Progressive muscle relaxation can be effectively utilized as needed to help reduce stress, as maintenance in a relaxation program, and to help induce sleep. The technique is simple and involves the tightening and relaxing of muscle groups throughout the body. First, we will tighten a specific muscle group, and then bring your awareness to how the muscle feels when tense. Hold it for seven seconds, release it suddenly, and bring your awareness to how the muscle now feels relaxed. Follow this with a deep breath to the bottom of your lungs. Tensing and relaxing various muscle groups throughout the body can help produce a deep state of calm. Let’s begin by closing our eyes and taking a deep breath. As you breathe in and out, allow your worries and concerns to drift away. Now, let’s begin with the muscles around your eyes and forehead. Tighten the muscles and hold it 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and release, deep breath. Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth and tighten your jaw muscles, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and release. Allow your muscles to relax and your mouth to hang open. Now push your shoulders up, trying to touch your ears, and hold it, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and release, deep breath. Move to the muscles in your upper back, try to push your shoulder blades together and hold it 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and release, deep breath. Moving to your right arm we tighten the bicep, triceps, wrist and hand, tightening them all and hold it 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, release. Now, we'll do the same thing with our left arm the bicep, triceps, wrist and hand tensing all the muscles and hold it 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, release, deep breath. As you move to the muscles in your stomach, you begin to feel your upper body becoming heavy and calm. Tighten your stomach muscles and hold it, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and release. As the tensions continue to leave your muscles, you feel your body relaxing more and more. Next, we move to our right leg. Tighten your thigh, calf all the way down to your ankle and hold it, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, release, deep breath. Moving to our left leg we tighten the thigh, calf, and down to the ankle tensing them all and hold it, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and release, deep breath. Your body is heavy. Your mind is calm as you drift deeper and deeper into total relaxation.