Begin by making yourself comfortable.
Sit in a chair,
Allow your back to be straight but not stiff with your feet on the ground.
You could also do this practice standing or if you prefer you can lie down and have your head supported.
Your hands could be resting gently in your lap or on your side.
Allow your eyes to close or to remain open with a soft gaze.
Just find something that is comfortable for you.
Take several long,
Slow,
Deep breaths.
Breathing in fully and exhaling slowly.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose or mouth.
Feel your stomach expand on an inhale and relax and let go as you exhale.
Begin to let go of the noises around you.
Shift your attention from the outside to the inside of yourself.
If you're finding yourself distracted by the sounds of the room,
Just simply notice them and then bring your focus right back to your breath.
Now slowly bring your attention down to your feet.
Begin observing the sensations in your feet.
You might want to wiggle your toes a little,
Feeling your toes against your socks or your shoes.
Just notice without judgment.
You might imagine sending your breath down to your feet as if the breath is traveling through the nose to the lungs and through the abdomen all the way down to your feet.
And then back up again out through your nose and lungs.
Or maybe you don't feel anything at all.
That's okay.
Just allow yourself to feel the sensation of not feeling anything.
When you're ready,
Allow your feet to dissolve in your mind's eye and move your attention to your ankles.
And then your calves,
Your knees,
Your thighs.
Observe the sensations you're experiencing throughout your legs.
Breathe into and breathe out of the legs.
If your mind begins to wander during this exercise,
Gently notice this without judgment and bring your mind back to noticing the sensations in your legs.
If you notice any discomfort,
Pain or stiffness,
Don't judge this.
Just simply notice it.
Observe how all the sensations rise and fall,
Shift and change moment to moment.
Notice how no sensation is permanent.
Just observe,
Make room for and allow the sensations to be there just in this moment.
Just the way they are.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Then on the next out breath,
Allow the legs to dissolve in your mind and move the sensations to your lower back and your pelvis.
Softening and releasing as you breathe in and out.
Slowly move your attention up to your mid back and then your upper back.
Become curious about the sensations here.
You may become aware of sensations in the muscle or maybe the temperature,
Points of contact with the furniture or the floor.
With each out breath,
You may let go of the tension you're breathing or you're carrying and then very gently shift your focus to the stomach and all the internal organs here.
Perhaps you notice a feeling of clothing,
The process of digestion or the belly rising or falling with each breath.
If you notice opinions arising about these areas,
Gently let go of these and return to noticing the sensations and the sensation of your breath.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring your awareness to the chest and your heart region.
Just notice your heartbeat.
Feel it in your chest.
Observe how the chest rises during the inhale and how the chest falls during the exhale.
Let go of any judgment that may arise.
On the next out breath,
Shift your focus to your hands and your fingertips.
See if you can channel your breathing into and out of this area as if you're breathing into and out of your hands.
If your mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to the sensation of your hands.
And then on the next out breath,
Shift the focus and bring your awareness up into your arms.
Observe the sensation or lack of sensations that may be occurring there.
You might notice some differences between the left arm and the right arm.
There's no need to judge this.
Just notice it.
As you exhale,
You may experience the arm to soften and release the tensions.
Continue to breathe and shift focus to the neck and then your shoulder and then your throat region.
This is an area where we often have and hold our tension.
Be with the sensations here.
It could be tightness,
Rigidity,
Or maybe you notice that you're holding.
You may notice the shoulders moving along with the breath.
Let go of any thoughts or stories that you're telling about this area.
As you breathe,
You may feel tension rolling off your shoulders.
On the next out breath,
Shift your focus and direct your attention to the scalp and the head and the face.
Observe all the sensations occurring here.
Notice the movement of the air as you breathe into or out of the nostrils or mouth.
You may feel the coolness of the breath coming in through the nostrils and the warmth as you exhale out.
As you exhale,
You might notice the softening of any tension you may be holding.
And now let your attention to expand out to include your entire body as a whole.
Bring your awareness,
The top of your head down to the bottom of your toes.
Feel the gentle rhythm of the breath as it moves through the body.
As you come to the end of this practice,
Take a full deep breath.
Take in all the energy of this practice.
Exhale fully.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes and return your attention to this present moment.
You may want to start wiggling your fingers and toes and gently awakening your body.
And as you become fully alert and awake,
Consider setting the intention that practice of building awareness will benefit everyone you come into contact with today.
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