The full-body Progressive Muscle Relaxation script
This is the complete sequence — the classic head-to-toe Progressive Muscle Relaxation that moves through every major muscle group in turn. Read it slowly to yourself, record it in your own voice, or read it aloud to someone you're guiding. Set aside about fifteen unhurried minutes.
Before you begin
Find a position where you can stay comfortable for a while — lying down, or sitting well supported with your feet on the floor. Loosen anything tight, and let your hands rest. Tense each muscle group at about 70% effort for 5 seconds, then release all at once and rest for 10–15 seconds before the next group, savouring the contrast. Skip or simply imagine the release for any area that's injured.
Arriving
Let your eyes close, and let your body settle. Take a slow breath in through your nose… and a long breath out. (pause)
Again, breathe in… and out, letting your shoulders drop a little. And once more, in… and out. From here, you've nowhere to be and nothing to do but follow along. (rest)
Hands & forearms
Begin with your hands. Clench both fists tightly, feeling the tension build through your hands and up into your forearms… hold it… (hold five seconds)
And release. Let your fingers spread and soften. Notice the difference between the tightness a moment ago and the ease now. (pause)
Upper arms
Now bend your elbows and tense your upper arms, drawing your fists toward your shoulders… feel the muscles harden… hold… and let go. Let your arms fall heavy, wherever they rest.
Shoulders
Lift both shoulders up toward your ears, as high as they'll go… hold the tension… and drop them down. Let them sink lower than before. (pause)
Neck
Gently press the back of your head down and tighten the muscles of your neck… hold… and ease off. Let your head rest, perfectly supported.
Face
Raise your eyebrows high and wrinkle your forehead… hold… and smooth it away.
Now squeeze your eyes shut and scrunch your nose… hold… and release. (pause)
Clench your jaw and press your lips together… hold… and let go — teeth slightly apart, jaw loose and slack.
Chest & back
Take a deep breath in, filling your chest, and hold it… feel the stretch across your chest and back… and breathe all the way out, letting your chest fall and soften. (pause)
Gently arch and tense your upper back, drawing the shoulder blades together… hold… and release into the surface beneath you.
Stomach
Tighten your stomach, making the muscles hard as if to protect it… hold… and soften completely. Let your belly rise and fall on its own.
Hips & thighs
Squeeze your buttocks and thighs together, pressing down… hold the tension… and let go. Feel your hips grow heavy and still.
Calves
Point your toes gently away from you and feel your calves tighten… hold… and release. (if you feel a cramp coming, ease off)
Feet
Now curl your toes downward, tensing the soles of your feet… hold… and let them uncurl and fall open.
Whole body
You've moved through the whole body. Now scan slowly from your feet up to your face… and if you find any place still holding on, gently tense it… and let it melt. (rest here)
Let your whole body be heavy and warm, breathing slowly. Stay as long as you like. When you're ready, wiggle your fingers and toes, and open your eyes — carrying this calm with you.
Why the full-body sequence works
Moving through every muscle group in order does two things at once. Physically, the tense-and-release cycle leaves each muscle more relaxed than its resting state — and stacked across the whole body, that adds up to a deep drop in overall tension. Mentally, the steady tour from hands to feet gives your attention a simple, absorbing place to rest, which naturally crowds out racing thoughts.
This longer version is the one to reach for when you have time to truly unwind — after a hard day, before bed, or whenever stress has settled into your whole body rather than one spot. For a faster reset, try the 5-minute version; to fall asleep, the sleep script ends lying down.
Prefer to close your eyes and listen?
Following a 15-minute script with your eyes open is its own small effort. Superchill voices a full-body relaxation like this one aloud — at the pace and voice you choose, freshly written for how you feel — so you can simply let go. Free to try on iPhone.
How long should a full PMR session take?
A complete head-to-toe sequence usually runs 12–20 minutes when done unhurried. The pauses between muscle groups are where much of the relaxation happens, so it's better to go slowly through fewer groups than to rush all of them.
Should I tense and release, or just relax each muscle?
The tensing is what makes PMR distinct and effective — deliberately contracting a muscle first lets it release more deeply than simply trying to relax it. If a muscle is injured or painful, skip the tensing for that area and just imagine it softening.
What's the best time of day to do it?
Any time you can be undisturbed. Many people use the full sequence in the evening to release a day's tension, but it's equally useful midday as a deliberate reset. Done lying down at bedtime, it doubles as a wind-down for sleep.