Body Scan Meditation

This is a body scan meditation that moves through each area of the body starting at the feet and ending at the head. It's helpful for noticing body sensations as well as softening and relaxing the body parts one at a time.

Transcript

Taking a moment to find the best space to do this body scan,

Whether that be laying down,

Perhaps propping up one of the arms in case we fall asleep,

Or if we know that we're feeling a bit tired right now,

Then propping ourselves up into a comfortable seat that can hold us here as we move into our body scan,

Knowing that you can do this standing as well,

Whatever feels supportive to you in this moment.

So arriving in whatever position we've taken,

And taking this moment to arrive here by inviting breath into the body,

In through the nose,

Out through the mouth,

Taking a count of four breaths into the body here,

And four breaths out.

Breathing in for four,

And out for four.

One more at your own pace.

Exhaling.

As this breath grounds you now into the moment here,

We're going to move through the body and notice what is coming up,

Just placing our attention on various points and parts of our body.

So,

As we arrive into stillness and noticing,

You may want to close down your eyes if you haven't done so already.

If not,

Gently finding an area where you can softly gaze upon that's unmoving and neutral.

As we arrive here,

Taking a moment to start by noticing your feet.

Feeling into the toes.

This is the temperature here.

Noticing any contact with perhaps a sock or a surface.

And then,

The tops of the feet,

Noticing as well the bottoms of the feet.

Perhaps sending some gratitude to our feet for carrying us all day long.

Now,

Our awareness into the ankle,

Noticing the ankle.

Feeling into this joint.

Breathing here and noticing any part of this area of our body.

Noticing how it connects the foot with the leg.

Taking the breath now up into the calves.

Feeling into this muscle.

Is there any tightness?

Are we holding here?

Can we allow for this area to release and sink deeper into this space beneath us?

Noticing the fronts of our lower legs here,

Moving up into our knees.

Noticing the knee joint.

Breathing here.

Placing our attention on the front of the knee.

This is making contact with clothing.

Noticing this knee joint as it moves so much throughout our day without us even noticing.

Taking a moment to notice the back of the knee here.

Can we breathe into noticing the back of the knee?

Noticing if the mind is wandering,

If it's pulling you away.

Just taking a moment to notice that to offer some gentle kindness and bringing your attention now into the upper part of your leg.

Into hamstrings.

The back of the upper part of the leg here.

Breathing into this area.

Noticing what's here.

So we breathe into the front of the top of the leg into our thighs.

Large muscle here,

Part of our daily movement.

Noticing your thigh.

Just placing your attention there.

And if the mind is wandering,

Just coming back to my voice and coming back to where we are in the scan.

Breathing.

Noticing here the hip joint,

The pelvic region.

Breathing into this space.

Noticing any tension,

Any tightness,

Anything here.

Breathing into our glutes.

Noticing this area and this muscle.

Noticing if there's any holding that we're doing in this entire area and seeing if on the exhale we can release a bit,

Allowing it to sink into the space,

Into the seat or into the surface beneath you.

Breathing now into the torso as we move into the upper half of our body.

Breathing into the stomach,

The lower abdomen,

The mid abdomen,

The upper abdomen.

Breathing into this entire digestive space.

Noticing that it's operating and working for you.

All the time in the back end.

Without our awareness.

Just placing our awareness here now.

Noticing the low back here.

Moving through up into the mid back.

Breathing into anything coming up here.

On the exhale,

Allowing for any releasing of muscles or tension that may be here.

As we move now up the front body into the chest.

Noticing this area here.

Breathing into the expansiveness of our heart center,

Our chest.

Collarbones into the shoulders.

Noticing posture of shoulders,

How we're holding them.

Breathing into this area.

Now,

Same with the back body.

Breathing from our mid back up into our upper back here and into the tops and sides of the shoulders.

Allowing for softening,

Allowing for release as needed here.

Noticing the shoulders.

Noticing if the mind is wandering and just coming back when you're ready and able to the next area of your body.

As we move now down into the arms.

Breathing into the upper arm here.

The bicep.

The back area of your upper arm that's making contact perhaps with the seat or with the space underneath you.

Breathing into the elbow,

This joint here.

It connects the upper part of your arm with the lower half.

Now breathing into our forearm.

The front and back.

Any muscles,

Ligaments here,

Breathing into this space.

Noticing if there's any holding and on the exhale just allowing it to release a bit more.

As we move into the hands,

Noticing the position of your hands.

Are they out flat?

Are they curled in?

Can we allow for them to be in the most gentle and relaxing posture that's available for you?

Allowing the hands to out stretch if they aren't already.

Feeling into the fingers,

Starting with the pinky.

Feeling into the ring finger,

Middle finger.

Feeling into our pointer finger and into our thumb.

Placing our awareness now at the neck,

The back of the neck and the front of the neck.

The sides of your neck.

Breathing into this space.

The neck that holds your head up all day long.

Breathing here.

And as we move now up into the head,

The base of the skull,

Moving up into the ear area where your ear makes contact with your head.

Breathing here.

Noticing the top of the head.

The hairline.

Your forehead.

Breathing now into the eye sockets.

Exhaling.

Breathing into the cheeks and the jaw.

The mouth.

The nose area.

Are we tensing or tight here?

Can we allow for the jaw to drop a bit?

Breathing in on the exhale,

Allowing any facial muscles that might be held to release.

Feeling into your entire body as a whole here.

How does it feel right now?

Does it feel any different from when you first started?

Noticing any feelings that might be coming up surrounding this experience.

Was there any discomfort?

Was there ease?

Just feeling into that.

All is okay and all is allowed.

And as you take this final breath into your whole body,

I want it to be the biggest breath you've taken all day.

So breathing in through the nose down deep,

All the way down to the toes.

Exhaling out through the mouth,

Let it go.

Inviting movement back into the fingers,

The toes.

Moving perhaps the wrists and the ankles.

Stretching your arms overhead and your feet out long.

Opening the eyes and taking in your space,

Any more intuitive movement you may need.

Feeling into the body here.