And welcome to this 5-minute body scan.
Begin by closing your eyes or taking a soft gaze toward the floor.
And begin to notice that you're breathing in and breathing out.
And with your next natural exhale,
Just begin to release any tension in your physical body.
Release any thoughts racing around in your mind.
Just setting them off to the side for now.
Let your breath cycle in and out a few times and just observe,
Not trying to change anything.
You may begin to notice that your breathing slows a little bit,
That the exhale may be a little longer than the inhale.
And drawing your awareness to your body,
You may notice that the muscles are beginning to melt and relax and release just a little bit more with each breath.
And that the mind begins to calm a little bit more with each breath.
And coming into the present moment now,
Releasing worries about the past,
Fears about the future,
And just being right here right now for the next few minutes.
Notice where you're sitting,
If it's in a chair or on a cushion.
Be aware of your connection to your seat here and your connection to the earth below you as you continue to breathe in and breathe out.
Taking a few more breaths here,
See if you can notice where the inhale turns around to become the exhale and where the exhale naturally turns around to become the inhale.
Feeling a little more relaxed and comfortable and supported in your seat,
Bring your attention now to the soles of your feet.
Notice how it is here in the soles of your feet.
You may want to just wiggle your toes a little bit.
Maybe take a breath or two in through the soles of your feet,
Bringing life there and awareness there and relaxation there.
And then moving up from your feet,
Let your attention scan through the tops of your feet and your ankles,
Just noticing how it is.
Drawing your awareness up both of your lower legs and your knees and the back of your knees.
Noticing now the fronts of your thighs and the backs of your legs.
Moving upward to your hips and your pelvis.
Noticing now your low back and your abdomen,
Your spine as it rises up to the base of your neck and the front of your abdomen and chest up to the top of your shoulders.
And then down both arms,
Elbows,
Forearms,
Hands and fingers and thumbs.
Bring your attention up once again to the base of your neck,
The front of your neck,
The sides of your neck.
And now your head,
Bringing your awareness to the sides of your head and your ears,
The back of your head,
The crown of your head,
Your forehead,
Your eyes,
The inside of your eyes,
Your jaw,
Your tongue,
The back of your throat.
And scanning down into the inside of your body now,
Drawing awareness to your heart and your lungs,
Your stomach and your liver,
All of the internal organs that work tirelessly on an ongoing basis.
Just feel your breath moving in and out here.
And then bringing your awareness to your mind,
Relaxing your mind,
Being willing to release a grip on any thoughts or chatter here.
Thoughts and chatter will continue to occur and it is a willingness to let it be as it is and let them drift through like clouds in the sky without hanging on to them.
Placing a hand on your heart,
Become aware of your breath moving in and out,
Breathing in and out and taking a breath in through the back of your heart space and breathing in love,
Letting that fill your heart space.
And as you exhale,
Breathing out peace through the front of your heart space,
Breathing in love through the back of your heart space,
Breathing out peace through the front of your heart space.
And one more time,
Breathing in love through the back of your heart space and breathing out peace for the front of your heart space.
Take a moment to feel rooted and grounded in this present moment,
Thanking yourself for your practice and carrying this feeling with you into the rest of your day.
When you feel ready,
You may open your eyes and thank you for your practice.
Namaste.
