The One Where I Share With You A Simple Progressive Relaxation Exercise
Stage 1 – Best practicised lying in Savasana but certain steps, excluding the movement of the hips and buttocks can be practised whilst sittin gon a chair. As you breathing deeply throughout gather tension on the inhalation/in breath and release that tension and allow yourself to relax each part of your body as you work up, on the exhalation/ out breath.
In your chosen relaxation position, exhale ready to begin:
Inhaling, push away your heels and spread your toes as you draw them towards your face. Gathering tension in your feet. Exhaling release the stretch and relax.
Inhaling lift your hips and squuze your buttocks gathering tension there. Exhaling release and relax.
Inhaling push the small of back towards the floor (or back of the chair if sitted). Exhaling release and relax.
Inhaling make fists with your hands, tense your arms and then spread your fingers wide. Exhaling release and relax.
Inhaling shrugs your shoulders up and in, gathering tension there. Exhaling release and relax.
Inhaing draw your chin down towards your throat. Exhaling release and relax.
Inhaling screw all your ace mnuslces towards your nose gathering tension there. Exhaling stretch your eyes and mouth wide open, strech out your tongue and then Release and relax.
Gently roll your head, 3 times, from side to side, easing out your neck.
Bring you head back to centre relaxing with head, neck and spine all straight and in alignment and your chin drawn in a fraction.
Take three deep breaths, feeling the tension draining away with each out breath.
Step 2
Now to deepen your relaxation even further, you are going to bring your awareness up through your body, mentally relaxing each part in turn from toes to head. As you practise, continue to breathe slowly, deeply and smoothly thoughout, softening and loosening the muscles you are focussing on relaxing with each out breath.
So , bring your awarness down to your feet, ready to release tension form there as you say to yourself in a gentle inner voice…
I relax my feet…..I relax my feet…..my feet are relaxing.
I relax my legs…..I relax my legs….. ankles, calves, knees and thighs; my legs are relaxing.
I relax my pelvis…..I relax my pelvis…..buttocks, hips, abdomen; my pelvis is relaxing.
I relax my back…..I relax my back….. My back is softening, loosening and relaxing.
I relax my chest…..I relax my chest…..heart, lungs, chest muscles; relaxing,
I relax my hands…..I realx my hands…..my hands are relaxing, relaxing.
I relax my arms…..I relax my arms….. Wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms; relaxing, relaxing.
I relax my shoulders…..I relax my shoulders…..my shoulders are softening, loosening and relaxing.
I relax my neck….. I relax my neck…..my neck is realxing, relaxing.
I relaxmy face…..I relax my face…..chin, mouth, cheeks, eyes, forehead; my face is relaxing.
I relax my head…..I relax my head…..scalp, brain, head muslces; relaxing, relaxing.
I relax my whole body…..I relax my whole body….every muscle, organ, cell, tissue and nerve; my whole body is relaxing now, relaxing.
Take three more deep breaths, with each exhalation feel your body realxing more and more, relaxing.
Now rest your mind, for a few minutes in a beautiful scene, where you feel at peace with yourself and the world. You might want to imagine a beach scene or a beautiful garden or temple etc….
To end your praticse, take three more deep breaths, exhaling away any last remaining tension from your body and mind. Slowly bring your awareness back to your body resting. Then begin to wriggle your fingers and toes, have a good stretch throughout your whole body before (if lying in Savasana), beding your legs, rolling over onto the left side of your body and coming up into a seated position.
Namaste.
Practising progessive relaxation techiniques, as well as being simple and easy to do, does have many benefits including:
Calming the mind and relaxing the brain,
Relieving stress and mild depression,
Relaxing the body,
Reducing tension, headaches, fatigue and Insomnia,
Helping to lower blood pressure,
Stimulates blood circulation and exercises the inner organs,
Alleviates fatigue, nervousness, anxiety and that general worn-out feeling,
Alleviates asthma, constipation, diabetes, insomnia, lumbago.
Teaches mental concentration.
For me over the years it has helped me to fnd apint f=dutin gthe day, to rest, revive and egjvenate. It has provided m w with a safe and easy place where I can go, notonly to rest but also to hit the reste button. It has helped me to realx my body and clam the stressors and axiety in my mind. It has helped me to re-find my calm centre and state of balance and inner harmony amongst the challengers of my day to day life as a mum and survisor travelling my healing journey after abuse. It has helped me reconnect back to me when I have lsot way and myslef in amongst the stress, chalnegrs and pain of past and helped me to be a better mum, and a more peaceful, clamer and centred person.
IO cam’t recommend it enough and I llok forward to sharing lots of differnt techniqes and exercise with you ove the weeks an dmonths ahead to help you, if you so chooseto find pracitcal and sustainable ways of bring Yoga NIdra and realation into your life.
I hope you enjoy this technique.