Tense and release
Get as comfortable as possible. Take a few slow deep breaths and focus on how that feels.
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Start at your feet, take a deep breath, arch your feet, hold your breath while you keep the muscles tensed. Slowly breathe out as you release the tension in your feet. Repeat this. | |
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Move to your calves and tense those muscles - breathing as you tense, holding your breath and slowly breathing out as you release those muscles. Repeat. | |
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Repeat this with your thighs, abdominal muscles, stomach and back, chest and upper back. | |
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Tense and release hands, arms and shoulders at the same time. | |
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Continue to move up your body tensing and releasing neck, then jaw and temple and scalp muscles. | |
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If you have difficulty tensing certain muscles, just focus on them as you inhale, hold and exhale. | |
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If tension remains - start at head and tense and release muscles until you are back to your feet. |
Stephen Willis M.MFT