Welcome to the body scan.
Lie down comfortably on a mat or thick rug.
Add a pillow if you want to and a blanket as you may get cold during the practice.
Place your arms down by your sides with your palms facing upwards.
Legs slightly apart and feet relaxed.
Make any extra adjustments now to ensure you're as comfortable as possible.
This meditation involves focusing on different parts of the body moment by moment.
Now close your eyes and become aware of the breath flowing in and out of your body as it wants to.
No need to change the way you breathe.
Now rest attention on your feet.
All of your awareness is on your feet.
How do they feel today?
Can you feel any tingling?
Are they warm or cool?
How about your toes?
What sensations are here?
Can you feel each toe separately?
As your mind wanders keep anchoring it back in the present moment by tuning into your breathing.
Now imagine your awareness is slowly flowing down the arches of your feet right down to your heels.
All of your attention is now on your heels.
Can you feel the weight of your body pressing down here?
Now let awareness flow to the top of your feet.
What sensations lie here?
Can you feel the blanket or your socks?
Now place your attention on your calves.
If you're lying on a mat can you feel the weight pressing down on the mat?
Sensing and accepting with every breath.
Now let's bring awareness to your knees,
The front of your knees,
The back of your knees and deep into the knee joints.
What are you sensing here?
If your mind wanders gently focus on your breathing moment by moment.
From the knees let your attention travel up to your thighs feeling the weight of your thighs resting on the mat.
Now take in the whole of your legs.
All your energy and focus is on your legs.
Be with it,
Accept it as it is right now.
Notice all sensations in this moment and then this moment.
Not judging,
Not striving,
Just being.
And now I invite you to rest attention on your hips.
The right hip,
The left hip.
How do your hips feel?
Allow sensations to be just as you find them.
As we move to your buttocks,
The right buttock,
The left buttock.
Is there any tension here in this moment?
How about your pelvis?
Can you imagine your breath flowing into your pelvis and out again?
Like the tide flowing in and out to the rhythm of your own breathing.
How about your abdomen?
How does that feel?
Are you aware of your tummy rising and falling?
Perhaps rest a hand there if it helps.
If restless feelings come remember to focus on your breathing anchoring you in the present moment.
Then let your awareness flow up to your chest feeling your ribcage rising and falling.
Perhaps you can feel your heart beating or your lungs expanding and collapsing with each breath.
Now let's move to your lower back remembering to let your body be as it is in this moment.
Taking in each sensation with curiosity and openness.
Allowing your back to relax a little more with each breath.
Now let your awareness flow up the spine to the middle of the back noticing any sensations here and then climbing up to the top of your back.
Now you're fully aware of the whole of your back resting all your attention here allowing,
Welcoming.
All your energy is here flowing up and down your spine.
Now let's rest attention on the shoulders.
Feel the weight of your shoulders.
Many of us carry emotions and tension here.
Are your shoulders feeling tight or relaxed?
Now take your attention to your hands to the tips of your fingers and thumbs.
Can you feel the space in between your fingers and thumbs?
The palms of your hands.
Do they feel warm or cool?
Can you feel any tingling sensations?
What else can you feel here?
How about your wrists?
How do they feel?
Sensing with openness and kindness.
Now turn your attention to your forearms and your elbows.
What lies here in this moment?
Just accept and be with all sensations as they arise.
Now let your awareness flow to the top of your arms,
To your biceps,
Triceps.
Welcoming all feelings in this area of your body as you tune into your own breathing.
So now you're aware of the whole of your arms.
Resting attention here as you breathe in and breathe out.
And let your awareness flow up to your neck.
A lot of tension can sit here so approach with kindness and curiosity.
Accept whatever you feel as you breathe in and breathe out.
Now let's take in the throat.
What sensations lie here?
Be with them softly and gently.
Now let awareness flow up to your head.
Feel the heaviness of your head pressing down on the mat.
Be mindful of the facial muscles that we use every day.
Taking in the forehead,
The temples,
The ears,
The back of your face to your eyes,
The eye sockets,
The eyelids,
The eyebrows,
The space between your eyebrows.
Feel the breath flowing through your nostrils,
The surface of the nose,
The cheeks,
The lower jaw relaxing any tension here,
The mouth,
The lips.
Feel your tongue in your mouth,
Letting it move around the back of your teeth,
Your gums.
Refreshing and reviving as your breath flows into the back of your face and out again.
Now you're aware of your whole body resting peacefully.
Your whole weight supported by the ground.
The whole of your body in tune with your breathing.
Now start to wriggle your toes and fingers.
Stretch your arms above your head and stretch your legs pointing the toes.
Gently and softly turn to your right side.
Sit up or stand up when you feel ready and open your eyes.
Congratulate yourself on taking time to just be with yourself.
