Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation. Find somewhere comfortable where your body can feel supported. Whether it be sitting in a chair, lying on a bed, or just lying on the floor somewhere, you won't be disturbed. It's important that you don't drive, cook, or use any machinery whilst listening to this relaxation exercise. Turn off or disconnect phones and tell your family members or others that you live with that you're going to take some time to relax and ask them not to disturb you.

Preparing Your Relaxation Space

Once you're in your quiet place and have set this time aside, get yourself comfortable, making sure your legs are uncrossed and supported and ensure your head is comfortably supported. You might choose to close your eyes, or simply look slightly downwards and allow your eyes to become unfocused.

Focusing on Your Breathing

Now just notice your breathing. Take several normal slow breaths and notice what that feels like. And those thoughts and sounds. And to your awareness, you can just notice them and let them pass without responding to them. Just let them come and let them go. That's okay.

Sinking Into Relaxation

As you breathe, gently. You might notice how your body starts to feel like it's sinking into the chair, bed, or floor feeling supported as your body starts to feel slightly heavier, sloppier, more relaxed.

Relaxing Your Forehead and Face

Bring your focus of attention to your forehead muscles as you tense those muscles and raise your eyebrows up high, as high as they can go. Perhaps as if you were very surprised. Pause and then relax those muscles, perhaps saying quietly to yourself, relax as you let the tension go. And now bring your attention to your eyes and cheeks, squeezing those eyes tightly shut as you tense those eye and cheek muscles. Hold and then relax again. And now open your mouth as wide as you can. As if you were yawning. Hold and then let that go. Closing your mouth but leaving your jaw feeling heavy and relaxed. Perhaps your teeth just slightly parted.

Releasing Tension in the Neck

And now, as you focus your attention on your neck, face forward and very gently pull your head back slowly, as though you're looking towards the ceiling. Pause and then relax your head and neck muscles. Feeling the heaviness of your head on your shoulders. As that relaxation spreads.

Relaxing Shoulders and Back

And now notice your shoulder blades and your back as you push your shoulder blades back, trying to touch them together so that your chest pushes forward a bit. Hold that feeling and then relax those shoulder blades and back muscles as you let that tension go. And bring your attention now to your shoulders, tensing those shoulder muscles so that your shoulders rise up towards your ears. Pause and then relax those muscles again, noticing what that feels like. Noticing any heaviness or lumpiness or sloppiness.

Focusing on Arms and Hands

And now think about your arms. And bring both your forearms up towards your shoulder, as if you were trying to make a muscle and pause and relax those muscles again. As you bring your arms back down, perhaps you can notice any heavy and limp feeling spreading throughout your body as you relax more and more. Notice your hands now and make fists with your hands. Noticing that tension and pause and then relax those hand muscles. Noticing that relaxed feeling in your wrists and hands and fingers.

Observing Chest and Stomach

And then bring your focus of awareness upwards to your chest and your stomach. Breathing in deeply and just noticing how your belly rises as you breathe in and as you inflate your lungs, pushing your diaphragm downwards. And then noticing your belly falling and relaxing as you breathe out, deflating your lungs again. Notice what your chest and your belly feel like as you breathe in the calming breath spreading out throughout your chest and abdomen. And notice that relaxing feeling as you breathe out again.

Releasing Tension in Hips and Legs

Now you can bring your attention to your hips and buttocks, squeezing them together, noticing that increased tension. Pause and then release the muscles and just noticing how that feels. Perhaps noticing how limp and heavy your body is starting to feel and how supported it feels. Now focus your attention on your upper legs and thighs, tightening those muscles so that you notice the tension. Holding that tension for a few seconds and then letting it go again. Relaxing those thigh muscles and just notice those sensations. Perhaps noticing the heaviness of your legs.

Relaxing Lower Legs and Feet

And now you can move your focus of attention to your lower leg. Slowly pull your feet up towards you to stretch the calf muscle. Pause and then let go of that tension. Perhaps find yourself relax as you loosen those muscles, allowing those muscles to become limp and slack. And now consider your feet and your ankles. Slowly curl and clench your toes first downwards. Pause and then curling them back upwards and then relax, letting that tension go.

Returning to Breathing and Awareness

And now that your body is feeling relaxed and limp and heavy, you can bring your attention back to your breathing. Just notice those sensations of breathing as you breathe in. And out, and perhaps noticing that relaxed feeling spreading out throughout all of your body now. You can enjoy a few more minutes of this, your time just being where you are and noticing those pleasant feelings of relaxation.

Gently Returning to the Present

Any time that thoughts and sounds intrude, you can just notice they are there and then bring your attention back to your breathing and those feelings of relaxation. And whenever you are ready. You can bring your attention back to the room or wherever you are. Notice whatever it is that supporting you. I'm becoming more aware of your surroundings. Whenever you are ready, open your eyes and slowly look around the room, seeing what you see. Hearing what you hear and noticing what you notice. Becoming more and more alert now, but keeping some of those feelings of relaxation while your body responds. Feeling more energized, refreshed and calm.