To prepare for this exercise,
Find a comfortable position in which to sit or lie down.
If you're comfortable doing so,
Allow your eyes to gently close.
Begin with bringing your attention to your breathing,
Allowing it to gently slow down and deepen.
Breathe in,
Breathing in and out through your nose,
Letting your exhale be slightly longer than your inhale.
With your next exhale,
Give yourself permission to enter this exercise without expectation.
The purpose of this exercise is to practice noticing,
Tuning in.
There's no right or wrong.
When you might notice your mind wander,
Allow your awareness to come back to whatever is physically present without judgment.
As you settle into a comfortable rhythm of breathing,
I invite you also to offer yourself gratitude for taking this time for yourself.
There's so much that competes for our attention in a day.
But small moments of rest and intention like this are a gift.
We will begin with tuning in to the top of your head.
Simply bring your awareness to the crown of the head,
Tuning in to whatever is present for you.
You might notice the sensation of the skin,
Your hair,
Or even the air as it touches your body.
Now drop down to notice the forehead and brow.
Whatever is present,
Simply be with it.
Not trying to change it,
Just acknowledging it.
Now bring your attention to the eyes and the cheekbones.
Then down the tip of your nose and upper lip.
Here you may notice your body gently breathing.
You may also notice the cool air as you inhale,
And the warm air as you exhale.
Next,
Bring your attention to your mouth,
Tongue,
And jaw.
You may notice the moisture of your mouth,
Any tension or tightness in your jaw.
Again,
Not trying to change what is present,
Simply noticing.
If you notice that your mind has wandered,
Try letting go of any judgments and thoughts and return to the actual physical body,
The sensations that are there.
Now focusing on the neck and throat,
Being present with the sensations there.
Now bring your attention down into the shoulders,
The tops of the shoulders,
And the area between your shoulder blades.
Here again,
You may notice the movement of your breath within your body.
Next,
Bring your awareness to the upper arms and elbows.
Again,
Tuning into whatever you experience there,
Allowing your mind to come back to the body if your thoughts have drifted elsewhere.
Continue down into the forearms,
Wrists,
And then your hands and fingers,
Noticing any points of contact where the hands may be touching each other or resting on your lap.
Now bring your attention back up to the chest for a moment,
Tuning into your breath.
You may notice the expansion and contraction,
The natural movement of the body breathing.
Now I'll invite you to shift your attention down into the lower part of the abdomen,
Your stomach and the area surrounding it.
Just noticing whatever sensations are there,
Not trying to change them or judging them,
Simply being present with them.
Next,
Shift your attention down into the hips,
The pelvis,
And the butt.
Here you may notice where the body is in contact with the furniture.
Take a moment just to feel those sensations.
Move your attention down to the upper part of your legs,
Your thighs,
And knees.
Then down into your calves,
Shins,
And ankles.
Gently allowing your attention to return to the body if it's drifted away.
Taking time to be aware of whatever sensations present themselves to you.
Finally,
Bring your attention to your feet.
The tops of your feet,
Your toes,
And then the bottoms of your feet.
The arch,
The ball,
And the heel.
Noticing where your feet meet the floor if you're sitting or where the back of your heel rests if you're lying on your back.
Here you may pull your attention back to get a sense of your entire posture and your body as it rests.
Take another deep breath as you appreciate yourself and your body.
Thank you.
