Welcome to this body scan for deep relaxation.
Find a comfortable position.
You may lie down on your back with your arms resting by your sides,
Palms facing upwards.
Or sit comfortably with your spine supported.
When you're ready,
Softly close your eyes.
Take a slow,
Steady breath in through your nose.
And a long,
Gentle breath out through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale and exhale,
Letting the body begin to settle.
Just allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Bring your awareness to the simple fact that you are here.
There's nothing to fix,
There's nothing to change.
You're just noticing.
Feel the surface beneath you,
The support holding your body.
With each exhale,
Imagine your body growing heavier,
Softer and more at ease.
Bring your attention to your toes.
Notice any sensations,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling or stillness.
Now move your awareness to the soles of your feet,
The heels and the tops of your feet.
Allow them to soften.
Shift your attention to your ankles and gently up into your calves.
If you notice tightness,
Simply breathe into that area.
And as you exhale,
Imagine the muscles loosening.
Bring awareness to your knees,
And then to your thighs,
The large muscles of your upper legs.
Let your legs feel heavy,
But completely supported.
Now bring your attention to your hips and your pelvis.
Notice how they connect to the surface beneath you.
Soften the muscles of the hips,
Allowing any tension to melt downward.
Bring awareness to your lower abdomen.
Feel it gently rise and fall with each breath.
No effort,
Just breathing.
Now move your awareness to your lower back.
Notice contact with the ground or chair.
Traveling upward to the mid-back and then to the upper back,
Between the shoulder blades.
With each exhale,
Imagine space widening across your back.
Bring your attention to your chest.
Notice the rhythm of your breath.
The heart beating quietly within,
Allowing your chest to soften.
Bringing your awareness now to your shoulders.
So often they carry the weight of the day.
With your next exhale,
Let them drop,
Just a little.
Let them soften.
Move down into your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Your forearms.
All the way into your wrists,
Hands and fingers.
Notice any subtle sensations.
Let any tension go.
Let your hands just rest effortlessly.
Now bringing your attention to your neck and throat,
Softening that area.
Now onto your jaw.
Just allowing the jaw to soften.
Allow the jaw just to open slightly.
Soften the cheeks and the eyes.
Making sure there's no tension in your eyes,
Just letting them rest gently.
And just smoothing out the space between the eyebrows.
Relaxing the forehead.
And finally,
Bringing awareness to the crown of your head.
Just letting the whole head be at rest.
Bringing now the sense of awareness to your body as a whole,
The whole body.
From the crown of your head to the tip of your toes.
A complete breathing body,
Supported and relaxed.
Rest here for a few quiet breaths,
Heavy in the body.
If the mind wanders,
Gently return to the sensation of breathing.
To the feeling of your body resting and being heavy.
Starting to bring awareness back to your body again.
Begin to deepen your breath,
Taking a long deep inhale,
Letting it go with a sigh.
Gently wiggling your fingers and your toes.
When you feel ready,
Slowly opening your eyes.
And just take a moment before moving on with your day.
