Progressive Muscle Relaxation

The classic gentle relaxation induction

Progressive muscle relaxation method (PMR)

The Hypnosis Induction Script Progressive Muscle Relaxation is the easiest hypnotic induction. This induction is simple and reliable, and every hypnotist should know how to do it. Most inductions use some part of this technique.

Progressive relaxation induction is also called the Jacobson relaxation method. The basic progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technique is to tense and then relax each muscle group, progressing from the head to the feet, while suggesting comfort and letting go.

PMR is quick to learn and will work with everyone, but sometimes can take a long time. Because the client is very relaxed, and mostly unresponsive, it can be difficult to tell when to stop. But with practice you will learn to recognize when they are entering trance. The Hypnosis Induction Script Progressive Muscle Relaxation is good practice for beginners, but there are better hypnotic inductions.

Hypnosis Induction Script Progressive Muscle Relaxation

I would like you to sit down or lie down and make yourself as comfortable as you can...I
loosen any tight clothes... take off your shoes if you want... take anything bulky out of your pockets so that you can relax easilyI
please make sure your cell phone has gone into trance already...Metaphor
I am going to speak to you about relaxation... about comfort... so your mind can drift off to... enjoy a new experience...Iseeding ideas
Hypnosis is safe and pleasant and at all times part of you will be in trance and some part of you will be aware of what is going on... and you will be able to come out of trance any time you want to .... the feeling of trance is a lovely relaxed peacefulness... you will feel as if you could do anything... but you just can't be bothered... you would rather relax and enjoy the experience...Ireassurance = you have control
everything I say will be intended for your own good, and anything I mistakenly might say that might not be, you can just ignore it and let it go ...Safety
If at any time you want to move to make yourself even more comfortable... you can do that... you are in control...Dreassurance
I am going to ask you to close your eyes, and while you are going into trance I will be touching you on one or both wrists...Bind
is that OK?Permission to proceed
[get agreement]
Allow yourself to settle down comfortably now... and when you are comfortable... think about being supported... when you become aware of how the chair is touching your back... just allow your eyes to close.Permissive Bind
Breath 1Now take a deep breath and hold it ... and when you let it out ... slowly... just let your body relax... that's right... just relax as far as you are comfortable...Use the natural parasympathetic response
Breath 2And now take another deep breath... and this time when you release it ... just release all the tension in your body... just allow yourself to relax completely...
Breath 3And when you are ready... take another deep breath... and this time really let go... let go any remaining tension...
MetaphorAllow your arms and legs and hands and head to go limp and loose and floppy... just like a rag doll... or imagine an old coat thrown across a chair...VVisualization
CapabilityAnd as relaxed as you are now... you may be surprised to learn that you can be even more relaxed... deeper and deeper relaxed... ten times more relaxed... even more...Ipresupposition
EyesNow focus your attention on your eyes... on those tiny muscles that close your eyelids... and you can control those muscles... I wonder if you can imagine them so relaxed that they will just not work...I
Headand when you are sure that those eyes are so relaxed that they won't work then allow that relaxation to spread to the muscles of your forehead... feel those muscles spreading out and flattening... feel some relaxation spread to your cheeks... feel them relax and flatten... then allow that relaxation to go down into your jaw... allow your jaw and mouth and lips to relax... allow your whole face to relax... to smooth out...dissociation
[You should see some movement of the mouth or jaw if they are following your suggestion] That's right... your jaw and mouth and head are all becoming so relaxed... you are doing very relaxation
Shouldersand now allow that relaxation to spread to your neck and shoulders... just pull your shoulders up a fraction if you can... and then relax them totally... let them fall as far as they will go... just imagine all those muscles flattening and stretching... imagine every nerve and fiber becoming loose and limp and heavy... just feel that weight pulling your shoulders down until they are just lying there completely relaxed and comfortable.sensory distortion
ChestNow imagine all the muscles of your chest relaxing... imagine all those muscles that connect to your spine and tummy... imagine how much they can relax... and let them relax now... and with each gentle breath you can relax those muscles more and more... [Safety: Do not mention the heart at all, ever] Continue the progressive muscle relaxation downwards
Armsand your arms... become aware of how relaxed your arms might become... and you can gently tense your upper arms a little... and then let it go... and that letting go allows you relax that part even more... and then maybe you can tense your forearms a little... and let that go... and notice how much more relaxation can flow into those arms... and then check if those hands need to relax... you can gently softly tense your hands... or even just imagine you can tense your hands... and let go again... and your hands are totally relaxed... and you can forget all about your heavy hands and arms and just enjoy feeling wonderfully relaxed...Dissociation
Arm Flop TestAnd in a moment I am going to lift your right hand by the wrist... you can continue to relax and go deeper and deeper... you don't have to pay any attention at all to what I do... do not try to assist... you can just let it happen... as if it is somebody else's arm... just let the arm go soft and limp and bendy... when I lift your arm it will be so relaxed it will just flop like a wet towel...DDepth test
Lifting your arm now... [always warn before you touch the listener]
[Take the wrist between your thumb and forefinger and lift it straight up. Try to hold it by the bony knobs of the lower arm, not the upper part of the hand. The arm should feel heavy, and it should bend at the elbow, not the shoulder. If you waggle the wrist the hand should flop around. If the whole arm comes up quickly and there is no weight, then the person is assisting and is not yet in trance. ]Test for complete muscle relaxation
Arm flop deepenerIn a moment I am going to let your wrist go... and when that arm falls you will feel yourself going even deeper into relaxation... could be ten times more relaxed than you are now... feeling warm and safe and comfortable as you go deeper...
NOW... [let the wrist go, not place it down gently, let it drop]
[In a fully hypnotized person the arm will drop like a dead weight. Otherwise the listener is not in trance and so you then start another round of relaxing using the legs. Very occasionally a person's arm will stay up when you let go. This means the person is actually already in a deep state of hypnosis, the best you can get. Tell them to allow their arm to drift slowly down and wait until it has.]
[If you are sure your person is trance then...] That's right... and as I speak to you my words will allow you to go as deep and relaxed as you want... You are doing very well. Thank you... and now we will move on [now do whatever you plan to do next]
[If the person is not in hypnosis or you are not sure then do the second arm drop and go on to do the Second Relaxation.]
Second Arm DropIn a moment I am going to lift your left hand by the wrist... you can continue to relax and go deeper and deeper... once again you don't have to pay any attention at all to what I do... just let it happen... as if that arm was somebody else's... just let the arm be soft and utterly relaxed... when I lift your arm it will be so relaxed it will just flop like a wet towel...ISupposition
Lifting your left wrist now... [always warn before you touch the listener]
[This time give the wrist a little tug as you lift it and drop it immediately. The whole arm should move a little. The idea is to give a tiny surprise, something unexpected that will briefly shock the listener out of their current state.] </span >Safety!
do not tug hard.
[Then say immediately, while the arm is falling... Firmly, and in a deeper voice] DEEPER NOW... DOWN AND DOWN.D
That's right. You can allow yourself to let go now... really let go and go deeper and deeper now... relax every muscle in your body... and maybe you can feel a wave of relaxation flowing down your body... from your head down... all the way down to your toes...DContinue the suggestions of progressive muscle relaxation
... and the more you relax... the easier it becomes to relax even more...D
And I wonder if you can imagine your legs now... how the bones and muscles are all connected... and maybe you can imagine those big strong muscles in your upper legs... and really feel where they are and how they work together... and those legs can feel really heavy... your whole body can feel really heavy...DDissociation
Upper legsand you can lightly tense the muscles at the front maybe... and then at the back and the side... and then you can release and relax ... and feel those muscles go soft... and maybe you can see in your mind's eye those muscles sliding past each other... to go to rest... and those legs can get so heavy... so relaxed, can't they?DProgressive muscle relaxation of the lower body
Lower legsand you can move your attention to the muscles of your lower leg... and gently, gently tense and release those muscles too... and every time you release you might be able to sense the relaxation that's happening all through your body as each part learns to really let go now...
Feetand your feet... they can relax too... you might want to gently tense first one foot and then the other and you might have difficulty deciding which foot to think about first... and it might all seem too much trouble... and as you do you imagine those feet relaxing... all tension gone...
Inward focusand it might feel as if those feet have gone too... relaxation can make it seem as though those feet are very far away... as if they are not really connected to you at all any more... and you can lose touch with your legs maybe... being so relaxed lets you focus inward...Dissociation
People can just drift away when they are relaxed... when nothing matters... the mind just drifts where it will... as if it has forgotten all about arms and legs and just enjoy that feeling of drifting weightless...Dissociation
And when people are really relaxed they can forget about everything nearly... nothing seems important... it can be hard to summon up the energy to do anything... it's just so pleasant to relax...D
Ideomotor depth testI would like you to become aware of your hands... and you can become aware that there is a difference between your hands... and I don't know what that difference is ... but you will know... one hand may feel heavier than the other, or one hand may feel warmer, or one hand may start tingling... you can sense a difference of some kind now or maybe later... and I would like you to allow your unconscious mind to choose one hand... and I don't know how the mind will know... but just let the unconscious mind decide on a hand... don't try to choose or assist in any way... just let it happen naturally... and you can be curious as to which hand it will be... and when your mind has chosen one hand I would like you to signal by raising a finger or a thumb of that hand, to show that the hand has been chosen... so in your own time, now, let your mind choose one hand or the other, and signal by raising a finger or a thumb or maybe the whole hand will move... just let it happen... and we will move on...
ideomotor signal[Await movement: you may have to wait two or three minutes if the person is deep in trance. When the signal comes it should be a small, hesitant movement. If the movement is immediate and strong, like one finger juts up straight away fully rigid, your person is not in trance so you then start another round of deepening and relaxation. (If there is no movement at all then the person may be so deeply in trance that they have lost control of their muscles. They think they have signaled, but nothing moves. Test by doing an arm drop. If it is totally limp they are in trance.) If you think they might have fallen asleep, test by asking them to take a deep breath and exhale. If they are listening they should take a deeper breath. ]
[If you get a small movement or do the arm drop say...] Thank you. I see your signal. That's very good. You are doing very well... We will move on now... [and go on to whatever you decide to do next]
[If you get a clear signal then you are done, otherwise go on to the third section (I told you this could take a while).]
Thank you. That's very good. I see your signal. And as you are lying there, relaxed, breathing gently, listening to my voice... part of you may be wondering if you are going into trance while another part of you is already in trance.
What I would like you to do now is to mentally go round every part of your body... and just check if there is any tension there... your shoulders, your arms, your legs... and if there is focus on that part... imagine it... imagine how it would feel if it was totally relaxed... completely at ease... imagine with every breath out that there is a voice in your head talking to that part... What would it say? What words or thoughts or pictures or sounds would really make each part relax totally?Allow the person to hypnotize themself
CapabilityAnd you can take as much time as you want to visit every part of your body... test and relax it... until you are totally relaxed all over... and maybe you will be surprised at how easy it is... and maybe you actually are already relaxed all over... and some part of you didn't recognize it... because everybody can relax... you can relax... you can give permission now for every part of you to experience that wonderful feeling that really relaxing brings...DTruism
Second ideomotor signalAnd so in your own way and in your own time... relax that body... and when you have done that... let your mind surprise you by choosing a hand to signal with to show you are totally relaxed and ready to move on...
[Await the signal. If you do not get the right signal you have been very unlucky with the person you picked to work with. You can either give up and choose another person, or start the whole process from the top. It will work, eventually. Using the progressive muscle relaxation script you usually get trance in less than ten minutes.]



Hypnosis Induction Script Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Just speak naturally

The hypnosis induction script Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) does not need any special voice control. When using the script just say the suggestions in your normal voice. Try not to read the script aloud... practice so you don't have to read it out. The exact words are not important, the continuous flow of progressive relaxation suggestions is.

An induction script needs to be delivered slowly... very gently... suggesting rather than commanding. Watch closely all the time. If they make any movement, comment on it, and say 'Yes, that's right, that's exactly right' so they get feedback and reassurance.

Take your time

Time each group of suggestions by speaking only when the listener breathes out. Deliver it slowly - leave the listener lots of time to think about and then act on your suggestions. The progressive relaxation technique might seem incredibly slow to you, but it does not seem slow to your listener. There is nothing wrong with saying nothing for ten or twenty seconds. This allows the listener time to feel the changes taking place inside them. With most hypnosis, silence is the best deepener. Remember that the listener has been told to keep on relaxing and going deeper, so they will use the silences as suggestions to do that.




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