This guided body scan meditation is going to help you to get out of your head and get connected with your body and help your body to relax and release tension.
So begin by making yourself comfortable.
Sit in a chair and allow your back to be straight but not stiff with your feet flat on the floor.
Or you can lie down on a couch,
Bed,
Yoga mat or floor.
Having the knees bent or straight,
Hands resting gently on your torso or palms face up at your sides.
Allow your eyes to close or they can remain open with a soft gaze.
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 any noises in your environment.
Shift your attention from outside to inside yourself.
If you become distracted by sounds in the room,
Simply notice this and bring your focus back to your breathing.
Now slowly bring your attention down to your feet.
Begin observing sensations in your feet.
You may want to wiggle your toes a little,
Feeling your toes against your socks or shoes or against the air.
Just notice no 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.
Then back up again as you exhale.
And perhaps you don't feel anything at all and that's fine too.
Just allow yourself to feel the sensation of not feeling anything.
When you are ready,
Release the attention on your feet.
Allow your feet to dissolve and move your attention up to your ankles,
Calves,
Knees and thighs.
Observe the sensations you're experiencing throughout your legs.
Breathe in and breathe out of the legs.
If your mind begins to wander during this exercise,
Just notice this without judgment and gently guide your attention 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 sensations rise and fall.
Shift and change moment to moment.
Notice how no sensation is permanent.
Just observe and allow the sensations to be in the moment just as they are.
Breathe in and out from the legs.
On your next exhale,
Soften both legs allowing them to dissolve in your mind.
And move the sensations into your lower back and pelvis.
Functioning and releasing as you breathe in and breathe out.
Slowly shift your attention up to your mid and upper back.
Become curious about the sensations here.
You may become aware of sensations in the muscle,
Temperature or points of contact with the furniture or the bed.
With each out breath,
Let go of any tension you may be carrying.
Breathing in to find space and length and breathing out to soften and let go.
And then very gently shift your attention to your stomach and all the internal organs here.
Perhaps you notice the feeling of your clothing against the skin of your belly.
The process of digestion or the sensation of the belly rising and falling with each breath.
If you notice opinions rising about these areas,
Gently let these go and return to just noticing sensations.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring your awareness to the chest and heart region and notice your heartbeat.
Observe how the chest rises during the inhale and how the chest falls during the exhale.
Let go of any judgments that may arise.
Tracing your easy inhales and slow exhales.
On your next out breath,
Gently shift the focus to your hands and fingertips.
See if you can channel your breathing into and out of this area as if you are breathing into and out from your hands.
If your mind wanders,
It's okay.
Just gently guide the attention back to the sensations in your hands.
And then on your next out breath,
Shift the focus and bring your awareness up into your arms.
Notice the sensations or lack of sensations that may be occurring here.
You might notice some difference between the left arm and the right arm and there's no need to judge this.
As you exhale,
You may experience the arms softening and releasing tension.
Continue to breathe and shift your focus to the neck,
Shoulder and throat region.
This is an area where we often hold tension.
Be with the sensations here.
It could be tightness,
Rigidity or holding.
You may notice the shoulders moving along with your breath.
Let go of any thoughts or stories you are telling about this area.
As you breathe,
You may feel tension rolling off your shoulders.
Inhale to find space,
Exhaling to release tension.
On the next out breath,
Shift your focus and direct your attention to the scalp,
Head and face.
Observe all the sensations occurring here.
Notice the movement and the sensation of the air as you breathe in and out of the nose or mouth.
As you exhale,
You may notice the softening of any tension you might be holding.
And now,
Let your attention expand to include the entire body as a whole,
Bringing awareness from 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,
Taking in all the energy of this practice.
Exhale fully.
And when you're ready,
Slowly begin to blink the eyes open and return your attention to the present moment.
As you begin to become fully alert and awake,
Consider setting the intention that this practice of building awareness will benefit everyone you come into contact with today.
Thank you for practicing this body scan meditation with me.
Namaste.
