Welcome.
Today,
We're going to do progressive muscle relaxation for tight jaw and shoulders.
Get comfortable.
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Allow your body to be fully supported.
If you're sitting.
Let your feet rest comfortably on the floor.
And your hands subtle in your lap.
If you're lying down.
Let your arms rest along your side.
And place your hand somewhere where it feels comfortable.
Take a moment to notice where your body is making contact with the surface below you.
You do not need to change anything.
Just notice.
If it feels comfortable.
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And breathe out your mouth.
Again,
Breathe in.
And slowly breathe out.
One more time,
Breathe in and out.
And as you exhale.
Imagine allowing some of the weight leave your body.
Let's begin with our face.
Bring your attention to your face.
Notice your forehead.
Notice the space between your eyebrows.
Notice your eyes.
You're cute.
And finally.
.
.
Your child.
Without trying to relax anything yet.
Simply notice what you feel.
Are your teeth touching?
Are you pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth?
Are you holding your jaw tightly?
There is nothing you need to fix.
Or simply noticing.
Now gently scrunch the muscles of your face.
Wrinkle your forehead.
Squeeze your eyes closed.
Tighten your cheeks.
Holds.
2.
Let your forehead become smooth.
What's your eyes?
What's your cheat?
Relax.
Notice the difference between tension and relaxation.
Take a slow breath in.
And breathe out.
Relax the jaw now.
Let's bring all of our attention to the jaw.
Very gently.
Clench your teeth together.
Not as hard as you can.
Just enough to notice the muscles around your jaw becoming active.
Three.
Two.
Allow your teeth to separate.
Let your lips rest together.
Or slightly apart.
Let your tongue become soft inside your mouth.
Take a slow breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine your jaw becoming heavier.
Again,
Gently tighten the jaw.
Hold it.
Two.
One.
Notice the sensation that follows.
You may even allow your mouth to open slightly as you exhale.
Feel the space between your upper and lower teeth.
Nothing to hold.
Nothing to grip.
Just really.
Now gently draw your chin slightly toward your chest.
Creating a little bit of length.
In the back of the neck.
In this position.
Notice what changes.
Take a slow breath in.
And a long breath out.
Allow the muscles around your throat and neck to relax.
To soften.
Next,
Let's relax our shoulders.
Bring your attention to your shoulders.
Notice where they are.
Right now.
Have they slowly crept towards your ears?
Are you holding them forward?
Are you bracing without realizing?
Take a breath in.
And slowly lift both shoulders towards your ears.
Gently squeeze.
Hold three.
Two.
And release.
Let your shoulders drop.
Notice the contrast.
Again,
Inhale and lift your shoulders toward your ears.
Hold 3.
2.
One.
Exhale and let them fall.
Imagine your shoulders becoming heavier.
Imagine gravity gently pulling them away from your ears.
You're next.
Coming longer.
Your collarbones becoming wider.
Your chest.
Becoming softer.
Release the upper back.
Gently draw your shoulder blades toward one another.
Imagine you're holding something small,
Like a pencil.
Between your shoulder blades.
Gently squeeze.
Hold three Let the muscles across your upper back soften.
Let's do the opposite.
Gently round your shoulders forward.
Creating a little tension across your upper back.
Hold three.
Allow your shoulders.
To find their natural resting position.
Take a slow breath in.
And breathe out.
Notice the connection.
Notice your jaw again.
Then you're not.
Bend your shoulders.
You don't have to make them relax.
Just simply notice them.
With your next inhalation.
Imagine creating space around your jaw.
As you exhale.
Let it soften.
Inhale.
Create space.
Through your neck.
Let your shoulders become heavy.
Inhale.
Feel your chest gently expand.
Exhale.
Let your muscles across the upper back soften.
Continue breathing at your own pace.
Notice how one area of the body can influence another.
When your jaw softens.
Perhaps your neck can soften.
When your neck softens.
Perhaps your shoulders can drop.
And when your shoulders relax.
Perhaps your breath.
Has a little more room.
Really.
Take one more slow,
Deep breath in.
Gently tense your jaw.
Shoulders.
And arms at the same time.
Use only use enough effort to notice the tension.
Hold three.
And release.
Exhale,
Complete.
Let your jaw soften.
Let your tongue relax.
Let your shoulders drop.
Let your hands become heavy.
Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Pause here.
For a few moments.
Notice what feels different from when you began.
Maybe the change is obvious.
Maybe it's subtle.
Either is okay.
Your job isn't to force your body to relax.
You're simply giving your nervous system an opportunity to recognize the difference.
Between holding tension.
And letting it go.
Take one final slow breath in.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Begin to notice the space around you again.
Notice the surface underneath your body.
Gently move your fingers.
Move your toes.
Perhaps roll your shoulders once or twice.
When you're ready.
Slowly open your eyes.
Carry this awareness with you.
As you move back into your day.
If you notice your jaw beginning to clench.
Or your shoulders beginning to rise.
Use it as a reminder.
Soften the jaw.
Drop the shoulders.
And breathe.
