Elly Davis

Siobhan Elliot

London, United Kingdom

Daniela Viera

Caracas, Venezuela

Queen Sherri

San Francisco, CA, United States

Jane

Nanaimo, Canada

Deb Truitt

Texas, United States

Klaus

Aalen, Germany

Kristine M.

Deerfield, NH, USA

Alina

Toronto

Elena Machneva

North Vancouver, Canada

Michael

Antioch IL

Lawrence

Birmingham, United Kingdom

maaike Dirkx

Magnus

S�dermanland County, Sweden

Alma Elizabeth Chayeb Rodríguez

Huixquilucan de Degollado, Mexico

Lynn

SE PA USA

Gunnison Colorado

Lidia Colavitti

Santo Ant�nio do Pinhal - SP, Brazil

Jonathan

Tanja Vanessa Kühne

Zürich, Switzerland

Tense and release your muscles to discover the profound difference between physical stress and deep relaxation.

Spirituality

Stress & Anxiety

Relaxation Meditation

Visualization

Energy-Based

English

This lovely technique first developed by Edmund Jacobson is a brief tension & relaxation journey. It is a basic yet powerful way to discern both the ways we hold tension in our bodies as well as how to deepen the experience of releasing and relaxing. After intentional tensing, there is intentional releasing -- a marvelous way to let go. It can be an effective process to follow just before you prepare for sleep.
Music by Matti Paalanen.

Progressive Relaxation

 This exercise is a way for you to really learn and feel how your body tenses and then how it relaxes. So for the next few minutes, find yourself a comfortable place. Sit or lie down. Take off your shoes and close your eyes. Now take in a deep, deep breath all the way down deep into your belly. And now hold your breath for a second and then exhale. Good. And repeat this breathing, the inhale and the exhale. And I'd like you to notice how your body is feeling. We're exploring now how you feel in your body so that you can go into yourself and explore. And I'd like you to pay attention to your right hand, noticing your fingers, each and every finger. And then begin to clench that right hand into a fist, making it tighter and tighter. Hold it. Hold it. And now relax. And let it go. Noticing the difference between that feeling of tightness and the loose and relaxed feeling of letting go. And now focusing on your left hand and noticing each finger and then clenching your left fist and making it tighter and tighter. Good. Hold it. Hold it. And now relax. And again, noticing the difference between the tight muscle and then the loose and relaxed one, the tensing and the relaxing. And now let's focus on your elbows and your arms and the muscle inside your arm, the biceps. Tensing, tensing your arms as much as you can all the way from the top of your arms to your elbows. Feel the tightness and hold it. Hold it. And now relax and straighten out your arms and let that relaxation flow all the way down your arms. And now your arms may feel very heavy and loose and limp like a rag doll. And now let's move to your legs, tensing the muscles further. Moving onto this tension and squeezing your buttocks, feeling how tight and tense the muscles in your legs and buttocks are right now. Squeeze the muscles harder and tighter, continuing to hold this tension. Feel the muscles wanting to give up this tension and hold it for a few moments more. And now relax and let all the tension go. And feel your legs go limp and loose and relaxed. And notice how relaxed the muscles feel now, feeling the difference between tension and relaxation and enjoying that pleasant feeling of relaxation. And now we travel up to your head and wrinkle your forehead so tight, scrunching your eyes, shutting them tightly and wrinkling your nose and tightening your cheeks and chin. Hold this tension in your face and then relax, releasing all the tension and letting yourself imagine that your entire forehead and face is smooth and relaxed. And now clench your jaw, bite hard and notice the tension in your jaw. Hold it. Good. And relax. And really feeling the difference between tension and relaxation in your jaw right now. And now shrugging your shoulders and keeping that tension as you hunch your head down between your shoulders. Hold it. Hold it. And then relax. And feel the relaxation spreading through your neck and throat and shoulders. And noticing how loose and easy your neck feels as it's balanced on your relaxed shoulders. And now concentrating on your back, arching it slightly, making sure not to strain. Focus on the tension in your lower back. Feel the tension and then relax. Focus on letting go of all the tension in the muscles of your lower back and abdomen. And you're feeling more and more relaxed, deeply, deeply relaxed. Now curl your toes downward and make your calves tense. Noticing the tension and holding it. Hold it. And now relax. And feel the relaxation in your calves. Bending your toes now towards your face, creating tension in your shins. And let go. And feel the heaviness and peace that spreads everywhere in your legs. Becoming aware now of the heaviness in your entire body. Just feeling yourself heavier and heavier and more and more relaxed. And this is something that you can practice whenever you choose. And each time you do this exercise, you'll become more and more skilled at helping your body let go and enjoy the comfort of letting go of tension throughout all of your body and opening to deep relaxation. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.