Hello and welcome to today's exercise.
Today I'm going to guide you through an exercise aggressive muscle relaxation.
The aim of this exercise is to help reduce stress and tension in the body.
And we do this by slowly having you tense and relax each muscle.
This may provide immediate feelings of relaxation.
But like anything,
It's important to do these things regularly and consistently to find the most benefit.
So return to this exercise as frequently as you wish.
And pay special attention to the feeling of releasing tension in each muscle and the resulting feeling of relaxation.
Let's give it a go.
Sit back or lie down in a comfortable position.
Shut your eyes if that's comfortable for you.
Begin by taking a deep breath and noticing the feeling of air filling your lungs.
Hold your breath for a few seconds.
Release the breath slowly and let the tension leave your body.
Take in another deep breath and hold it.
Again,
Slowly release the air.
Even slower this time.
Take another breath.
Fill your lungs.
Slowly release the breath and imagine the feeling of tension leaving your body.
Now turn your attention to your feet.
Begin to tense your feet by curling your toes and the arch of your foot.
Hold on to that tension and notice what it feels like.
Paying attention to any of the sensations that you're feeling and experiencing right now in your feet.
Release the tension in your foot and notice the new feeling of relaxation.
Next,
Begin to focus on your lower leg.
Tense the muscles in your calves.
Hold them tightly and pay attention to the feeling of tension.
Now release the tension from your lower legs and again notice that feeling of relaxation.
The opposite of tension.
And remember to continue taking deep breaths.
Next,
Tense the muscles of your upper leg and pelvis.
You can do this by tightly squeezing your thighs together.
Make sure you feel tenseness without going to the point of strain.
And release.
Feel the tension leave your muscles.
Now begin to tense your stomach and chest.
You can do this by sucking your stomach in.
Squeeze harder and hold that tension a little bit longer.
And release the tension.
Allow your body to go limp.
Let yourself notice the feeling of relaxation.
Familiarize yourself with this.
Continue taking deep breaths.
Breathe in slowly.
Noticing the air fill your lungs.
Release the air slowly.
Feel it leaving your lungs.
Next,
Tense the muscles in your back by bringing your shoulders together behind you.
Hold them tightly.
Tense them as hard as you can without straining and keep holding.
Now release that tension.
Feel that tension slowly leaving your body and allowing that new feeling of relaxation to take up space.
Notice how different your body feels when you allow it to relax.
Tense your arms all the way from your hands to your shoulders.
Make a fist and squeeze all the way up your arm.
Hold it.
And now release it.
Notice that feeling of relaxation in your fingers,
Hands,
Arms and shoulders.
Notice how your arms feel limp and at ease.
Move up to your neck and head next.
Tense your face and your neck by distorting the muscles around your eyes and mouth.
Really making a face.
And release.
Again,
Notice that new feeling of relaxation.
Finally,
Tense your entire body.
So tense your feet,
Legs,
Stomach,
Chest,
Arms,
Head and neck.
Tense harder without straining.
Hold that tension.
Now release.
Allow your whole body to go limp.
Pay attention again to that feeling of relaxation.
Looking out for any sensations or any signs that the nervous system is restoring itself.
And notice how different it feels from that tense feeling.
Begin to wake your body up by slowly moving your muscles.
Adjust your arms and legs.
Give yourself a big stretch and open your eyes when you're ready.
