Body Scan Meditation

A mindful body scan meditation involves systematically bringing awareness to different parts of the body. It is a powerful technique for cultivating mindfulness, reducing stress, and promoting relaxation.

Transcript

Hello beautiful human and welcome back or simply welcome to your journey to mindfulness. My name is Letitia and I'll be guiding you through a very simple and common mindfulness practice today. You've probably heard of it before, It's called a body scan meditation. So it's a really simple and easy to follow practice, Yet it's super effective. So yeah, I hope you will enjoy. So before we start our practice, I really invite you to loosen up any tight clothing or any other constrictions and really allow yourself to be as comfortable as you can, Either by laying face up or sitting on the chair, On a cushion, Wherever you are. You just want to make sure that you're really comfortable and supported. And you can also make an intention that for the next 20 minutes or so you will try to not fidget or move unnecessarily. It's always easier said than done, But by setting an intention might help you to find a bit more stillness. Also you could make the determination that for the period of this practice you will not be too concerned about anything other than being here and now and really bringing your attention to your bodily sensation. If thoughts, Emotions, Sounds or other experiences pull your attention away from physical sensations, Please try to not struggle. Really let these experiences arise and pass away, But have them in the periphery of your awareness. Let the physical sensation be the central focus. So take a few seconds here to make yourself comfy. And when you are ready, Bring your attention to your body as a whole. Lying or sitting there. And be with the physical sensations. Perhaps noticing areas of tensions, Any unnecessary grip, Any constriction. And see if you can start finding some softness in the body. And as you bring your attention to your body, Also be aware of your breath. And with every breath, It is as if your body relaxes and lets go of tightness, Becoming heavier and heavier. And be aware of your legs. Let go of tightness and let them relax with the out-breath. And now be aware of your arms. And let them soften with the out-breath. Be aware of your torso. And let it soften with the out-breath. Be aware of your head. And let it relax with the out-breath. And now bring the awareness to the top of the head. And now bring the awareness to the top of the head with a curious, Focused and open-minded quality. Be curiously attentive to the physical sensations as they are, Without trying to change them. Without trying to change them. They may be tingling or pressure, Tightness, Lightness, Vibration. Or perhaps there's no particular sensations at all. Whatever it is, Just let it be. We just want to be open and inquisitive. And now shift your attention to your forehead. Can you feel the sensations in your forehead? Whatever those sensations may be, Just let them be. They may be tightness or straining or they may be looseness. Whatever is there, Be open to that experience. Without judgment, Without condemnation. It is as if when you bring awareness to your forehead, Whatever tightness or distress that is there just dissipates and softens. And now bring your awareness to your face, Your eyes, Your nose, Your cheeks, Your mouth, Your jaw and your whole face. Feel the experience. And as you bring mindfulness to your face, It is as if without trying, Whatever tightness that may have been there, Just melts away and falls away. And now can you be mindful of the physical sensation at the top of your head? The back of your head and the top of your neck. Your neck, Your throat, The top of your chest, The top of your shoulders. Slowly, Systematically and thoroughly moving your attention from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Be aware of your shoulders. Moving attention around every corner and aspect of your shoulders. Letting your awareness touch upon the sensation. And now bring awareness to your arms, The inside of your arms, The outside of your arms. Your biceps. Moving down your arms to your elbows, Your forearms, Your wrists and your hands. Feel your hands. They may be vibration, Lightness, Tingling. Whatever is there, Let it be. And let it be known with a curious and open mind. It may feel as if your hands are far away. Or they are very large. Or they are maybe pulsating. Whatever the experience, Try to not struggle with the experiences but allow a curious and detached but caring interest to emerge. And now bring mindfulness to the top of your chest. Upper back. Your whole chest move and scan with your awareness through your upper torso. Being open to experiences as they are. There may be pain or there may be pleasure. Embrace whatever is there with a tender, Gentle and compassionate mind. And if there is distress embedded or disconnected in various parts of your body, It is as if when you bring awareness to this experience, It is as if when you bring awareness to this experience, The distress becomes whole, Becomes healed. And let your attention continue to scan moving from one part of the body to the next, Embracing all aspects. It is as if, As mindfulness moves from one part of the body to the next, It is connecting the various parts of the body and the mind. And now be mindful of your upper abdomen. Midsection of the back. Lower abdomen. Lower back. Hips, Groin. Being with whatever presence as it is. Being mindful of your lower abdomen. Lower abdomen. Being open and accepting. Being kind and compassionate. And now be attentive to the sensations in your thighs. Inside of the thighs, Outside of the thighs, The whole of the thighs. Down to your knees. Moving attention systematically and consistently to every part of the body. Shift awareness down to your shins, Your calves, Your heels, Your ankles, Your toes. The top part of the feet. The base of the feet. Feeling whatever sensations that are there without feeling that you need to change them. But being with the sensations in an open, Accepting and compassionate manner. And now bring your attention to your whole body. Bring attention to the quality of aliveness in your whole body. It is as if every cell has life and this life can be felt. You may feel this aliveness as vibration. Bring attention to your body as a whole. Endeavour to be aware of your body's vibration or vibrance and vitality. Be with and enjoy that experience. If you can, Also be aware of the mind that knows the vibrant experience of your body. This knowing may seem very deep, Still and peaceful. And you may choose to rest with this awareness or you may choose to scan your body with awareness another time. You could go from the feet to your head or one side to the other or you may choose to end the exercise. But before you end the exercise, Assess how you are feeling right now. And if this feeling is peaceful, Calm and relaxed, Be aware that throughout today or other days in the future, You can remind yourself of this state of being by bringing attention to the sensations in your body. And if you have chosen to end the exercise, I invite you to firstly move your fingers and your toes and then your hands and feet. And if you have chosen to end the exercise, I invite you to move your fingers and your toes and then your hands and feet. And then to become aware of the room that you are in. You can give yourself a big stretch, Gently blink the eyes open and slowly make your way back up if you are in a reclined position and go about your daily activities with the understanding that you can access and take refuge in your awareness whenever you need. Thank you for joining me today. Have a beautiful day and take care of yourself.