This activity is called progressive muscle relaxation. It's an exercise that reduces stress and anxiety in your body by having you slowly tense and then relax each muscle. This exercise can provide an immediate feeling of relaxation but it's best to practice frequently.
With experience you will become more aware of when you're experiencing tension and you will have the skills to help you relax. Let's begin. Sit back or lie down in a comfortable position.
Shut your eyes if you're comfortable doing so. Begin by taking a deep breath and notice 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 more slowly now, take another breath fill your lungs and hold the air. Slowly release the breath and imagine the feeling of tension leaving your body.
Now, move your attention to your feet, begin to tense your feet by curling your toes and the arch of your foot hold on to the tension and notice what it feels like. Now release the tension in your foot notice the new feeling of relaxation. Next begin to focus on your lower leg, tense the muscles in your calves by pointing your toes.
Hold them tightly and pay attention to that feeling of tension. Now release the tension from your lower leg. Tense the muscles in your calves, hold them tightly.
Now, release the tension from your lower legs. Again notice the feeling of relaxation. Remember to continue taking deep breaths and as you breathe out, imagine that tension of leaving your body with your breath.
Next, tense the muscles of your upper leg so your quads and your hamstrings and your thigh muscles. You can do this by tightly squeezing your thighs together. Make sure you feel the tenseness without going to the point of strain.
Hold that tension for a couple of seconds, and release. Feel that tension that leave your muscles. Visualize it's spreading out and away from your muscles in your body.
Now tense the muscles of your pelvic region. Clench your butt as tight as you can pull in your stomach muscles and hold that tension in your pelvic area. Now breathe out slowly and release that tension.
Feel those muscles soften and visualize that tension leaving with your out-breath. Begin to tense it your stomach in your chest you can do this by sucking your stomach in squeeze harder and hold the tension. A little bit longer, and now release the tension.
Allow your body to go limp let yourself notice that feeling of relaxation. Continue taking deep breaths breathing slowly notice the air filling your lungs and hold it. 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.
Release the tension from your back feel the tension slowly leaving your body and the new feeling of relaxation. Notice how different your body feels when you allow it to relax now clench your hands as tightly as you can. Pull them into a fist and grip as hard as you can.
Feel that tension. Now release the tension from your hands let your hands soften and open up. Notice that feeling of relaxation in your fingers and your hands.
Now, clench your arms. Grip your arms as tightly as you can. Tighten those muscles, squeeze those muscles all the way up your arm, your forearms and your biceps your triceps just tighten your arms as hard as you can.
Hold that tension and notice what it feels like. You may need to grip your hands again into fists to feel that tension in your arms. Hold that for a few more seconds and now release again.
Feel that tension draining almost as if it's draining out of your fingertips. All that stress and the tightness leaving your body with each breath, and notice that new feeling of relaxation as it comes into your arms. Notice how your arms feel limp and at ease and those muscles feel softer and warmer.
Now, move your awareness to your shoulders. Clench those shoulders tightly pulling them up to your ears. Hold that tension in your shoulders for a few seconds, and now release.
Let those shoulders drop low. Feel what it feels like to have your shoulders loose and now move your attention to your neck and your head. Tense your face and your neck by distorting the muscles up around your eyes and mouth.
Scrunch your face and hold that tightly. Now let your face and your neck soften. Release that tension and again notice that new feeling of softness and relaxation.
Finally tense your entire body, tense your feet legs stomach chest arms head neck shoulders. Tense harder, hold that tension for a few seconds. Now release.
Allow your whole body to go limp pay attention to the feeling of relaxation and how different it is from the feeling of tension. Allow yourself to stay in this place of softness and relaxation for as long as you'd like. If you'd like more time, pause the video now.
Otherwise begin to wake your body up by slowly moving your muscles adjust your arms and legs. Stretch your muscles and open your eyes when you're ready. Thank you for joining me in learning this skill of progressive muscle relaxation I've got lots of videos with essential skills to help manage depression anxiety and other emotions.
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