Welcome to the Body Recovery Group Meditations.
This is the medium length body scan,
Which I recommend if you are feeling anxious or if you need to interrupt any tapes that might be playing in your head that are negative,
Mean,
Or scary.
Remember your body,
Your choice.
You can be in any position to listen to this.
And if you don't like it,
You have full permission to just leave.
Sometimes mindfulness meditations are not helpful in times of intense distress.
For instance,
If you are experiencing a trauma trigger or acute grief.
If that is the case,
You will feel your discomfort increase severely.
And I recommend you stop and try something else that's more distracting.
Other times you may feel your anxiety or discomfort increase slightly,
Maybe even significantly.
But that is actually your feelings being allowed to move through you.
And after that flow,
They will ease.
Sometimes a little,
Sometimes a lot.
We are going for flow,
Not overwhelmed.
And you are the very best judge of your experience.
Please know that there will be no bell or sound at the end of this meditation.
In case you would like to use it to help you sleep.
If you need to be brought back to attention after this though,
I recommend you set a separate timer for yourself.
I now invite you to get comfortable again in whatever position you please.
Take a few moments to adjust,
Settle in and breathe.
And whenever you are ready,
If it feels comfortable,
Close your eyes.
We are going to scan the body,
Bringing awareness to different body parts from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
The point of this is to increase relaxation and decrease anxiety.
Before we start,
I want to say,
If you do not have any of the body parts I named,
Just ignore me for that moment.
Stay on the last one until you hear your next one.
All bodies are welcome here.
When I name a body part,
Simply try to notice it.
If it's helpful,
You can imagine warmth growing gently in it,
Or cool water slowly seeping over it,
Or a light of a certain color shining on it.
Perhaps imagine that the air you breathe with every breath fills it like a balloon.
Or maybe visualize in your mind's eye what the body part looks like.
Whatever works for you.
Imagine your body relaxing,
Releasing,
Recovering.
Let's start with your toes,
All of your toes,
All around them,
All the way out to the tips.
Now the soles of your feet,
All the way from the front to the back and side to side.
Now your heels,
The tops of your feet,
Your ankles,
The calves on the back of your lower legs,
And around the front to your shins,
Your knees,
Your upper legs,
The hamstrings in the back,
Quads in the front,
IT bands along the outsides,
And finally the inner thighs.
Your hip joints,
Outer hips,
Buttocks,
Pelvis,
And pelvic floor.
Your lower abdomen,
Your belly button,
Diaphragm,
Around to your lower back,
Middle back,
Sides of your torso,
Your boobs if you have them,
Chest,
Collar bones,
Upper back,
Shoulders,
Your upper arms,
All the way around them,
Your elbows,
Your forearms,
Your wrists,
Your hands,
Palms of the hands,
Backs of the hands,
All of your fingers,
And all the way out to the fingertips.
Now back up to the neck,
The back of the neck,
The front of the throat,
The whole back of your head.
Now your ears,
Chin,
Mouth,
And tongue.
Your cheeks,
Eyes,
Eyebrows,
Your forehead,
And finally the top of your head.
Feel your entire body relax a little bit more.
If there are any spots that need a little extra attention,
Bring your awareness to them now.
Breathe life into your whole body.
Activate the healing available to you in every cell.
Know that your body is here for you.
Right here.
Always.
Please thank your body for everything it does exactly as it is.
And remember,
I love you exactly as you are.
