Body-Scan Meditation

This guided body scan invites you to slow down, turn inward, and make compassionate contact with your body. Moving through each region with awareness, you’ll gently shift from thinking to feeling, from tension to ease. You may do this practice sitting or lying down.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this body scan meditation.

The purpose of this meditation is simply to become fully aware of the body,

Fully present,

To give our body our fullest attention possible for the period of this practice.

The intention is not to change anything about how we feel or the state of our body,

Nor to judge or try to avoid any sensation or body parts.

We're simply taking a stroll,

If you will,

Through our body.

And often what we notice is that when we give our body the gift of our full attention,

Or at least the fullest that we're capable of in this moment,

That our body will shift automatically.

You can feel that.

We can do the body scan sitting down.

Any chair will do.

Couch,

Whatever you want.

Or lying down on a yoga mat or a carpet or whatever feels comfortable.

It's not uncommon to fall asleep during the body scan meditation.

That is perfectly okay.

Just maybe set yourself an alarm if there is something that you need to get to afterwards and you think you might fall sleep.

Soon as you're ready,

Simply close your eyes and start by noticing what's it like in your body right now?

Your body as a whole.

What's the overall sense you get?

What it's like to be embodied in this present moment?

Maybe you feel stressed,

Tired.

Maybe you feel calm and at ease.

Whatever it is,

Just notice.

Don't try to change.

Simply be aware.

Then with the next breath in,

Simply follow your breath all the way from your nose into your belly.

For a few moments,

Simply allow your awareness to rest on your belly breath,

Noticing the in and out of your belly with every breath in and out.

Then allow me to gently direct your attention and start by placing your attention on your feet.

Simply notice for a moment how your feet or your heels are touching the ground.

Notice how gravity is pulling on them,

Their weight.

What exact parts of them have contact with the ground?

Then for a moment,

Simply guide your awareness to your left foot.

What's it like in your left foot right now?

Is it warm or cold?

How's the temperature different?

The different parts of your foot?

Does it feel wide or narrow?

Heavier light?

Simply give your left foot the gift of your full attention.

If you're wearing socks or shoes,

Maybe you can notice the sensation of your sock touching the skin around your left foot.

Then gently move your attention to your right foot.

For a brief moment,

See if you can notice the difference in feeling between your left foot and your right foot.

Then give your full attention to your right foot.

For a moment,

Just notice.

Is it warm or cold?

What's the difference in temperature between the different parts of your right foot?

Does it feel narrow or wide?

Heavier light?

Wear the socks or shoes if you wear any touching the skin around your right foot.

Simply notice.

Notice how gravity is pulling your right foot.

Then check in with both feet again.

Now,

What's it like in there?

And then gently follow your awareness up towards the ankles and calves.

Just feel into both of your lower legs.

What's it like in there right now?

Come with your full attention into your left lower leg.

Feel into your calf muscles.

See if there's any tension you're holding in there.

Again,

We're not trying to change anything.

Simply allow yourself to feel into your muscles.

See if you can go one level deeper.

Feel into the bones of your lower legs.

What is that like?

Come back up to the surface of your leg.

Really feel into the skin surrounding and enclosing your left lower leg.

Feel the subtle differences in temperature.

Notice the sensation of your pants touching your skin.

And then shift your awareness over to the right lower leg.

For a moment,

Simply notice the difference between left and right lower leg.

Then give your right lower leg your full attention.

See if you can feel into the calf muscles.

Really noticing what is it like in there.

Is there any tension that you're holding?

And if there is,

Simply pay attention to it.

Become aware of it.

Don't try to resist or change.

Just notice.

And see if you can drop one level lower into your bones.

See if you can feel into those.

Then come back up to the surface of your right lower leg.

Feel into the skin surrounding and enclosing it.

See if you can notice the subtle differences in temperature.

And if you can feel the sensation of your pants touching the skin of your leg.

Then for a brief moment,

Simply notice right and left lower leg.

What's it like in them now?

What has maybe shifted?

Again,

We're simply noticing shift.

If and when it occurs.

Not trying to produce it.

Whatever is present and here.

That's what we're being with.

Then move your awareness up to your thighs.

All the way into your hip.

For a moment,

Simply be with what's it like my thighs?

What's it like in my upper legs?

And then direct your attention to your left upper leg.

What's it like in there right now?

See if you can feel into the muscles.

See if you can notice any tension that you're holding there.

And then drop one level deeper into your bones.

Then move back up to the surface of your left upper leg.

Noticing the sensation of the skin surrounding and enclosing your left upper leg.

See if you can notice the temperature on your left leg.

See if you can notice the sensation of your pants touching your left upper leg.

Then gently move with your awareness over to the right.

And for a moment,

See if there is a difference between left and right leg.

Then gently move your awareness over to your right leg.

See if you can fully drop into the muscles.

What's it feel like in there?

See if and where you're holding tension in there.

And then drop one level deeper into your bones.

See if you can feel into the bones.

Then move all the way up to the surface of your right upper leg.

Feel into the skin surrounding and enclosing your right leg.

See if you can notice the temperature and the sensation of your pants touching the skin.

Then feel into both legs.

Like in your legs right now.

Then gently move your awareness to your hips.

See how your hips or your buttocks are touching the chair or the ground.

Notice the force of gravity pulling on.

See if you can scan all the way around 360 degrees your hip.

Just to get a sense of what it is like in there right now.

Start by feeling into the muscles.

See if you can notice any tension anywhere.

And if you do,

Just give that tension the gift of your awareness.

Then see if you can feel into the bones,

Your hip and sitting bones.

What is it like in there?

Then feel into the skin surrounding and enclosing your butt,

Your hips.

Notice the differences in temperature.

Then gently move with your awareness up your lower back.

Notice the slight arch your back makes.

Many of us hold a lot of tension in our lower back.

For a moment,

Just notice what it's like in your lower back.

Then start to feel into the lower back muscles.

Notice tension you're holding here.

The shirt touching your lower back.

And the contact your lower back is making with the floor or the back of the chair.

Gradually move your awareness to the front of your body and your belly area.

Notice how your belly moves with every breath in and out.

Don't try to change that movement.

Simply allow your awareness to rest on the movement of your belly.

Follow the in and out of the breath.

Then for a moment,

Feel into the belly muscles.

Again,

Many of us hold a lot of tension in here.

Simply notice.

Now feel what is it like in your belly right now.

Then move your awareness to the skin.

See if you can notice temperature changes and temperature differences in temperature.

The skin covering your belly area.

Is it hot or cold?

Or is your shirt touching your skin?

Then gently move your awareness to your upper back.

All the way into your shoulders and neck.

That whole area too is very prone to tension for many of us.

Simply see if you can notice and locate it.

No need to change anything here.

Just noticing.

See if you can really feel into upper back and neck and shoulder muscles.

See if you can feel how different it can feel in the different parts of that wide area.

Then see if you can feel into your spine.

Starting all the way from your hips into your skull.

Really feeling into those bones.

What's it like in there?

Then gently move your awareness to the skin.

See if you can notice the temperature.

Differences in temperature.

See if you can feel the difference in temperature.

And where your clothes are touching your skin.

Then move your awareness to your chest.

Really feel into your chest muscles.

All the way into your shoulders.

Notice any tension you're holding there.

And for a moment see if you can drop with your awareness.

Your ribcage.

What's it feel like in there?

Then move with your awareness up the neck into feeling your head.

The jaw.

Jaw muscles.

See if you can feel into the muscles.

See if you hold any tension.

Your forehead.

Your jaws.

Simply noticing.

Allowing.

See if you can drop.

Feeling your skull.

Skull as a whole.

Gently with your attention come to the sensation of the skin.

Closing your entire head.

See what you can feel.

Changes in temperature.

Maybe you can notice the sensation of air moving over your upper lip.

Every breath in and out.

Then gently move your awareness into your arms.

For a moment notice both left and right arm.

All the way from the shoulder sockets into the tip of your fingers.

Then start by feeling into the left arm.

See if you can notice what it feels like in your left arm muscles.

Are you holding any tension in there?

Then see if you can drop down into the left arm's bones.

Then move up to the left arm's skin.

Wrapping around and closing your left arm.

For a moment simply notice what it feels like there.

Temperature.

Or your clothes or ground touch your left arm.

Then move your awareness to your right.

For a moment simply notice the differences in sensation between your left and your right arm.

Then see if you can give your right arm the gift of your full attention.

Really dropping into the sensation of your right arm's muscles.

What's it like in there?

Are you holding any tension?

See if you can drop with your awareness into the right arm's bones.

Really allowing your awareness to drop in there.

Then move with your awareness back up to the sensation of skin enclosing your right arm.

Noticing the temperature and where your clothes or the ground or chair touch your right arm.

Then move your awareness to your hands.

All the way from your wrists into the tip of your fingers.

Noticing the sensation of both hands.

Then start with your left hand.

Simply start by noticing the tension you're holding in the wrist.

Then gradually down into your left hand's muscles.

Notice any tension you're holding there.

See if you can drop into your left hand's bones.

All the different bones making up your hand.

All the way to the tip of your fingers.

Come back to the surface of your hands.

Feel into the sensation of the skin.

Notice your hand's temperature and the different temperatures that your hand has.

Notice where your hand touches your legs or chair or ground.

Notice the weight of your left hand.

Then gently move with your awareness to your right hand.

For a moment,

Just notice the difference in temperature,

Sensation between your left and your right hand.

Then allow yourself to drop into your right hand.

Feeling into your wrist,

The tension you're holding in your right wrist.

Then into the muscles.

All the way from the right hand's wrist into each of the fingers.

Noticing any tension you're holding there.

Then see if you can drop with your awareness into the bones of your right hand.

The many bones making up your hand.

What's it like in the bones?

Then move with your awareness back up to the surface.

Really feeling in.

Notice the difference in temperature.

The many parts of your skin.

Notice where your hand touches the ground or your leg or the chair.

For a moment,

Just notice the weight of your hand.

Then for a brief moment,

Come back with your awareness to the left hand and the right hand.

Simply feel into what it is like in your hands right now.

Then as the last station for our body scan,

For a few brief moments,

Return to your belly breath.

Simply noticing the in and out movement of your belly.

The expansion and contraction of your belly muscles with every breath.

In and out.

Then before we end this body scan meditation,

See if you can move with your awareness into the sensation of your body as a whole now.

All the way from your feet,

Through your legs,

Hips,

Lower back,

Upper back,

Neck,

To the top of your head.

Feeling your whole body sitting or lying.

See if you can get a sense of what it is like to be embodied.

Be in your body right now.

Maybe you can remember what it was like at the beginning of this meditation.

If you can,

Simply notice any changes.

Then take a deep breath in and a deep breath out again.

Thank yourself for giving your body the gift of attention.

Thank you for joining me in this body scan meditation today.