Hello and welcome to this body scan meditation.
I'm Maria and I'll be your guide through this practice.
Body scan meditations have many benefits including enhancing our mindfulness as we go about our day.
It can improve the quality of our sleep,
They can help us relax,
And they can also help with emotional regulation.
When we practice paying attention to the sensations in our body and noticing those that can bring awareness to how emotions can manifest in our bodies physically.
So go ahead and sit or lie down,
Get extra comfortable.
Start to take a few deep breaths in through your nose,
Filling your lungs,
And then exhaling gently through your mouth.
You can close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And as we go through this meditation,
Just notice any physical sensations without judgment.
Notice any tension,
Warmth,
Or ease,
Any discomfort.
You don't have to do anything about it or fix it,
Just notice it.
We'll begin by directing our attention to our toes.
Notice how they feel.
You don't need to change anything.
Do they feel warm or cool,
Tense or relaxed?
Slowly move your attention to your feet,
Your ankles.
Notice the surface they're resting on.
Continue scanning up through your calves,
Your knees,
Your thighs.
Do your muscles feel relaxed?
Do they feel tense?
Take your time here.
Move your focus to your hips,
Your buttocks,
Your lower back,
Your stomach.
We often hold stress or tension in these areas.
Pay attention to your stomach as you breathe in and out.
Now gently shift your attention to your chest,
Your middle back,
Your upper back,
And your shoulders.
Another place we often hold tension,
Tightness.
With each breath,
You can allow yourself to soften.
If that's not resonating with you,
Don't worry.
Just stay present with whatever you're feeling,
Whatever's coming up for you.
We'll gently move our awareness to our upper arms,
Our elbows,
Our forearms,
Then to our wrists,
Our hands,
Our fingers.
You can notice if they feel warm or cool,
If they feel tense or relaxed.
Notice any tingling or tightness as we continue.
Just notice.
We'll bring our attention to our neck,
Our jaw.
Notice if your jaw is tight or clenched.
Maybe allow it to soften as you breathe.
We'll move to our face,
Our tongue,
Our forehead.
Notice the top of your head.
Now as we go back down slowly,
Notice anywhere that has tension or tightness.
See if you can send a little breath to that area.
Starting with the top of our head to our face and neck,
Shoulders,
Our arms,
Our wrists,
Fingers.
Maybe send some breath to your chest,
Your back,
Your hips,
Down through your legs,
Your ankles,
Your feet,
And your toes.
Notice if you feel different now than you felt at the beginning.
Notice that right now,
You can rest in the knowing that in this moment,
You are safe.
You are loved.
You are exactly where you need to be.
Take a few more deep breaths.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes,
Returning to the present moment.
Allowing yourself to move slowly with presence as you transition to the next part of your night or your day.
Thank you so much for meditating with me.
Until next time,
Take such good care.
