Hello and welcome.
This is a non-sleep deep rest body scan meditation.
Begin by finding a comfortable position.
Lie on your back or rest in a supported seated posture.
Allow your arms to fall naturally by your sides,
Palms facing upward.
Let your legs extend comfortably or bend the knees if that feels supportive.
Softly close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and exhale gently through your mouth.
Let your body know it is safe to settle.
Feel the contact points where your body touches the surface beneath you.
The back of your head.
Your shoulder blades.
Your hips.
Your legs.
Your heels.
Sense the steady support beneath you.
Take another deep breath in and a long slow exhale.
Allow the belly to soften.
Let the jaw loosen.
Release any expectation.
You don't need to accomplish anything here.
You're simply arriving.
Bring your attention to the natural rhythm of your breath.
You don't need to change it.
Just notice it.
The gentle rise and the gentle fall.
Allow each breath to signal to the body and mind that they can unwind now.
Let the spine grow a little heavier.
Let the shoulders sink deeper.
Let your body settle into quiet stillness.
Now we begin the body scan.
Bring your awareness to the top of your head,
The crown.
Notice any tingling,
Warmth or stillness.
Imagine a gentle wave of relaxation entering here.
Move your awareness down to your forehead.
Smooth the space between your eyebrows.
Let the muscles here grow soft.
Shift to your eyelids.
Allow them to rest heavily over the eyes.
Relax the cheeks,
The jaw,
The teeth,
The tongue.
Let the tongue rest comfortably at the floor of the mouth.
Release any tension around the mouth or lips.
No need to hold anything.
Bring awareness to the ears,
Inside and out.
Notice any sensations or simply the quiet.
Bring your attention to the throat and neck.
Feel this area lengthen and soften.
Let the breath glide through the throat without effort.
Imagine any tension dissolving on your exhale.
Let your awareness move to the shoulders.
Notice their weight.
Allow them to sink a little closer to the ground.
You are releasing the need to hold anything up.
Bring attention to your collarbones,
Your upper chest,
Your heart center.
Feel the movement of breath beneath your ribs.
If emotions arise,
Welcome them gently.
Everything is allowed here.
Move your awareness down the sides of the ribs,
The upper back,
The shoulder blades.
Imagine them widening,
Softening,
Resting.
Now bring awareness into your upper arms.
Let them grow heavy.
Move to the elbows,
Noticing any lightness or warmth.
Slide your awareness down through the forearms,
Wrists,
Palms and fingers.
Feel the gentle energy in each fingertip.
Notice soft vibrations or stillness.
Let the hands remain open and effortless.
Bring awareness to the center of your chest again.
Expansion on the inhale,
Softening on the exhale.
Let attention move slowly down into the stomach.
Feel the belly rise,
Fall,
Expand and release.
Allow the muscles of the stomach to completely relax.
Shift attention to the mid-back.
The gentle curve,
The support beneath it.
Move lower into the lower back.
Imagine any tightness dissolving with each slow exhale.
Like warm water spreading through these muscles.
Bring awareness to the hips and pelvis.
This is an area that holds a great deal of your daily tension.
Invite spaciousness here.
With each breath,
Imagine the hips widening,
Loosening and softening.
Feel the weight of your pelvis sinking into the surface beneath you.
Let's go of any effort.
Shift your attention to your thighs.
The tops,
The sides,
The backs.
Feel these large muscles letting go.
Let them become warm and heavy.
Move to your knees,
Noticing sensations from the front,
The sides,
The back.
Let the knees soften.
Let the legs rest fully.
Bring attention to the calves,
Feeling any tightness dissolve.
Let awareness travel to the shins,
Then the ankles.
Finally,
Bring your attention to your feet,
The heels,
The arches,
The balls of the feet,
The toes.
Notice any tingling,
Warmth,
Pulsing or quiet.
Allow whatever you feel to simply be.
Imagine all remaining tension flowing downward.
Exiting through the soles of your feet.
Emptying out into the earth.
Now sense your entire body as one unified field of sensation.
Soft,
Heavy,
Supported,
Still.
Feel your body breathing itself.
There is no effort required.
Nothing to fix.
Nothing to do.
Just rest.
If thoughts drift in,
Let them float by like clouds.
You don't need to follow them.
You can return to this stillness anytime.
Rest here in whole body awareness for several breaths.
Begin to deepen your breath slowly.
Feel the ribs expand a little more.
Feel the belly move.
Gently wriggle the fingers and the toes.
Maybe rotate the wrists and ankles.
If lying down,
Slowly roll onto one side.
Rest there for a moment,
Using the ground to support you.
When you feel ready,
Push yourself up gradually into a seated position.
Let the eyes open softly.
Bring a sense of calm and clarity with you.
Take one final grounding breath in.
And a long breath out.
Your practice is complete.
Namaste.
