Welcome my name is Charlie Faulkner.
You might also know me from Highest Vibration Wellbeing.
I'd like to take you on a journey today through a guided body scan meditation.
This is the perfect practice for the end of your day before you settle into sleep or to be used at any point where you feel your mind or your body need to release tension and come to a state of deeper relaxation and calm.
So over the next few moments finding somewhere you would like to do this practice.
That might be seated or if it is just before bed maybe you find your way to your bedroom,
Your bed and begin to settle in.
Some days this takes a little longer than others so give yourself time.
If you feel your mind is particularly busy it can be nice to take a moment before practice just to sit in quiet for three to five minutes.
Just allowing the mind to wander and whatever comes up bringing a journal or something you can write your thoughts down onto so that we can leave them there and fully drop into this practice.
So if you would like to do that now pausing here or if you're coming with me getting out any final wriggles and settling down to stillness.
As we arrive here starting to notice the support of your bed or the earth,
This first reminder or invitation to encourage softness into the body.
Releasing any unnecessary,
Unneeded holds,
Tension or tightness in the body.
Knowing that we are held here in this space and just beginning to notice your breath.
Perhaps encouraging it to be a little bit deeper,
Slower and longer.
Seeing if you can invite the breath down into the belly.
Allowing the belly to expand and then to settle.
As your belly expands when you inhale the breath travels up the body into the chest,
The ribs and they expand too.
Perhaps you allow an exhale through the mouth.
Taking a few more slow,
Deep,
Conscious and nourishing breaths just like this so that you can arrive.
Perhaps noticing that expansion of the body as you breathe.
Releasing tension and making space.
With the exhale there's this sort of essence of release,
Softening,
Surrendering to the moment.
We're going to use this in today's practice as we move through the body.
So starting by bringing the awareness to the tips of the toes and the soles of the feet.
Noticing any sensations here.
Perhaps a warmth or a coolness.
It's as if we're drawing the breath into that area of the body.
Each inhale we stretch a little inside the body.
And as we exhale the body softens.
Feeling that gentle undulation of the body massaging you into softness.
Allowing the awareness to travel up from the feet to the shins and the calves.
Just as we did before we use the breath to imagine this slight expansion,
Releasing of tension.
And with your exhale there's a softening.
A gentle pulsation or undulation of the body inviting a softness.
The awareness starts to travel up from the lower leg to the upper leg,
The thighs and the glutes.
Seeing if you can notice any little holds,
Tension or tightness.
And breathing into that space.
Each breath we take,
We create space and invite softness.
Guiding the awareness up to the trunk of the body.
The back,
The sides of the body,
Belly and the chest.
Maybe noticing the breath a little more as we arrive into this space.
Noticing the effect of the breath.
A gentle rise and fall of the body as you breathe.
We notice the support of the earth beneath you.
Inviting the body to be heavy.
To release.
And to soften.
And over the next few breaths the awareness travels up the trunk of the body to the shoulders,
Neck and the back of the head.
As we focus on this area of the body,
We draw the breath into this space.
We invite a heaviness,
A softness and a release.
And the awareness starts to travel from the back line of the body over the top of the head,
Into the face,
The forehead,
The jaw.
We invite a softening.
And as we lie here,
You may have drifted off.
Or perhaps you're still gently,
Slightly aware of this moment.
If you are,
Allowing the awareness to gently float above the body.
Almost as if you're looking down on yourself.
Seeing yourself in this warm,
Safe,
Calm and cosy environment.
Where you are held.
Where you can soften.
And you can let go.
Into sleep.
If you haven't already,
Knowing that is okay.
Even going through this practice.
Consciously softening the body.
We're bringing a sense of rest.
We get from our sleep.
We take the pressure off.
As we gently create a sense of softening.
You
