In today's meditation practice we'll build mindfulness,
Self-awareness,
And self-acceptance through attentively connecting the mind with the body and relaxing.
So find a seated position,
You can even choose to lie down for this practice,
But make sure that whatever position you're in to stay alert and focused,
Fully conscious.
Close the eyes or take a soft gaze and turning to the breath to help us slow down mentally and physically,
Deeply and slowly begin to inhale through the nose.
Hold the breath at the top of the inhalation and then take a slow deep exhale through the nose.
As you inhale again start to notice how you generally feel physically,
Mentally,
And or emotionally.
As you exhale just observe still without attaching to these emotions or feelings.
On your own continue breathing slow deep rounds of inhalations and exhalations.
As you breathe start to notice your feet isolating your attention here.
How do they feel?
Notice temperature,
Maybe tingling,
Maybe pressure,
Any sensations.
And then use your next exhale to relax through the feet.
Moving the attention up now focus on the calves and the shins.
What are you experiencing in this area?
Connect the body here with the breath as you try to soften the lower legs.
Now notice any sensations in your knees.
Observe finding awareness of even the most minute sensation.
On your next exhale,
Move your body to the side.
On your next exhale release any tension here relaxing further.
Shift your awareness now to your upper leg,
Your quads,
And the backs of the legs.
Connecting with the breath notice the sensations here.
Lighten on the exhale.
Now notice the hips and the pelvis.
We tend to hold a lot of tension in the hips so notice what's happening in the lower leg.
Now notice the hips and the pelvis.
We tend to hold a lot of tension in the hips so notice what's coming to surface here.
And without changing positions,
Wiggling,
Or getting caught up in your sensation here,
Just relax.
Softening through the hip creases.
And now notice the hips and the pelvis.
We tend to hold a lot of tension in the hips so notice what's happening in the lower leg.
Softening through the hip creases.
Focusing on the glutes and the bottom of the back,
Notice how you feel here.
Breathing and softening.
Moving up,
Observe the midsection,
Your middle back.
Feel the effort your spine and muscles exert to hold you in an upright position.
And relax.
Notice your stomach.
Notice your ribs.
And try to lighten through these areas.
Now notice how your upper ribs and chest feel.
And your collarbones.
Truly feeling and experiencing the rise and the fall of the breath.
And relax here.
Notice now the delicate shoulder joint and the shoulder blades.
Now lighten by breathing into this area.
Radiating down the arms,
Now notice the upper arms,
The biceps and triceps.
Let them fall heavier,
Relaxing.
Notice the elbow connecting the upper and lower arm.
Relax.
Notice the forearm.
Notice the wrist.
The hand.
The fingers.
And soften.
Direct your attention now to the back of the neck.
And then the front.
The throat.
Relax through these areas,
Allowing for pure breath flow.
Coming now to the head,
Focus first on relaxing the jaw.
And then the mouth.
Notice the tongue.
Relax.
Observe the ears and relax.
Notice the eyes.
The eyebrows.
The forehead.
Relax.
Notice the hairline.
And then the crown of the head.
And soften through the face.
Zooming out now,
Start to observe your body as a whole again,
Noticing any sensations now.
Are they different from what you noticed when we first started?
There's no right or wrong answer,
It's just awareness.
On your next exhale,
Focus on relaxing the entire body.
We'll take one final inhale together,
Filling up as slowly and deeply as possible.
And then open the mouth to audibly exhale,
Releasing.
As you drift back into your day,
Remember to come back to your breath and your body scan relaxation anytime you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
Even if you don't have time for the full practice,
Just notice first where your most tension is coming from and use your breath to help soften that area and relax your mind.
Thank you so much for letting me guide you through this body scan meditation today.
