This is Mindful Moments with Lauren Woodward.
Welcome to a deep sensory body scan meditation.
Find yourself in a comfortable seat.
Or lying down in bed ready for sleep.
Allow cushions or the floor to fully support you here.
Your spine is long,
But not rigid.
Shoulders soft,
Jaw at ease.
Close your eyes or soften them to a downward gaze.
Breathe in deeply through your nose.
Exhale slowly through parted lips.
Breathe in deeply through your nostrils,
Filling up your lungs at the top.
And exhale slowly through your mouth like a sigh.
One more time,
Just like this.
Breathe in deeply through your nostrils.
And exhale slowly through your mouth like a sigh.
Sense your weight as it connects down.
Sense gravity as an ally.
And let the earth hold you.
Taking a moment to notice what you may see behind closed eyelids.
This could be flickers of light.
Waves of color or soft darkness.
Notice what you may see behind your closed eyes.
Inviting your eyes to soften and roll back naturally in your head.
Aware now of any sounds around you.
Allowing every sound to be part of this practice.
Even the quiet in the room.
Or the subtle hum of life outside.
Allow each sound to drift in one ear and out the other.
Let the sounds overlap.
Let them enter and exit.
In their own natural way.
Taking a nice deep breath in through your nostrils and exploring this air entering and exiting your nostrils with breath.
Coolish air as you inhale in,
Perhaps scented with earth,
Soap,
Skin,
Or perhaps no fragrance at all.
Feeling the warmer air as it exits on your exhale.
If there is a smell or smells that you can detect here,
Connect with that smell each and every breath.
But if there is no smell.
Then connect with the cool air entering your nose on your inhale.
The warmer air exiting on your exhale.
Now.
Rest your tongue lightly against the back of your teeth.
Sense any faint taste from recent food or drink.
And notice what flavors you detect.
Can you taste Metallic?
Or sweet.
Sour or neutral.
Allow saliva to gather naturally here.
Invite your tongue to drop down toward the back of your throat.
Softening and relaxing with your jaw.
And then notice.
Where does your clothing graze your skin?
Where does your skin meet with the air?
Where does your weight meet the ground?
Feel the subtle currents of temperature across your face,
Arms,
And toes.
Connect with this sense of touch.
Of groundedness.
Take a long,
Slow breath in.
Release it.
You have arrived.
Bring your attention to the very top of your head.
Sense the skin stretched over your skull.
Feel tiny sensations.
A faint tingle.
Warmth.
Or the whisper of air moving through your hair.
Imagine each hair follicle softening.
Your scalp,
Spreading.
Tension melting like wax under sunlight.
Don't move now to your forehead.
Trace awareness from the hairline down to your brows.
Notice subtle pulsations beneath the skin.
Smooth the skin above your eyes with your breath.
Feel your eyebrows softening.
The space between them widening.
Any frown melting away.
Sense your eyelids resting like soft curtains.
Feel the eyes themselves,
Round,
Moist,
Alive.
Floating around in their sockets.
Notice the gentle movements of the tiny muscles around your eyes.
Let your gaze soften inwardly,
As though looking at a distant horizon.
Shift awareness now to your temples.
Often they hum with quiet pressure.
Let the muscles here dissolve.
Notice your ears.
The shape of each fold.
The coolness of air at the outer rim.
Warmth deeper inside.
Perhaps you can feel the tiny hair's catching sound.
Let your ears listen wide.
Bring your focus to the bridge of your nose down to the tip.
Feel the air brushing the inner walls of your nostrils.
Sense the temperature difference between inhale and exhale.
Move awareness into your cheeks.
The hollow under your cheekbones.
The warmth of skin there.
Imagine your cheeks softening outward.
Notice the corners of your mouth.
The curve of your lips.
Feel the weight of your tongue resting in its cradle.
Gently explore the roof of your mouth.
The gums,
Even the teeth.
Release your jaw.
A tiny gap between upper and lower teeth.
With your next exhale.
Let any held words or attention here dissolve.
Guide your attention down your throat.
Feel the column of muscles,
The front of the neck.
The sides and the vertebrae at the back.
Sense the subtle movement as you breathe.
Imagine cool air washing through the throat with each inhale.
Warmth flowing out with each exhale.
Allowing your neck to lengthen and soften here.
Focus now on your shoulders.
The tops,
The sides,
And the back where they anchor.
Notice where they meet the collarbones at the front.
Trace your awareness under the shoulder blades to the rhomboids hugging your middle spine.
With each exhale,
Let your shoulders drop a millimeter closer to the earth.
Travel down your upper arms.
Feel the hum of muscle fibers.
The quiet buzz of circulation.
Notice your elbows.
The bony point and the soft inner crease.
Let both arms feel heavy as though sand were filling them.
Float your awareness to your forearms and wrists.
Notice the tendons and tiny muscles here.
Perhaps you can even feel the pulse in your wrists,
That gentle drumbeat of life.
Move to your palms.
Sense texture here.
Warmth,
Tingling,
Coolness,
Or a subtle magnetic charge.
Imagine each palm like an open flower,
Receptive and soft.
Bring your focus now into each finger.
Thumb.
Index,
Middle,
Ring.
Little finger.
Feel the skin.
The knuckles and the nail beds.
Feel even the pads on your fingertips.
Is there a temperature?
A vibration,
Or maybe a faint pulsing here.
Invite your fingers to rest without grasping.
Now bring your awareness to your chest.
Upper chest.
Sternum.
The intercostal spaces between your ribs.
Feel the rhythmic lift and fall with each breath.
Sense your heartbeat echoing quietly under the sternum.
Let your breath widen the space around your heart as if opening a window inside you.
Wrap your awareness around to your upper back.
Notice where the shoulder blades slide against the ribs.
Sense any tightness or warmth.
Imagine a soft glow spreading here.
Easing tension.
Shift your focus now to the area below your sternum.
The center of you,
The solar plexus,
Right above the belly button.
Feel how breath expands this space and the spine behind it.
Invite warmth and release,
Softening the diaphragm's grasp.
Bring attention to your belly button.
The soft tissue surrounding it.
Feel any movements of digestion.
Subtle fluttering or gurgling.
Breathe into your lower belly.
Allowing it to rise and fall freely.
Move your awareness to your lower back.
The lumbar curve.
Picture it lengthening.
Softening,
And supported here.
Travel to the pelvis.
Front,
Sides,
And back.
Feel your sit bones pressing down.
Notice the hip joints.
The inner bowl of your pelvis and the glutes cushioning you.
Invite all these areas to sink,
To loosen,
To release any hidden effort.
Sweep your awareness through your thighs.
Inside.
Outside.
Front.
And back.
Sense the density of muscles here.
The softness of flesh.
Let your thighs grow heavier and heavier.
As though settling deeper into sand.
Focus on your knees.
Kneecaps The tendons supporting the knees and the hollows behind your knees.
Appreciate that these joints bend for your life's movement.
They help keep you mobile and upright.
Let's send some appreciation,
Some kindness,
And some compassion to these legs.
These joints bend for your life's movement.
So let's give them a moment of appreciation and thanks.
Let breath flow like cool water around them.
Slide your attention down to your calves.
Feel their curve and weight.
Notice the shin bones.
Firm.
Cool.
And the tissue over them.
Bring focus to your ankles,
Their small bones connecting you to the earth.
And with each breath.
Soften them.
Floating your awareness down into your feet.
Sense your heels grounded down.
Feel your arches perhaps rising slightly.
Trace your awareness over the tops of your feet,
The skin stretched thin.
Move into the souls.
Notice tingling,
Pressure,
Or subtle warmth here.
One by one.
Feel each toe from big toe to little toe.
Imagine roots extending from your souls deep into the earth,
Drinking in stability.
Now.
Imagine your awareness as a soft mist rising from your feet,
Moving upward.
Connecting calves,
Thighs,
Hips,
Belly,
Chest,
Arms,
Neck,
And head.
Sense the entire body as one energetic being.
One luminous field of light.
Feel the breath moving easily throughout your body here.
Like wind through an open landscape.
Let this whole body awareness hold you,
Support you,
And breathe with you.
Let's stay here and marinate in this for a little while longer.
Resting in the glow of your own presence and breath.
Are so gently starting to bring yourself back.
Whether seated or lying in bed.
Connect with the weight of your body again.
If you are headed to sleep.
Then I recommend you turn this audio off now.
And I bid you sweet dreams.
If you are stirring awake for the day,
Then I encourage you to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Perhaps circle your wrists or stretch gently here such as to awaken through the body.
Please take as much time as you need.
Fluttering your eyelids open when you feel ready.
Wishing you all a beautiful and happy day.
