Sit comfortably with your back straight,
But not stiff.
Feet flat on the floor,
Feeling supported in your seat.
Rest your hands where they feel most comfortable.
When you are ready,
You may soften your gaze,
Or even flutter your eyes closed.
Let's start by taking a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose.
Notice your spine gently lengthen as your lungs fill up,
And slowly exhale.
Again,
Taking a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose,
And slowly exhale.
One last deep breath in,
And relax out that last breath.
And just return to normal breathing.
The late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh said,
To be aware of your body is the beginning of self-love.
When mind goes home to the body,
The mind and body are established in the here and now.
So let's take a moment to notice your body.
Feel where your body meets your seat,
Your feet touching the floor.
Notice how with each inhale,
Your body lengthens and expands.
And with each exhale,
Your body relaxes and settles.
As distractions arise,
Just take note before bringing your attention back to the body.
Maybe you notice the sensations of the breath at your nostrils.
Notice how the breath touches the back of your throat as you inhale,
And how your chest rises,
And your ribs expand,
And your belly expands.
And on the exhale,
How your belly collapses,
Your ribs contract,
Your chest lowers.
Notice what sensations you feel at the end of the release of the breath.
As you continue to breathe normally,
Gently bring your attention to the top of your head.
Just notice what sensations you feel there.
Now to your forehead,
Down to your eyebrows,
Your eyes,
Ears.
What do you notice?
With complete awareness,
Lower your attention to your nose,
Your cheeks,
Your mouth.
And inch by inch,
Simply noticing the sensations that arise in your jaw,
Throat,
Neck.
Maybe you notice tension or a softness.
Maybe you don't notice anything at all,
And that's okay.
Just continue to scan bit by bit,
Down over your shoulders,
Upper arms,
Elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Hands.
Fingers.
Noting any sensations that arise.
Maybe there's some tingling or warmth.
Maybe coolness.
No judgment.
No dialogue.
Just the awareness of your upper back,
And your chest,
Your low back.
As you continue to bring your attention down your body,
Maybe you notice the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe in and out.
And if you notice any sensations that may be causing discomfort,
Just try to notice them without trying to change anything.
This doesn't mean you have to enjoy the discomfort,
But simply acknowledge it and then let your attention move on to the next body part.
Moving down your hips.
Becoming aware of any sensations in your legs.
Noticing where your bottom makes contact with the chair.
Maybe you notice heaviness in your legs,
Or you notice the stability in your seat.
Maybe it's the light pressure of where your hands are resting.
Finally,
Bring your attention to your feet and toes.
Notice the weight of your feet on the floor.
The temperature of your feet.
Any tension or vibration you may feel from the floor in your feet.
And now gently bring your awareness to your whole body.
Scanning it once more for any sensations that stand out to you.
Where do you need to let go?
What do you need to soften?
Now turn your attention inward.
It's time to explore your emotional landscape.
Gently invite the feeling of sadness.
Nothing devastating,
Just enough to evoke the feeling in your body.
Just notice where this feeling resides in your body.
There's no need to understand it or analyze it.
Just simply observe its presence.
You can place your hand on the area where you feel this sensation most.
And even offering it gentle kindness and acceptance.
But just sit with it for a moment.
Breathe into it,
Knowing that it's okay to feel sad.
Now invite the feelings of anger.
We're not inviting overwhelming rage.
Simply a gentle awareness of any irritation or frustration.
Notice where this sensation resides within your body.
Again,
There's no need to understand it or judge it.
Simply observe its presence.
And you can place your hand on the area where you feel it strongly.
Offering it a sense of acceptance.
Offering it a sense of acceptance.
And just breathe with that feeling for a moment.
Now invite any feelings of anxiety or worry to come forward.
You're not looking for overwhelming panic.
Just a gentle awareness of any unease or tension.
Again,
Notice where this sensation resides within your body.
And just observe it without judgment.
Just allow it to be there.
You can place your hand on the area where you feel it most strongly.
Offering it a sense of acceptance.
Just breathe with it for a moment.
Just allowing it to be.
Now let's invite feelings of joy and contentment to the forefront.
Notice any sensations in your body.
Allow this feeling of joy to fill you.
And place your hand where you feel this joy most strongly.
And just offer a sense of joy and contentment to the forefront.
In a moment of appreciation.
Just be with it and breathe with and just enjoy this feeling of joy.
Allowing it to nourish you.
You can lower your hands and just come back to the breath.
And just stay for a moment in full awareness with your attention on your breath.
You can allow whatever sensations of any emotions to arise or any sensations in the body.
You can just allow them to come and go as they will.
And when you're ready,
Slowly begin to create some movement in your fingers and toes.
Just give yourself a little stretch.
And gently flutter your eyes open and bring your attention back to your space.
