Squeezing and releasing stress is similar to progressive muscle relaxation. You tense on purpose so that you can relax more completely. The worksheet suggests it for stress held in the mind or body, and typically it is held in both.
- Find a comfortable place to rest on your back for about ten to fifteen minutes, arms by your sides and feet falling outward. Take a few deep breaths to ground yourself.
- Draw your attention to the soles of your feet. On a slow, steady inhale, clench your toes as if they were reaching for your heels, inviting any stress in this region to collect there.
- As you exhale, release all the physical tension and invite the mind to soften too. Take a few mindful breaths and notice how it feels to let your feet rest completely.
- Move to the calves or thighs and squeeze them in the same way on your next inhale, as if gathering knots of tension. Exhale slowly as you soften the legs completely.
- Repeat with any other body parts you like, such as the arms, shoulders, mouth, and whole face, taking a few mindful breaths between each squeeze.
- When you are finished, imagine each part of your body surrendering into the surface beneath you for a final few moments of full release.
A note from the worksheet: if you have a health concern, discomfort, or pain in a particular area, skip squeezing it. Breathe into it for a few cycles instead, and imagine the same release taking place without the squeeze.
Two reflection questions follow. What was the practice like, and which areas were pleasing to squeeze and release or called for a gentler witnessing? How might you continue to release stress from the body as the day goes on?
