down.

Breathe in and out.

Notice the changes from before and after you let your shoulders soften.

Next,

Bring your attention to your chest.

Take a deep breath,

Filling your lungs as full as you can.

Tense your ribcage and upper back.

Start that inhale.

And exhale.

Feel the relaxation.

Visualize all your tension and stress dissolving out of your chest,

Exiting more and more with each exhale.

Now bring your attention to your left hand.

Slowly clench your fist and bend it back at the wrist.

Feeling the tension in your fist and up your forearm.

Hold and release.

Feel the looseness in your hand and forearm.

Breathe deeply,

Noticing the contrast with the tension.

Feel the wonderful relaxation.

Next,

Move up to your left upper arm.

Hold your left arm and flex like you're making a muscle.

Tense your bicep as tightly as you can.

Hold and release.

Bring your arm back down,

Letting it fall limp.

Breathe deeply as you enjoy the feeling of relaxation.

Now,

Turn your attention to your right hand and slowly clench your fist,

Bending it back at the wrist.

Feeling the tension in your fingers,

Wrist,

And forearm.

Hold and release.

Feel your hand and forearm relax.

Exhale deeply.

Exhale even more deeply.

Notice the relaxation.

Take another deep breath and then bring your attention to your right upper arm.

Bend your arm up and flex your bicep like you're making a muscle.

Tense your arm as tight as you can.

Hold and release.

Dropping your arm back down by your side,

Notice the way your muscles have softened and feel comfort in this relaxation.

Inhale in and breathe out.

Release all the tension on the exhale.

Now bring your attention to your belly.

Feeling your stomach muscles while at the same time trying your best to keep other muscle groups relaxed.

All the tension concentrated in your core.

Hold and release.

Feel the way your stomach softens and sinks with relaxation.

Continue to breathe,

Taking deep belly breaths.

Keeping your stomach loose.

Inhaling and exhaling.

Feel the relaxation deeper and deeper.

Next,

Turn your attention to your back.

Attch your back away from the chair or surface you're on.

Squeezing your shoulder blades.

Tightening your lower back.

Hold and release.

Feel the tension melt away.

Feel your muscles loosen.

Let your back sink deeper into the surface of where you are sitting or lying down.

Now,

Focus on your hips and buttocks.

Squeeze your glutes together,

Tightly.

Hold and release.

Feel the relaxation,

Your muscles loosening and the tension melting away.

Now bring your attention on your right thigh.

Tighten the muscles in your upper leg.

If it helps to do so,

Lift your knees slightly.

Hold and release.

Feel the difference as your thigh muscles soften.

Now,

Focus on your left thigh.

Tighten the muscles.

Feel the tension from your hip to your knee.

Hold and release.

Feel the relaxation on the exhale.

Next,

Bring your attention to your right calf.

Squeeze your calf muscles.

Hold and release.

Notice the way your right calf feels.

Be relaxed with the tension disappearing.

Now focus on your left calf.

Squeeze the calf muscles tightly.

Hold and release.

Let the tension go and now notice the feeling of deep relaxation.

Next,

Focus on your right foot.

Slowly curl your toes downward and tighten your foot.

Hold and release.

Feel the relaxation and let your foot sink deeper into the surface or floor.

Now bring your attention to your left foot.

Tighten it,

Curl your toes,

Hold and release.

Feel the tension melting away.

Your foot feels so relaxed as it sinks gently into the surface or floor.

Take a deep breath.

Now imagine a wave of complete peace and relaxation flowing gently through your whole body.

From the top of your head all the way down to the bottoms of your feet.

Keep breathing in and out.

Release every last drop of tension.

Feel the comfortable heaviness of your relaxed body.

Drift even deeper into relaxation.

Your muscles feel soft and loose and your mind feels calm,

Clear.

Continue to breathe in and out.

Your belly rising and falling.

Enjoying the feel of the refreshing breath in and out.

Imagine looking at the night sky again.

The northern lights are still here.

The colors have transitioned from green to a light blue with streaks of purple.

As the colors dance through the sky,

The purple lights are becoming more prominent.

You can stay here as long as you wish.

If you would like to fall asleep,

Gently doze off now.

When you're ready,

Gently open your eyes.

Slowly come back to the room.

For now,

Remain seated or lying down to allow time for you to gently transition from this state of deep relaxation.

When your body feels fully awake,

Return to your day feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

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