09:16

161 Instant Stress Relief Now! Meditation With No Intro

by William Cooper, M.Th., Licensed Professional Counselor

Rated
4.9
Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
85

Sometimes life can be so intense. We just need to rest our nervous system and "Get out of the pounding surf". Awakening is a process, and today resting is what you may need. Listening to yourself when it is time to rest is being "Aware". My mother asked me to make this guided meditation. It helped dramatically. It can be helpful for all kinds of stress and tension. This guided meditation has no intro and goes directly into relaxation, so please be resting comfortably in a safe place and not driving or active in any way. This is simply about letting go and resting now. Enjoy! These podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening, whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last. All are free. Though I am a psychotherapist, these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful and are not psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

Stress ReliefRelaxationMeditationAwarenessProgressive Muscle RelaxationBody ScanDeep BreathingCountdownJaw RelaxationNeck RelaxationFull Body Relaxation

Transcript

Okay,

Let's start with a gentle breath.

Breathe in and out.

You know,

When you breathe in for relaxation,

You can breathe any way that you'd like.

Sometimes a shallow breath feels better.

Sometimes a deeper breath.

Let's do it again and breathe in a way that feels good and relaxing to you.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Perfect.

So often we hold tension in our body.

Perhaps you can locate a little pocket of tension because what I'd like you to do is tense up right where that tension is.

Maybe tense up a lot or a little.

Whatever feels good to you.

And then let go.

That helps drain the tension out or at least begin the process.

So,

Either throughout your whole body or through a specific part.

Tense,

Tense,

Tense and release.

And let go.

Feel how good that feels.

Again,

Wherever it feels good to you.

Just tense up a bit,

Just a bit and release.

And let go.

Feel the relaxation begin to move in that place that has been tense.

And feel how good that feels.

One more time.

Tense,

Tense,

Tense and relax.

Deeper and deeper.

Let go.

And we can begin our guided meditation for relaxation.

Take another breath that feels good for you.

Breathe in and out as you close your eyes and begin to relax.

And you can let all the muscles in your scalp begin to relax and release.

Release.

Feel how good that feels to let them go.

Deeper and deeper relaxed.

And that relaxation can flow down through your forehead.

Deeper and deeper.

Relax,

Letting go every muscle in your forehead.

Down through your eyes,

Your eyes work quite hard.

So let them relax and release and let go.

Feel how good that feels.

Down through your temples.

And your jaw.

Your jaw is a place that often can hold tension and stress.

So let it release,

Relax and let go.

In fact,

All the muscles in your head,

Let them relax and release and let go.

Down through the muscles in your neck,

The back of your neck.

That's a place where there's often tension.

So let it relax.

Front of your neck.

And down through your shoulders.

Ah,

Deeper and deeper relaxed.

You can let go.

Even a little deeper.

Down through your upper arms.

Your lower arms.

And all the muscles in your hands and your fingers.

Feel how good it feels to let your hands and fingers relax.

Deeper and deeper relaxed.

Let that relaxation flow.

Down through your chest.

Your upper back.

Just flowing downward.

Down through your stomach.

This is a place where tension and stress can really gather.

So let your stomach release,

Relax.

And let go.

And let your lower back release,

Relax and let go.

Very good.

Even more deeply now.

Down through your hips.

Your thighs.

Your knees.

Feel how good it feels to let all the muscles around your knees and your knees themselves to relax.

Deeper and deeper relaxed.

Down through your calves.

And your ankles.

And your feet and toes.

Let all the muscles in your feet and toes go deeper and deeper relaxed.

Feel how good that feels to let go.

And as you let go deeper and deeper,

Any other place in your body that could use a little more deep relaxation,

Let it release.

And relax.

Twice as deeply as it already is relaxed.

In fact,

Let's let your whole body and mind go twice as deeply relaxed as it is now.

As I count from 10 down to 0.

Go twice as deeply relaxed.

10.

Letting go.

9.

Deeper and deeper relaxed.

8.

7.

So deeply relaxed.

6.

5.

Let go.

4.

3.

Deeper and deeper relaxed.

2.

All the way down to 0.

And now even twice as deeply relaxed as you just have become.

Let go.

Feel how good that feels as you go deeper and deeper relaxed.

And you can continue to just drift off deeper and deeper relaxed.

Or open your eyes,

Taking all of this rest and relaxation with you throughout your day.

Meet your Teacher

William Cooper, M.Th., Licensed Professional CounselorTallahassee, FL, USA

4.9 (21)

Recent Reviews

Alexandria

December 28, 2025

This is great, William! Thank you! I love the squeeze -release practice you taught me. I added it to the trauma protocol I wrote for research purposes. It really helps people identify where they (what “part” of them is holding the trauma). I am so grateful for all your podcasts and teaching! You have given us such a gift! 💚💫

Jools

December 16, 2025

Beautiful ❤️ so very relaxing. Greatly appreciated 🙏

Patricia

December 15, 2025

That was nice William. It reminded me of the time you told us about, when you and Jennifer and your two cats were meditating and breathing in unison together🥰. There was a kind of rhythm that was uplifting and calming at the same time. Love it! Thank you William, as ever.🙏♥️

Thérèse

December 15, 2025

Thank you so much for this gift. I do appreciate that it goes right into the meditation. 🧘🏼‍♀️ That makes it a perfect one to save to my favourites to listen whenever needed. Blessings to you and yours. 💚🎄❤️

Jennifer

December 15, 2025

Thank you William! 😊 This is very helpful. Well done. Peace 🕊️ and Love 💕, ~ Jennifer

More from William Cooper, M.Th., Licensed Professional Counselor

Loading...

Related Meditations

Loading...

Related Teachers

Loading...
© 2026 William Cooper, M.Th., Licensed Professional Counselor. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

How can we help?

Sleep better
Reduce stress or anxiety
Meditation
Spirituality
Something else