Hello and welcome to a simple body scan meditation.
My name is Leela Day.
I am a certified meditation and movement instructor.
For the last decade,
I've studied Tibetan Buddhism.
In the last few years,
I've incorporated neuroscience into my practice.
Specifically,
I have focused on the way that our brain sends signals to our body and vice versa.
When meditating,
It is common for thoughts,
To-do lists,
And even sensations in your body to arise.
If that does happen to you,
There's no need to worry throughout this meditation.
Part of a meditation practice is returning back to your breath,
Returning back to your center.
To begin,
I'll invite you now to get into a comfortable and supported position.
Whether you are laying down or seated,
Find length in your spine.
I invite you to get into a neutral pelvis with even distribution on both sides of your body.
It may help to imagine that you're sucking in your belly button so that it could touch the spine without actually bringing in your stomach.
To open up your chest,
Lift your shoulders up,
Back,
And down,
Allowing for the oxygen to spread throughout your body.
Lastly,
You can place your hands on your body with your palms facing upwards or down.
If you feel called to keep your eyes open today,
That's completely welcomed.
Otherwise,
I invite you to have a slightly soft gaze out in front of you.
Feel free to explore what feels comfortable in your body and make any last-minute adjustments or get any wiggles out so that you can sit in this meditation practice.
Once you've found a comfortable position,
You can begin to deepen your breath and allow for a natural flow.
Notice the sensations in your nostrils as air flows in and out through your nose.
It may be helpful to take note of the expansion and contraction of your belly with each inhale and exhale.
With your next inhale,
Fill your lungs with air,
Finding a moment of pause at the top of your breath.
Allow for a slow exhale out through your nose,
Releasing any tension or expectations for this practice today.
Remembering that thoughts and ideas will arise as a part of your practice,
You're invited to challenge yourself and let these sensations and ideas pass as you return back to your breath.
There is no need to judge or inquire any more than just observing.
We'll begin the body scan at the top of your head,
Noticing any sensations,
The temperature in the room,
Or even just recognizing the fact that your head is at the top of your spine.
Connected to your body,
Take a deep breath in.
Now you can move your attention down your face,
Over your eyebrows,
Your ears,
Your nose,
Your mouth,
And your jaw,
And inviting in any tension that may be present to release itself.
We hold a lot of tension in our jaws and a lot of tension in the muscles in our face,
So if we can breathe into this space and allow for some ease,
We can invite in some more information from our body.
Without forcing your next breath,
Bring your awareness now to your neck and to your shoulders,
Noticing any sensations or tension,
Maybe even the fabric of your clothing pressed against your skin.
Take note of this awareness as your breath begins to spread down your shoulders and your upper back.
Breathing in once again through your nose,
Notice the sensations as they spread throughout your chest and your abdomen.
Are you aware of the gentle rise and fall with each inhale and exhale?
Are there any other sensations that are calling your attention?
Imagine now this oxygen flowing through your arms,
Your biceps and your triceps,
Over your elbows,
Through your forearms and your wrists,
Reaching your hands all the way down to your fingertips.
What are the messages in this part of your body?
Is there any tension or worry that can drift away?
Or maybe there's excitement and anticipation.
Moving down now towards your lower abdomen and your hips,
Breathe into this space.
Allow for your breath to serve as a tool for self-soothing.
It is common to hold tightness and discomfort in this area as our creativity,
Our sensuality,
Our emotions are often stored in our hips.
Now if you've found that you've lost your breath or your mind has wandered,
That is okay.
That is a part of the process.
Simply return back to your breath and move your attention now towards your legs,
Spreading down your thighs,
Your knees,
Your calves,
Your ankles,
Getting to the bottom of your feet,
Even noticing the sensations in the space in between your toes.
Breathing into the lower half of your body,
You can give these muscles permission to soften,
To be at ease.
Deepen your breath once more,
Allowing for the focus to be on your inhale,
Pause at the top of your breath,
Followed by an exhale and pause at the end of this breath.
Allow for this oxygen to fill your entire being.
Can you witness the feeling of peace and calm come over your body?
Do you recognize any changes in your body and mind since the beginning of this practice a few minutes ago?
Remember that you can return back to this state of calm and relaxation whenever you need it throughout your day by using your breath as a tool to center yourself.
Take a moment to thank yourself for tending to your body and tending to your mind and I thank you for joining me in this practice today.
When the time feels right for you and you're ready to close off this practice,
You can begin to allow in sounds,
Invite in colors and lights of your space back into awareness.
You can slowly open your eyes if they were closed,
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
Maybe sway side to side or give yourself a big hug.
Give yourself a few moments of silence and ease before you carry on with your day.
Until next time.
