Body Scan

The body scan is a mindfulness meditation practice involving scanning your body for pain, tension, or anything out of the ordinary. It can help you feel more connected to your physical and emotional self. It supports us in better understanding your attention, make you more aware of the body and the opportunity to practice some mindfulness attitudes.

Transcript

Welcome to this 30-minute body scan. Taking your time to find a comfortable position. Recommending you to lay down, But if you prefer you can also be seated. Deciding what you'd like to do with your eyes. You can be focused on something quite neutral and bland like the wall or the ceiling. Or softening the gaze, Perhaps even closing the eyes. Giving yourself a few moments to connect with your intention for the practice. Perhaps an intention to practice being open and curious and friendly. To become more aware of the body. To train the attention. Or maybe something else. If it's supportive, Maybe taking a few deeper breaths in and out. And or making any additional adjustments perhaps to the clothing or the body. And when you're ready, The first invitation is to move your attention to the top of the head. And slowly widening the attention to the scalp or the hair. Or the hair, That area on top of the head that reaches to the back of the head. Just noticing any sensations that are here. Guiding your attention now to the forehead. To the eyebrows. To the eyes. Scanning down to include the nose, Cheeks. Perhaps noticing the sensations of breathing. As the air comes in and as the air comes out. Shifting attention to the ears. Moving the attention to the lips. Taking some time to explore the mouth, The tongue, The teeth, The gums. Just paying attention to what's here. Moving the attention to the jaw, The chin. A widening attention to include the whole head. Taking some time on your own to notice the sensations here. Maybe there's some tingling, Itching, Buzzing, Pulsating. Temperature, Dryness, Moisture. Noticing whatever's here. The goal isn't to create a certain sensation. Just to pay attention with curiosity, With care. Whatever you're noticing right here, Right now, As it is. And when you notice your mind has drifted away from the head, Noticing the sensations, You can gradually shift your attention to the head. Noticing what's here, What's there, What's moving, What's happening. Drifted away from the head, Noticing the sensations. Congratulations on noticing. In that moment you were aware and mindful. Gently, Kindly bringing the attention back just to noticing the sensations. Just being with whatever arises. And with the next out breath, The exhalation, Letting go of attention on the head. As we move the attention now to the throat and the neck. Guiding your attention now to the left shoulder. Scanning down to the bicep and the tricep. Down through the left elbow. Left elbow. Down through the left elbow. Left forearm. Moving the attention to the wrist. Moving the attention to the hand. Noticing maybe a difference between the palm and the back of the hand. Moving the attention to the fingers in the left hand. Widening now to get a sense of the whole left arm. On the left shoulder. Maybe sensing a heaviness or lightness. Maybe something else. Shifting the attention now to the right shoulder. Moving down. Right bicep. Right tricep. Down through the elbow and forearm. Right shoulder. Right bicep. Right shoulder. Right bicep. Right shoulder. To the right wrist, The hand, The fingers. And if at any point in time it's supportive to maybe move the body a bit. Wiggle the finger for example. To get a better sense awareness. Feeling free to do so. Remembering it's also okay not to experience any particular sensation. Again, We're not trying to create anything. We're just paying attention to what's here already. Let us now move the attention to the chest. Moving the attention down to the belly. The abdomen. Perhaps noticing the sensations of breathing here. Expanding, Contracting. Expanding, Contracting. Maybe how the skin comes in contact with the clothes. When the mind wanders, Noticing that. Noticing the skin. Noticing the skin. Noticing the skin. Hello thoughts. I'll get to you later. Responding with patience, Kindness as best you can. And then gently repeating, Bringing the attention back. Moving the attention now to the upper back. Scanning the back. Down the back to the lower back as well. Widening the attention to include the whole middle of the body. The torso, The front, The back, The sides. Paying attention to what's here. On the next out breath, Letting attention go of this part of the body. As we escort our attention now to the area of the genitalia, The pelvis. As we move the attention to the sit bones. And the butt cheeks. Noticing what's here. Moving the attention now to the right thigh. Holding the right thigh, The front, The back, The sides. With an intentional attention focus. Guiding your attention to the right knee. The back of the knee. Down the leg further to the shin. The calves. The area in between the ankle and the knee on the right side. Shifting the attention down to the ankle. Slowly beginning to scan the right foot. The top of the foot, The bottom of the foot. Heel to toes and toes to heel. Widening now to include the whole right leg. And now shifting the attention to the left thigh. The front, Back, Sides of the left thigh. Moving the attention to the left knee and the left back of the knee. Further down the leg. The left calf. The left shin. Observing. Paying attention to what's here. Continuing down to the left ankle. The top of the left foot. The bottom of the left foot. From heel to toes, From toes to heel. Widening now to include the whole left leg. Widening the attention furthermore to include the right leg as well. Perhaps noticing similarities or differences between one side and the other. Widening the attention to include the arms. To include the whole middle of the body as well, The torso. Widening to include the neck, The throat, As well as the head, The head of the body. Widening to include the neck, The throat, As well as the head. Paying attention to the body as a whole. This breathing, Heart beating, Living body. Maybe taking some time to express a little gratitude that you're able to be here right now and practice. That you can think and feel and breathe the heart's beating. Taking these last few moments just to be. Just to be with the body as it is. Right here, Right now. Moment by moment. Heartbeat by heartbeat. Breath by breath. And now slowly taking your time as we end our body scan meditation. Feel free to blink open the eyes if they were closed. Gently wiggle the toes, The fingers, Beginning to move, Stretch. Giving yourself as much time as you need to transition into whatever's next. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.