Instructions:

This exercise can help develop your body awareness and help release unnecessary or secondary muscle tension. 

Wearing loose clothing, get into a comfortable position, either sitting up or lying down, with your head, arms, and legs well supported, and then follow the instructions below. You may want to have someone read the script out loud to you or record it and then play it back. Be sure to allow sufficient time to experience each step. 

Contract and release each of the following muscle groups, one at a time. Practice noticing how the muscles feel when they are tense and how they feel when they are relaxed. Pay particular attention to how each muscle group feels after you release the tension. 

Once you can do this easily, do the same sequence of relaxing without tensing the muscle group first. Merely identify the muscle and relax. Mentally scan your body and actively release tension from your toes to your head and back again.

Script: