20-Minute Body Scan: Connecting With The Present Moment

This 20-minute guided body scan offers an opportunity to slow down after a busy day and reconnect with the present moment through the body. You may find it helps you settle into the evening or prepare for sleep, but relaxation is not the goal. Whatever you experience, simply notice it with openness and curiosity.

Becoming aware of the entirety of your experience, without trying to change it, is the practice. If you find the mind wandering, simply acknowledge where it has gone and gently bring your attention back to the body scan guidance. Be as kind and compassionate with your wandering mind as you would be with a straying puppy, bringing gentle curiosity to each region of the body without judgment.

Transcript

Lying down comfortably on your back, Arms resting at your sides, Legs slightly apart with the feet splayed open, Allowing the body to settle, Letting the weight of the body sink into the surface you're lying on, Knowing that you're in charge during this body scan and at any time, If you feel overwhelmed, You may open your eyes or perhaps shift to a sitting position. Again, This is your time to relax. There is nothing you need to do right now except breathe and notice sensations. And like a sitting practice, If the mind wanders off, Noticing with kindness towards yourself that the mind has wandered off and gently bringing your attention to sensations of the body. So starting with noticing the breath in the belly or the chest area, Breathing in, Feeling sensations of the breath breathing in and breathing out, Feeling sensations of the breath breathing out and gathering up your attention and bringing it all the way down the left legs to the toes on the left foot. Noticing any sensations of the toes. Maybe the toes are touching a sheet or a sock. Maybe they feel like they're touching each other. Noticing what sensations are here, Shifting to the ball of the foot, The arch, The heel, Maybe noticing contact of the heel touching a surface. Slowly moving your attention to the top of your foot and then expanding your awareness to the entire foot, Feeling the weight of the entire foot. Now shifting your attention to the ankle and then the lower leg, Maybe noticing the calf's blade, Noticing the shin, What sensations are in the lower leg, If any, There may be neutral sensations. And if that's the case, Noticing neutral sensations, Maybe you don't really notice anything at all. Shifting your awareness now to the knee, The back of the knee, Sides, The kneecap, What sensations are here in this moment? Shifting to the upper leg, Maybe noticing how the upper leg is touching clothing or making contact with a sheet, Sensing deep into the tissue and bone. What's here in this moment? Now directing your attention to the left hip, Sensing deep into the joint and then moving your attention across the hip span to the right hip and all the way down the right leg to the toes on the right foot. What sensations do you notice in the toes of the right foot? Maybe they feel like one giant toe or individual toes. What's the temperature, Cool or warm? Shifting to the ball of the foot, The arch, The heel, Noticing contact points, Coming around gently to the top of the foot, The ankle, The lower leg, Maybe the calf is splayed on the surface you're lying on, Noticing the shin. What sensations are in the lower leg, If any? Shifting your attention now to the knee, The back of the knee, Sides, The kneecap, An incredible joint that gets us from point A to point B. Perhaps you notice the wear and tear of the joint, Just noticing with kindness, Without judging or telling yourself a story. What sensations are here in this moment? Moving on to the upper leg, The thigh, The back of the leg, Sensing deep into the tissue and bone, Maybe noticing skin, Making contact with the sheet or the surface you're lying on or clothing. And then shifting to the right hip, What sensations are in the right hip? Expanding awareness to the entire pelvic girdle, Protecting sensitive organs, Noticing the soft belly, And then coming around to the lower back. What sensations are in the lower back, An area of tension sometimes? Climbing up the lower back to a third of the way and then coming around to the belly chest area one more time and noticing the breath, Feeling sensations of the breath. Breathing in, Feeling that you're breathing in and breathing out, Feeling that you're breathing out. And shifting awareness now to the heart area, Noticing what sensations are in the heart area. Perhaps you notice a sense of peace or sadness, Grief, Joy, Maybe neutral sensations, Welcoming whatever sensations are in the heart area, Present to what is, Without trying to change it in any way. Now directing your attention to the shoulders, Particularly the left shoulder, And bringing it all the way down the left arm to the fingers and the thumb on the left hand. What sensations are in the fingers and the thumb? And maybe noticing tingling sensations, Temperature, Coolness, Or warmth, Moisture, Or dryness. What's here? Expanding your awareness to the entire hand, The wrist, The lower arm, The elbow, The bend in the elbow. Noticing any contact points, The upper arm, Maybe noticing skin touching clothing, Sensing deep into the tissue. Shifting your awareness now to the shoulder one more time across the shoulder span to the right shoulder and all the way down the arm to the fingers and the thumb in the right hand. What sensations are in the fingers and the thumb on the right hand? And maybe noticing coolness, Warmth, Tingling, Expanding awareness to the entire hand, The wrist, The lower arm, The elbow, Bend in the elbow, Noticing contact points, Maybe feeling the weight of the lower arm. And shifting awareness now to the upper arm, Sensing deep into the tissue and bone, Noticing skin touching clothing, Or perhaps the bed sheets if you're in bed. Shifting to the right shoulder and then gathering up your attention to the base of the neck, Climbing up the throat, Perhaps swallowing, Noticing the sensations of swallowing, Sound of swallowing. Shifting to the jaw, Relaxing the jaw if that's available to you, The facial muscles. Noticing where the tongue is making contact in the mouth, Maybe it's touching the roof of the mouth or the back of the teeth. Shifting your awareness now to the nose, The bridge in the nose, The eyes deep in the sockets. If the eyes are closed, Perhaps noticing shapes or shades or colors even with the eyes closed. Directing your attention now to the forehead, The span of the forehead. Relaxing the area between the eyebrows. Shifting to the crown of the head, The back of the head. If you're still lying down, Feeling the weight of the head and the contact points of the back of the head on the surface you're lying on. Coming around to the ears, Noticing how the ears are receiving sound without reaching for it. Maybe noticing the sound of the breath or the sound of a clock ticking. Maybe noticing the sound of silence. What's in the soundscape? And as a gentle reminder, If the mind wanders off, No big deal. There's no need to be harsh on ourselves. The mind thinks that's just what it does. And when we notice we're thinking that's a moment of awareness. And then we can choose to bring our attention back to sound with kindness towards ourselves. Now expanding your awareness to the entire head and further expanding your awareness from the top of the head to the tips of the fingers and toes. Noticing the length of the body, The width and the depth. Noticing the ever-changing nature of sensations in the body. Once again, Noticing contact points of the body on the surface you're lying on, Maybe the back of the head, The shoulder blades, Lower back, Calves, Heels, The elbows, Maybe the arms, The hands, Feeling the weight of gravity and maybe a sense of groundedness as we lie here. Imagining a gentle wave of calm moving from the top of the head to the toes and the fingertips, Releasing any last remnants of tension, If that's available to you. And once again, Directing your attention to the breath. Noticing the breath, Perhaps it's slowed down since the beginning of practice. Feeling the body completely supported by the surface you're lying on. And you're in choice one more time. You may open your eyes when you're ready to transition back into life or if you're ready for rest, Drifting softly into sleep if the circumstances are appropriate for you.

Reviews

Lovely meditation. Brenda’s voice is soothing and her body scan is just the right level of detail in her guidance.