And welcome to everybody. And there's people just coming in as, as I speak. So we'll give everybody a few moments, but, I'm really, Quietly chuffed with what we've put together for tonight because I put a lot of thought into it.
And What I've tried to do is to really think about, as I always do, I suppose, but to, to, to, to, to really think about, hi, Jose, lovely to have you on board. It's nice. Yeah, we're getting a real sort of community, aren't we?
And that, that's so lovely. And people are saying, hi, and that's, that, that's great. And so what we're going to be doing tonight, we're going to be starting with a mindful, relaxation actually, because it's just get the sense that, I know it's the webinar there to have got the World Congress this week, and I'm doing a session on, restoring sleep during this sort of COVID emergency and how we can manage our sleep better and find ways to sleep.
And, and I'm doing a session on that, but I do understand that I know Dawn has been working incredible long hours, and we were talking earlier and I was saying, actually, do you know what might help is this meditation we're doing tonight, but it's a very physical meditative process called progressive muscular relaxation, but we're doing it in a much more meditative way. And I think as the first slide says that the moment is now to use your mindful muscle and gosh, was that ever. More true than at this, this sort of time in our lives at the moment and I've sort of just increased my practise.
I've increased my yoga. Cachoa hello from sunny West Scotland. Gosh, how lovely is that?
Brigitte, in, British Columbia, Canada. oh, it's wonderful to have people from all over the shop. It's wonderful and maybe see you all at the World Congress.
How exciting is this? I do love my link with, with, with vets. It is fabulous.
And on that note, I want to warn you, my dog, Billy, the Mindful dog has absolutely insisted on coming in for tonight's session, . But he has fallen asleep next to me. So with a bit of luck, we won't get any, badly timed wolves.
So our first, Our first The thing we're going to do tonight thing that wasn't very good, was it? Our first meditation, our first exercise we're going to do tonight is progressive muscular relaxation, and I remember, you know, in the aeons in the dark ages of when I first qualified in mental health. And I, I used to do, it was the sort of one skill I had then, it felt, and I used to do this with all of my clients and it's one thing that I, I continue to do.
Because it just works. The shift is though, is I've combined it now into a more mindful sort of process, and as the slide says, and with no apologies, that Jacobsson sort of came across this in the 1930s and originally Jacobson developed progressive muscular relaxation to help people with high blood pressure. And then what he found was that those people, it did continued use made a significant difference.
His research showed good research showed to people struggling with hypertension, and we use it for that still now. But what he realised after a while was that those people with hypertension started to use the PMR, the progressive muscular relaxation. And then they started just to be less anxious and calmer and a little bit happier.
And I just think that if one thing we could all do with is coming in at night, having our shower, and then stopping and saying, right, do you know what, let's properly relax, really properly relax before we go on with our day. So this is a seated relaxation, and I'm going to really try and do it mindfully and I'm going to record tonight as well separately as we go so that we'll have the recording that the Wonderful Dawn can send out. Afterwards, so if I can ask everybody to get into our normal meditative position.
And then in a few seconds we'll start. Now this is a physical relaxation. And a mindful relaxation so it's mind and body, and the premise is that we tense and relax different parts of the body as we move through the process and as we tense and relax, we start to notice that our body starts to relax overall and it's that basic fight flight.
Win that we get through this, because what we actually experience is that As we relax in our body, our mind actually follows. So if we can get ourselves into a really nice position, And We'll start. So progressive.
Muscular relaxation. So It's helpful to start each relaxation session by just doing a simple check-in, just asking yourself, how am I? What's my emotional state like today?
Am I tense? Am I struggling a bit or am I really happy? Enjoying the sun.
What are your thoughts? And right now. What are you feeling in your body?
And just noticing what's happening. And what we're feeling. And what we're thinking.
With that wonderful no judgement stance. And if we can just begin by Perhaps closing our eyes or just half closing them. And just finding Just where we are with that.
So that our eyes are closed, but they are softly closed, you know, properly softly closed. And we start out by just taking a few deep breaths into the abdomen, right into your tummy. Just noticing.
A breath as we breathe. And Right now, let's just do a very simple checking of your emotional state. And your thoughts?
And what you're feeling in your body. So let's just spend about a minute now. In silence, just noticing what's happening.
Without judgement or Expectation Mhm And Now let's start with the muscular. Relaxation. Just make a fist with your right hand.
And as you make that fist, just tense the muscles. And you're right for. Allowing the rest of the arm to remain relaxed.
And just get a sense of the muscles in the right arm. And how they differ as we Tense those muscles, and when you're ready take a deep breath in. And as you exhale.
And exhale just release all of the tension in that right arm. Until every last bit has left that tense muscle. Imagine it's a bit like a sort of hose that was rigid.
And becomes more flexible as the water drains out. It's quite a helpful image that. And now move over to the left fist and forearm.
Exactly the same. Make a fist. Tends the muscles in the left forearm.
Hold it. Study the sensations. And let go.
Well done. And now just bring your attention mindfully to your right shoulder. And sort of pin your right upper arm to the side of your body.
And tense the muscles in the right upper arm and shoulder. And just be curious about the sensations of tension. Once again comparing the tense muscles.
For the relaxed ones in the opposite arm. When you're ready, gentle breath in. And as you exhale just let go of all of that tension.
Allow your arm to relax. And again find an image that captures this. Gradual release of tension.
May be sun Melting ice or butter melting. Softening. Taking your attention over to the left.
And once again pinning your left. Up around the side of your body and tensing all of the muscles. In the left upper arm and shoulder.
Holding it. And letting it go. And now I'm gonna ask you to extend your right leg.
As if you were sort of straightening it. So that the muscles in your shins and the muscles in your thighs and your ankle are tensed. And just experiment with pointing the toes.
And then taking the toes back so they point back towards your head. So the calf muscles become tense. Holding that now.
Holding it, bringing awareness to how the right leg is feeling. And as you exhale, breathe in. Let go.
And so. And so. Well done.
And taking The same over to the left side. And with your leg extended. Stretching that leg out so that the thigh muscles.
Start to connect. And Titan And then just allowing your foot to point. And then bringing your foot back.
To engage your calf muscles. Holding it And letting it go. Then bring your attention now to the muscles in your right buttock and thigh.
Just allowing the remaining muscles in the right leg to remain relaxed. We isolate those muscles in the buttock in the thigh. And we tend the right side.
OK. Mindfully study. The tension And compare the tense muscles.
To the left side. When you're ready. Gentle breath in, And as you exhale, soften into the chair that you're sitting in.
Over to the left side. And tense the buttock in the thigh in the left side. Hold it.
Be curious about it. Explore it. Gentle breath in.
And let it go. That's good. And now just let your head just fall forward so your chin perhaps is gently resting.
On your chest. And just study the sensations of tension. That you get there.
Comparing these tense muscles. To the relaxed ones that you've worked in the rest of your body. When you're ready, Take a deep breath in.
Just let go. Bring your head back. And relax, spending a few moments just Noticing how you're feeling right now.
And now just take your tongue. And press your tongue against your upper palate. And purse your lips, squint your eyes, tighten your jaw, and scrunch up your face.
Hold it. And study the sensations of tension. Compare the tense muscles in your face to how the rest of your body is feeling.
When you're ready, Take that wonderful deep breath in. And as you relax and let go, slowly, gradually release all of the tension in your face. Free facial, courtesy.
Of the Relaxation. Take a few Slow. Deep breaths now.
And just run your concentration. Just down your body. And if there's any part of your body.
But still feeling tense. Just repeat the exercise there. Until that tension leaves.
Allowing the relaxation to move through your body. In ways. Imagining that torque hose full of high pressure water.
As we let go and we switched the water off. We just soften. And let go.
And the tension leaves. I'm just relaxing. Enjoying this feeling.
Thoughts come in, we smile at them and just say later, please. And just enjoying the sensations of relaxation. Throughout your body.
And recognising that in a very short time, We've been able to absolutely Relax all of our physicality. In 11 Minutes we've got to this wonderful state. How wonderful is that?
Well done, everybody. It's a, I think that's a really nice. Exercise, and really keen, anyone's got any comments, any thoughts?
It's something I've never done with the webinar that before, but I kind of felt that . Yeah, I think it's right that we do this because I think there's a real need for proper genuine relaxation. I don't mean coming home and sitting in front of the telly.
I mean actually allowing our bodies to properly relax and our minds to follow. And when I do sleep therapy quite often, I suggest to people that aren't sleeping well that they use that particular progressive muscular relaxation. About an hour before they go to bed and then they just gently maintain that.
And muscularity, that softness, that lack of tension. In their pre-sleep routine. So the second meditation tonight, in the same, vein really is, I should have been in Cornwall.
This at this time. But Now, I last did that 30 years ago with the child psychologist. It was horrible then he gave me panic attacks.
Oh. Oh, but that that was OK. Oh, I'm so glad, Catriona.
I think we do it much better than we used to, and, yeah, it really does help, so much. Thank you. And so this picture here is Trevone Beach, and the cottage I stay in is, if you can imagine that grassy verge there, and you go back about 100 yards and there's a 3 bedroom.
Cottage just there and you can, that's the view that you can see from the cottage. I've been there now 23 years every Easter, and this is the first Easter in 23 years. I haven't been there.
So our meditation tonight is a meditation for all of those people who could have been going away at the moment somewhere gorgeous, perhaps even by the sea, and we couldn't. So this is a guided imagery, meditation that really builds well upon the progressive muscular relaxation. We just call this the sea shore.
So again, just get yourselves into that wonderful comfortable position. And I think this one I'm just going to say. And joy So we just begin this meditation by just beginning to get a sense of A beach and .
Seaside experience. And once again we just check out our thoughts. And Have a brief, gentle scan of our body.
Taking our attention gradually to our breath. I'm just breathing in. And out.
And And out as though our breath. Was mimicking the body. In ways.
Waves that reach every part of you. And for a moment Just imagine That you're at the seaside on a beautiful day. And it's that perfect time of day.
And the perfect time of year. Just recall the feeling you get in your body. When you're at the seaside.
And you're on holiday. There's nothing to do. No one to please.
And just get a sense of. What it's like to have been there as a child maybe. And as an adult.
Imagine the warmth. Of the sun, on top of your head and. On your shoulders.
And just allow this image to develop. Maybe there's a very gentle zephyr. Of a breeze.
Just a Zephy. It just What kind of massages your face and your arms. With that salty breeze of the water.
And as we just look up and down the beach, and notice the expanse of sand. The colour and texture. Just imagine that you're standing.
In the dry soft sand. Feeling it beneath your feet, between your toes. Just imagine taking a few steps.
Feeling what it's like to walk in deep, soft sand. As you walk closer to the water. The sand cools.
And you feel the sand take on the shape of your feet as you walk. If you turn and look gently behind you. You see your footprints.
And then notice the waves. Gently rolling in. Once again, finding our rhythmic breathing.
Platin. And look at the edge of the water, noticing the colour. Rolling in Those waves just breaking softly out at sea.
I'm going back out again, over. And over endlessly. He in the deep Calming, rhythmic sound of waves.
Breaking on the beach. And we look out to the horizon, don't we? And we noticed the waves as far back as you can see.
Glittering in the sunlights. Noticing that light. And now roll your shoulders back and feel the expanse of the sea.
And imagine breathing that in. That space, filling yourself with that feeling of spaciousness. Brightness and light.
And if you want, you can imagine going into the water. And feeding Gently carried on the waves. Safe in this protected code.
The cove we're in. I warmed by the sun. We're just being carried safely on buoyant waves.
As we come out, we find our soft towel. And we'd lie on it. During the warm Firm surface support your body.
And relaxing deeply into it. Letting the warmth and comfort fill your mind and your body. And as we come Towards the culmination of this.
Guided meditation. Let's just take a few moments to sit. Quietly.
And just allow this extra. Sense of relaxation. Sitting Smiling, Reminiscing.
Relaxation. Well done. And I hope You don't mind me tonight, .
Taking that opportunity for a bit of a reminisce, but, yeah, so. Wonderful place. And Trevone in North Cornwall that is.
And just to the right of there there's an enormous blowhole and every year. The, cliff rescue have to come and get somebody out that's climbed down and can't get back up, but that's another story. So, thank you all so much for being part of our wonderful Sundays again.
I'll send both recordings to Dawn as soon as we finish. And my hope is that You'll be able to relax this week, even more than you are already, and maybe you'll be able to have a couple of brief sojourns down to the seaside. Yeah, thank you.
Just the right thing at the right time. Thanks so much. So, .
Hopefully see some of you at the webinar World Congress. I think there's It it it's a huge event, isn't it? But I think I'm doing my sleep session.
I think it's about an hour. On Wednesday, I never know what I'm doing, do I? But I'm pretty sure it's Wednesday at about 7 o'clock.
So, with no more ado. Thank you all so much and have a really, really great week even amidst. All that's going on, let's find relaxation where we can and unashamedly, let's enjoy.
Being somewhere wonderful. OK. Mercy from Brigitte.
I love that. Thank you, Brigitte. And good night, everybody.