Progressive muscle relaxation is a good exercise to use at night to release tension from your body and improve your sleep. However, it can also be used any time you feel muscle tension. As you practice it, you will become better at noticing muscle tension throughout the day and relaxing the muscles that are tense.

For progressive muscle relaxation it is best to be sitting with your feet flat on the floor and your arms at your sides or lying on your back. Begin by letting your eyes close and take a deep breath. A deep breath all the way down into your abdomen. And slowly release the air. With progressive muscle relaxation you will tighten specific muscles, feel the tension, and slowly release the muscle to notice the different sensations. By doing so you will learn to notice muscle tension and how to allow those muscles to relax. While you tense and release the muscles, allow yourself to breathe slowly and naturally, feeling the air flow deep into your abdomen and slowly releasing your breath.

Now you can begin to relax every muscle in your body. First, clench your hands into fists—hold it tight. While you are doing this, try not to tense the other muscles in your body. Continue to breathe slowly and comfortably. Focus just on your fists. Notice the tension in the muscles in your hands. Feel the tightness of those muscles. Hold it. Hold it. Now very slowly allow your hand to open. Feel the blood flowing into your hands. Notice how the muscles are releasing and relaxing. Notice the soothing sensation of the relaxation flowing into your hands and all the way through your fingertips. Notice the difference between the tension and the relaxation coming into your hands.

Now while keeping your hands as relaxed as possible, tighten the muscles in your forearms. Feel the tension in those muscles. Hold them tight. Continue to inhale and exhale slowly keeping the rest of your body as relaxed as you can. Now allow the muscles in your forearms to release and relax. Notice the relaxation flowing into those muscles. Notice the difference between the tension and the relaxation.

Now while keeping your lower arms relaxed, tighten your biceps in your upper arms. Feel the tension in those muscles. Hold them tight. Continue to inhale and exhale slowly keeping the rest of your body as relaxed as you can. Now allow the muscles in your upper arms to release and relax. Notice the relaxation flowing into those muscles. Notice the difference between the tension and the relaxation. The relaxation is flowing through your arms, pleasant, soothing, relaxation.

As your arms relax completely, your arms are becoming more and more heavy, heavier and heavier as if they had become heavy lead pipes. So relaxed and heavy. Heavy and relaxed. You feel gravity pulling them down. You feel your arms letting go of the last bit of muscular tension. Letting go, letting go, letting of tension as they get heavier and heavier, more and more, deeply relaxed.

And now while keeping your arms completely relax, tense the muscles in your face. Wrinkle your forehead and feel the tension in your forehead. Tighten your jaw and feel the tension. Feel the tension in those muscles. Hold them tight. Continue to inhale and exhale slowly keeping the rest of your body as relaxed as you can. Now allow the muscles in your face to release and relax. Notice the relaxation flowing into those muscles. Notice the difference between the tension and the relaxation.

Your face begins to relax. Your face begins to let go, let go, let go of tension. Your forehead becomes as smooth as silk, smooth as silk, your forehead feels smooth and relaxed, letting go of tension, letting go of all the tension of the day, letting go of worry and concern, becoming smooth and relaxed as you let go of any worries of the day. And your cheeks too are becoming relaxed, smooth and relaxed, relaxed and letting go of tension. Your forehead and cheeks are totally relaxed. And now you begin to relax your jaw relax. Your jaw is becoming loose and relaxed. You feel the muscles relax as you let go of any anger, any frustrations from the day. Your jaw is letting go of any tension and frustration as you feel your lips begin to part, your lips part slightly as you let go of the last bit of tension in your jaw. As you let go of the tension in your jaw you feel more relaxed. And now you feel your tongue relax.

Now while keeping your face and arms as relaxed as possible, tighten the muscles in your neck and shoulders. You can do this by lifting your shoulders to your ears and holding them tight. Feel the tension in those muscles. Hold them tight. Continue to inhale and exhale slowly keeping the rest of your body as relaxed as you can. Now very slowly allow your shoulders to release and return to the normal position. Allow the muscles in your neck and shoulders to release and relax. Notice the relaxation flowing into those muscles. Notice the difference between the tension and the relaxation. The relaxation is flowing from the top of your scalp, down through your face and your neck, pleasant, soothing, relaxation.

You feel your neck and shoulders let go of tension. You feel your neck becoming completely relaxed. You let go of the tension in your neck and relax your neck and now your shoulders. Your shoulders can begin to droop as you let go of all the anxiety and concerns. Your shoulders droop and let go of the last bit of muscular tension. Letting go, letting go, letting go of all the muscular tension. You allow your neck and shoulders to totally relax.

You can now tighten the muscles in your chest and abdomen by taking a deep breath, a deep breath all the way down into your abdomen. You take a deep breath that fills your chest and abdomen and hold it. Then as you slowly exhale, the tension leaves you body with the release of air. And now you can take another deep breath into your abdomen. Letting the air flow into your chest and abdomen. And as you release the air, all the tension flows out of your body and you feel more and more deeply relaxed. Your body feels deeply relaxed. Your arms are heavy and relaxed. Your face smooth and relaxed. Your jaw loose and relaxed. Your neck relaxed. Your shoulders drooping.

Now while keeping the rest of your body as relaxed as possible, tighten the muscles in your lower body and your legs. Feel the tension all the way through your legs. Curl your toes and feel the tension. Hold them tight. Continue to inhale and exhale slowly keeping the rest of your body as relaxed as you can. Now very slowly allow your lower body and legs to relax. Feel the the relaxation flowing all the way from the top of your scalp, down through your face, your neck, your shoulders, your chest and abdomen, all the way down through your thighs, calves, feet and toes. Soothing, comforting, relaxation.

As your legs relax, your legs begin to feel heavy, heavier and heavier, as they let go of the last bit of muscular tension. Your legs are becoming more and more heavy, like heavy lead pipes. Imagine them as heavy lead pipes. So heavy and relaxed. Your arms and legs feel heavy, heavy and relaxed. Your body is relaxing completely as your legs let go of the last bit of muscular tension. They are totally relaxed.

Your body feels deeply relaxed. Your arms and legs heavy and relaxed. Your face smooth and relaxed. Your jaw loose and relaxed. Your neck relaxed. Your shoulders drooping. Your body feeling totally relaxed.

And you begin to feel as if you are drifting, drifting, floating and drifting down into total relaxation. You feel almost drowsy, feeling peaceful and calm. You are drifting deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper into total relaxation. You are floating and drifting. You are feeling drowsy, peaceful and calm, drifting and drowsy, drifting and drifting, down, down, down into total relaxation knowing that whenever you awaken you will feel refreshed and fully relaxed.