Hello there,
And welcome to Big Belly Breathing.
Welcome to health.
My name is Vanessa Hutchinson-Zecherle,
And I'm so enthused to lead you on this audio journey where we practice mindfulness and our breathing practice.
This month's theme is gratitude,
So think of what that means to you while you listen.
Gratitude can mean being thankful for all the good things in our lives,
Like our family,
Friends,
Teachers,
Other people,
Pets,
And favorite toys.
Today,
We are going to practice a special kind of quiet time activity called a body scan.
During this audio,
We will focus on different parts of our body,
One by one,
And learn to be grateful for each of them.
We will take the time to notice any tension or discomfort we may be holding onto,
And then let it go.
By doing this,
We can learn to appreciate and be grateful for the amazing gift that our body is.
When we take the time to appreciate our body and its many amazing functions,
It helps us feel grateful for what we have,
Rather than focusing on what we lack.
This can lead to a more positive and happy outlook on life.
Let's take a moment to be grateful for our wonderful body and all that it allows us to do.
Are you ready to explore the magic of gratitude with me?
Fantastic.
Let's get started.
If you're at school and at your desk,
Then sit up with a tall spine.
If it feels good,
Then I invite you to close your eyes.
This allows all of your other senses to become heightened and allows your nervous system to start relaxing.
However,
If you prefer,
You can have them open with a soft gaze.
You know your body,
So trust what feels best today.
If you're at home,
Find a cozy and quiet spot where you can sit or lie down comfortably.
You might choose to sit on a pillow or a soft blanket,
Or snuggle up with a favorite stuffed animal.
No matter where you are,
Let's now all settle in.
Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth,
And let yourself relax and feel calm.
Since we are practicing our beach ball breathing,
Let's do that together.
Place your hands slightly in front of you,
Palms facing each other as if holding a beach ball.
Take a big inhaling breath while lifting the ball high above your head.
On the exhale,
Very slowly push the ball back down to your waist as if pushing the ball underwater.
Let's do that one more time.
Inhale ball above your head.
Exhale ball back down,
Pushing it underwater.
Nicely done.
Now for the body scan.
Begin by focusing on your toes.
Wiggle them a little bit,
And then relax them.
Now think about how grateful you are for your toes.
Your toes help you walk,
Jump,
And run.
They let you feel the grass,
Sand,
Or carpet under your feet.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Let any tension or discomfort in your toes and feet melt away.
Move your attention up to your legs.
Notice how your legs feel.
Think about how grateful you are for your legs.
Your legs take you to new places,
Help you dance,
And let you kick a ball.
Imagine a warm and soft blanket covering your legs,
And feel any tension or discomfort melting away.
Now move your attention up to your stomach.
Notice how your stomach feels.
Think about how grateful you are for your stomach.
Your stomach digests your food and gives you energy.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Feel your stomach rise and fall.
Imagine a balloon inflating and deflating with each breath you take.
Imagine the balloon getting bigger and bigger as you inhale,
And getting smaller and smaller as you exhale.
Feel any tension or discomfort in your stomach melting away.
Move your attention up to your chest.
Notice how your chest feels.
Think about how grateful you are for your chest.
Your chest holds your heart and lungs.
Your heart beats and pumps blood all around your body.
Your lungs breathe in air and help you speak and sing.
Feel your chest rise and fall with each breath,
And let any tension or discomfort in your chest melt away.
Now move your attention up to your shoulders.
Notice if they feel tense or relaxed.
Think about how grateful you are for your shoulders.
Your shoulders carry your backpack,
Help you lift things,
And let you give someone a hug.
Imagine a warm and gentle breeze blowing through your shoulders,
And feel any tension or discomfort melting away.
Move your attention down to your arms.
Notice how your arms feel.
Think about how grateful you are for your arms.
Your arms let you play,
Draw,
Write,
And help others.
Imagine your arms feeling like they are floating on a cloud.
Imagine a warm and gentle sun shining on your arms,
And feel any tension or discomfort melting away.
Move your attention up to your neck.
Notice if it feels tense or relaxed.
Think about how grateful you are for your neck.
Your neck lets you turn your head and look around.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Feel any tension or discomfort melting away.
Finally,
Move your attention up to your head.
Notice if it feels tense or relaxed.
Think about how grateful you are for your head.
Your head helps you think and learn.
It lets you see,
Hear,
Smell,
Taste,
And feel.
Imagine a warm and cozy hat on your head,
And feel any tension or discomfort melting away.
Let's end this body scan by taking a few deep breaths,
Practicing our beach ball breathing,
And feeling the love and gratitude inside us.
Inhale the ball above your head,
And exhale the ball back down and pushing it underwater.
One more time.
Inhale the ball above your head,
Exhale the ball back down and pushing it underwater.
When you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes,
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
And give yourself a big hug.
Well done!
Now take a moment to stretch and move your body.
Raise your arms above your head,
Circle your wrists,
And roll your neck.
Do this very gently,
And in both directions.
Take a few more deep breaths,
And notice how your whole body feels.
Think about how grateful you are for your amazing body that lets you do so many things.
Enjoy the feeling of relaxation and peace.
You have completed the body scan quiet time activity with a focus on gratitude.
Thank you so much for your participation today.
How do your body,
Brain,
And heart feel now?
When you engage in quiet time activities and focus on your breathing,
You're nourishing your whole self.
This is a way to feel calm,
As well as build your strength and let your creativity flow.
Remember,
You can come back to this mindfulness moment any time you want to feel more grateful and appreciative of your body.
You can do this type of activity on your own whenever you feel like you want to bring some peace into your brain,
Body,
And heart.
By doing this regularly,
You can learn to focus on the good things in your life and find happiness in the present moment.
Feel free to send me an email to let me know how this made you feel,
Or if you have any questions or comments.
Have a beautiful and healthy rest of your day.
Take big care and see you soon.
BBB.
Breathe.
Move.
Eat.
Rest.
Thank you.
