20 Minute Body Scan Meditation

This simple 20 minute guided meditation will help to develop a mindful awareness of your bodily sensations, and to relieve tension wherever it is found.

Transcript

I'll be guiding you through a 20 minute body scan meditation and paying attention to your body is a great way to connect to the present moment and become more self-aware. So find a comfortable space where you are unlikely to be disturbed and lie down. Close your eyes and let your arms lie alongside your body. Allow your feet to relax and fall away from each other. And as we move through this practice, Remember there's really no need to judge or analyze or even to try to figure things out. So if you can, Allow yourself to simply be with whatever arises in each moment as we move through your body. And be mindful of any physical sensations you may experience and any thoughts or emotions that may arise from those physical sensations. So if any time things begin to feel a bit too intense, Just open your eyes for a few minutes and then when you're ready you can come back to your body. And if you find you're getting sleepy, You can continue this practice with your eyes open until you feel more awake. And then if at any point you realize you've fallen asleep and that happens, Simply notice that and without judging it or making a big deal about it, Simply rejoin me wherever we happen to be in the body. So I'll invite the bell to begin. Slowly bring your attention to the fact that you're breathing. Just that simple fact. Just notice I'm breathing in. I'm breathing out. And notice the rate and rhythm of your breath. Is it fast or slow? Is it shallow or deep? And just breathe naturally in and out through your nose. Without trying to control it in any way, Simply experience your breathing as the air moves in and out of your body. It's that simple. Follow the rhythmic movement of each breath, The rising of your belly on the in-breath and the letting go with each out-breath. And now with your full attention on each breath, Allow your body to become heavy as it sinks just a little bit deeper into relaxation. Bring your attention to your feet, All the way down to the soles of your feet and become aware of whatever sensations are there. And if you don't notice anything, Then it's no big deal, Just notice that. I'm not noticing anything. And as you breathe in, Imagine your breath moving in and down and moving all the way down to your feet. And as you breathe out, Let your breath move all the way up from your feet, Up through your body and out the nose. And so breathe like this for a couple of breaths, Where you're breathing in all the way to your feet and then on the exhale, The air is moving all the way up your body and out. And when you're ready, Let your feet dissolve. And become aware of the shins and the calf muscles, Noticing the sensations in the lower legs, Not just on the surface, But right down into the bones. Letting go of the lower legs, Move your attention to the thighs. And if there's tension there, Notice that. And letting go of the upper legs, Shift your attention to the pelvis, From one hip to the other. Allow the pelvis and buttocks to soften, Releasing all the tension you can in this moment. And see if you're able to be content, Just to be content where you are right now, Right here, With the way things are. Shift your attention to the lower back and experience that part of your back, Just as it is. And on the out-breath, Let any tension, Any tightness, Any holding on that's there, Let it just flow out as much as it will. Moving up into the upper back now, Feel any sensations there. You may be able to feel your ribcage expand and contract as you inhale and exhale. And so allow any tightness, Fatigue, Discomfort, Anything that's in this part of your body, Simply allow it to dissolve and move out as you let go and sink even deeper into this stillness, This relaxation. And shift your attention to your belly again and experience the rise and fall as you breathe. And you can probably feel the movement of your diaphragm that separates your belly from your chest. And on the other side of that diaphragm, Notice the chest and how it expands on the in-breath and deflates on the out-breath. And if you can, Tune into the rhythmic beating of your heart within your chest cavity, Maybe feeling the lungs expanding on either side of your heart. Simply experience the chest, The belly as you lie here, The muscles of the chest wall, The entire front of the body. And allow this whole area, The front of your body, To just dissolve into relaxation. And now move your attention to the hands, Becoming aware of the sensations in the tips of your fingers and your thumbs, Where you may feel some pulsations from the blood flow, Or maybe a dampness or warmth or whatever you feel, Just feeling the fingers and thumbs. And now expand your awareness to include the palms of your hands. And notice any sensations there, And now the backs of the hands and the wrists, Perhaps even being able to discern the pulsing of the arteries in your wrists, Or maybe not. And becoming aware of the forearms and the elbows. Just notice any sensations that are there, Regardless of what they are. Allow your field of awareness to include the upper arms now, All the way up to the shoulders. Into the shoulder sockets. And see if you can feel your arms and shoulders from the inside out. And as you let go of the tension, Just let go of the arms. And now focus your attention on the neck and throat and feel this part of your body, Experiencing what it feels like when you swallow or when you take a breath. And then let go. And becoming aware of your face now, Focus on the jaw and the chin. And notice any sensations in your mouth or on your lips, Even your tongue. It's amazing where we hold tension. So see if you can relax the base of your tongue, Allowing your tongue to drop down away from the roof of your mouth. Now noticing the cheeks and the nose. Feeling the breath as it moves in and out of the nostrils. Become aware of your eyes, Your brow, Your eyelids, The eye sockets, Even behind the eyes. And as you breathe out, Soften to let go of any stored emotions. And when you notice the temples next, If you sense any emotion associated with the tension or feelings in your face, Just be aware of that. Breathing in and out as you let your face dissolve into stillness. And now become aware of the ears and the back of the head and the top of the head, Even the scalp, And let the whole face and head relax. Let it be still and neutral, Relaxed and at peace. Allow your breath to move through your entire body now, In whatever way feels natural to you. From head to toe, From toe to head, Just whatever feels right for you. Allow your breath to simply move through your entire body, The entire length of the body. And allow yourself to feel whole, Connected with who you are, Who you really are. And you may notice that in this stillness there's healing. And consider allowing the world to be as it is, Beyond your personal fears and concerns, Beyond the tendencies of your mind to want everything to be a certain way. See yourself as complete right now, As you are. And as this practice ends, Bring your awareness back to your body again. You may want to wiggle your toes and fingers, Or begin to gently stretch your arms and legs. And see if you can allow this calmness to remain with you as you move. And congratulate yourself on having taken this time to nourish yourself like this. And remember that this state of relaxation and clarity, It's accessible to you simply by paying attention to your breath in any moment, No matter what's happening in your day.

Reviews

Really kind and thoughtful body scan practice, perfect to use before your own meditation session. Highly recommended!

Great practice. 🙏

Enjoyed this body scan. Great pacing and soothing voice.
Thank you!

You'll fall asleep with probably 9/10.))

Thank you, I liked it