A meditation for relaxation lets body and mind settle step by step: first the breath slows, then the body gets heavy and warm, and finally you rest in stillness for a few minutes. Unlike a meditation that trains attention, the goal here is simply to let go. It aims at what the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) calls the relaxation response: slower breathing, lower blood pressure and a reduced heart rate, the opposite of the stress response.
Below is a 15-minute deep relaxation practice we wrote, versions for stress, sleep and focus, how it compares with a body scan and yoga nidra, and what relaxation can and can't do.
The 5 stages of deep relaxation
| Stage | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Arrive | You settle, feel the support under you | about 2 minutes |
| 2. Lengthen the breath | The out-breath gets a little longer than the in-breath | about 3 minutes |
| 3. Heaviness | Arms and legs get heavy, one after the other | about 3 minutes |
| 4. Warmth | Hands, belly and face feel warm and soft | about 3 minutes |
| 5. Stillness | You rest without doing anything, then come back | about 4 minutes |
The heaviness and warmth stages borrow from autogenic training, where you repeat phrases such as "my right arm is heavy" and "my right arm is warm." We keep them as gentle invitations rather than formulas, which makes them easier for beginners.
A 15-minute deep relaxation script
We wrote this for sitting in an armchair or lying on your back. Read it slowly, or record it and listen with headphones. Each (pause) is about three calm breaths; (long pause) is about a minute. The times are a rough guide, not a rule.
Stage 1: Arrive
Let your body find a position it can stay in for a while. Loosen anything tight. Let your eyes close. (pause) Notice the points where your body is held: your back against the chair or the floor, your arms, your legs, your feet. You don't need to hold yourself up. (pause) Notice the sounds around you, near and far. They can stay in the background. (pause)
Stage 2: Lengthen the breath
Now bring your attention to your breath. Just watch it for a few breaths, without changing it. (pause) Then, gently, let each breath out take a little longer than the breath in. Not forced. Just a little slower on the way out, like a quiet sigh. (pause) If it helps, count: in for four, out for six. In for four, out for six. (pause) Keep this rhythm for a few more breaths. Then let the counting go and let the breath find its own slow pace. (long pause)
Stage 3: Heaviness
Bring your attention to your right arm. Let it rest where it is. Imagine it's getting heavier, sinking into the surface under it. You might say silently: "My right arm is heavy." (pause) Now your left arm. Heavy, resting, sinking. (pause) Your right leg. Heavy, from the hip to the heel. (pause) Your left leg. Heavy. (pause) Your shoulders. Let them sink, and let them be as heavy as they want to be. (pause) Now your whole body, heavy and supported. There's nothing it needs to do. (long pause)
Stage 4: Warmth
Now bring your attention to your hands. Imagine they're resting in warm water, or in a patch of sun. Let the warmth be there, even if it's only an idea. (pause) Let the warmth spread into your arms. (pause) Now your belly. Imagine a warm, soft feeling behind your navel, moving gently with each breath. (pause) Your face. Let your forehead smooth out. Let your jaw be loose, your teeth a little apart. Let your eyes rest heavy behind the lids. (pause) Heavy and warm. Resting. (long pause)
Stage 5: Stillness
Now let go of all the instructions. You don't need to make anything heavy or warm anymore. Just rest in whatever is here. (pause) If a thought comes, let it pass like a cloud, and come back to the feeling of resting. (pause) If you like, choose one word to rest in: "calm," "here," or "rest." Say it silently with each breath out. (long pause) (long pause) (long pause) Now, slowly, begin to come back. Take a deeper breath. Move your fingers and toes. Stretch your arms. Open your eyes, and stay seated for a moment before you get up.
At night, skip the last paragraph and let the stillness turn into sleep.
The script has about 400 words, 17 pauses and 6 long pauses. At about 100 words a minute and about 5 seconds per breath (our assumptions, not measurements), that's roughly 14 minutes, a little more if you count the breaths in stage 2 slowly.
Deep relaxation for stress, sleep or focus
| Goal | How to adapt the practice |
|---|---|
| Stress relief in the daytime | Stages 1 to 3 only, about 7 minutes, sitting. End with a clear return. |
| Relaxation and sleep | Lying in bed. Take your time with stages 3 and 4, leave out the return. |
| Relaxation and focus | Sitting upright, stages 1, 2 and 5, about 8 minutes. End with three normal breaths and open eyes before you start work. |
| Anxious moments | Stage 2 only, with open eyes and your feet on the floor. Stop if closing your eyes makes it worse. |
For a quick option before sleep, our sleep meditation guide has a 10-minute script. If your problem is a busy head rather than a tense body, see racing thoughts at night.
Deep relaxation, body scan or yoga nidra?
| Deep relaxation (this page) | Body scan | Yoga nidra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main tool | Breath, heaviness, warmth, stillness | Attention moving part by part | Fixed sequence with intention, body rotation, breath, images |
| You | Invite a feeling | Observe without changing | Follow a voice |
| Best for | Letting go after a long day | Noticing tension, falling asleep | Deep rest when you're very tired |
| Our guide | This page | Body scan meditation | Yoga nidra and NSDR |
If your body is so restless that lying still feels impossible, start with a few rounds of progressive muscle relaxation first. Tensing before letting go makes the release easier to feel.
What happens in the body during relaxation
The German health ministry's portal gesund.bund.de lists changes that relaxation methods can bring about, the "relaxation response":
- the skeletal muscles relax,
- the blood vessels widen and blood pressure drops,
- breathing becomes calm,
- the body uses less oxygen.
It also describes effects you may notice: a sense of being able to influence your body and its sensations, better concentration, calm and a greater sense of well-being. And it adds an important point: these effects usually don't appear fully when you start. With more practice, the relaxation response comes more completely and faster.
What a relaxation meditation can and can't do
- It can help you wind down, notice tension and give your mind something slow to follow.
- It can't replace treatment. NCCIH says relaxation techniques on their own don't seem especially promising for sleep, although they can be one part of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
- It isn't for everyone every time. NCCIH notes that people occasionally report increased anxiety, intrusive thoughts or fear of losing control, and there are rare reports that certain techniques worsened symptoms in people with epilepsy, certain psychiatric conditions or a history of abuse or trauma. If a practice makes you feel worse, stop.
Guided deep relaxation in the app
If you'd rather be guided, AI Meditation: Sleep & Calm has Body Scan for Deep Relaxation, which travels from head to feet to release tension and come to rest. Letting Go of Stress works with a longer out-breath, Forest Calm: Letting Go of Stress adds forest images to it, and Falling Asleep Gently: Settling In, Letting Go is made for bedtime. For deep rest in the night, there's Back to Sleep with the Yoga Nidra Method.
You can set how long a session lasts within its range, and the voices are AI voices. See how the app works, try it for free, no account needed.
For more options, see our overview of relaxation techniques.
Your health
This app is a wellness app and does not replace medical advice. If stress, tension or sleep problems last for weeks or affect your day, talk to a doctor. NCCIH's page on relaxation techniques summarizes the research and safety notes.
Sources
All pages accessed on September 25, 2026.
- NCCIH: Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know. Relaxation response, sleep research, side effects.
- gesund.bund.de (German Federal Ministry of Health): Entspannungsmethoden: Welche Techniken gegen Stress helfen können (in German, updated March 27, 2026). Effects of relaxation on the body, practice, autogenic training formulas.
- AI Meditation: Sleep & Calm, app version 2026.6.1. Session contents.
