To begin,
Finding a position that's comfortable for you.
If you are lying in your bed,
Fluff the pillow,
Adjust the covers,
And we'll begin.
You can also do this body scan while sitting or even standing.
Start by noticing the way the body is supported by whatever surface you are on.
Closing the eyes if that's comfortable or taking a soft downward gaze.
And just beginning to notice the breath moving in and out of the body.
You don't need to change anything,
Just natural,
Easy breathing.
Now,
Narrowing your attention and directing it to your feet.
Exploring sensations in the toes,
The soles of the feet,
And the tops of the feet.
Becoming aware of any sensations in this area of the body.
Maybe warmth or coolness,
Tingling,
Pressure,
Or the sensations of socks on the feet,
Or cool air,
Or the blanket touching your skin.
And maybe you're not aware of any sensations in the feet and that's fine.
Just noticing that there are no sensations and simply being interested and curious about this area of the body.
Chances are you will notice that your mind wanders off.
This is not a problem at all.
It's what minds do.
You might notice where your mind has gone and then gently and kindly bring the attention back to the anchor that you're working with.
In this case,
The feet.
And now letting the attention shift to the ankle,
The lower part of the legs,
The shin bones,
The muscle of the calves.
Perhaps aware of sensation of clothing touching the skin.
That's fine.
Now becoming aware of the knees,
Kneecaps,
Tendons,
And muscles.
Perhaps sensing tightness or comfort or nothing in particular.
Moving attention to the thigh.
Perhaps sensing the weight of the strong bones and muscles here.
Simply noticing what's here in this moment.
Continuing to breathe easily and effortlessly.
And letting go of attending to the legs and resting attention on the large bones of the hips,
Pelvis,
Tailbone,
And buttocks.
Noticing perhaps the sensation of contact with the surface that is supporting you.
Moving into the lower back.
What's here to be perceived?
Maybe there's some tightness or tension.
Heat or coolness.
Pain or discomfort.
This is an area where many people hold tension,
So taking your time here and meeting what you find with friendly curiosity and compassion.
And moving up now through the middle and upper back,
The spine,
The muscles,
And the bones that you hold upright.
The shoulder blades.
Sensing the width and length of the back.
And just being with the sensations just as you find them.
There's nothing to change.
Simply noticing.
Noticing.
Moving your attention now to the abdomen.
Perhaps sensing the sensations of breathing at the belly or noticing sensations of digestion,
Of hunger or fullness.
Noticing if there's any constriction or holding in the abdomen.
And each time the mind wanders off,
Gently bringing the attention back to wherever we are in the body scan.
Now becoming aware of the ribs.
Perhaps sensing the subtle movements of the rib cage as the lungs expand and release with the breath.
Exploring the region of the chest.
Perhaps aware of pulsation of the heart or of the rising and falling of the chest as the breath flows in and out.
Becoming aware of the sternum and collarbone.
What sensations are felt here?
Moving attention to the tops of the shoulders.
Taking your time in this area that sometimes holds tension.
And now bringing your attention to your upper arms,
Elbow,
Lower arms,
The backs of your hands and palms,
Fingers and thumbs.
Aware of the position of the hands and the sensation of contact with another surface or of the body.
Sensing into the temperature of the hands.
What do you notice?
Now shifting your attention to the region of the neck,
The front and back and sides of the neck.
Sensing the muscles and small bones.
Noticing any tension or tightness or openness and ease.
Perhaps aware of the throat.
And moving attention up into the head.
Sensing into the jaw.
Noticing if there's any tightness or clenching in the jaw.
Noticing the mouth,
Lips,
Teeth,
Tongue,
The roof of the mouth,
The sides and back of the mouth.
Becoming aware of the nose.
Perhaps sensing the streams of air flowing in and out of the nostril.
Noticing the cheekbones and the skin and muscles of the face.
Shifting attention to the region of the ears.
The ability to hear in this very moment.
Noticing any sensations in the outer ears and inner ears.
Attending to the eyes,
The bones around your eyes,
The eyes as they rest in their sockets.
Eyelashes,
Eyebrows,
The tiny lines around the eyes.
Noticing the forehead.
Spanning across from one temple to the other.
Aware of any tension or smoothness.
And bringing awareness now to the head itself.
The tiny muscles of the scalp.
The bones of the skull protecting the brain.
Aware of the sides of the head,
The back and the crown of the head.
Now inviting awareness to the entire body.
From the top of the head all the way down to the toes.
The front of the body,
The back body,
The sides of the body.
Sensing the skin.
Simply resting in the awareness of this breathing body.
Not needing to do anything.
Just being with the body exactly as it is right now.
And as we come to the close of this practice,
Appreciating that you have taken the time to pause.
To cultivate your capacity to be more fully present for your life.
And to replenish yourself in this way.
Let this practice be here for you anytime you need support for sleep.
If you have drifted off,
May you rest well.
Thank you for your practice.
