Hello and welcome to your body scan meditation for anxiety relief.
My name is Ellie Bosmorova and I'll be guiding your practice today.
All you need to do now is go ahead and find a comfortable place to either sit or lie down.
Just making sure you're in a comfortable position,
Allowing the body to just relax.
When you're there,
Go ahead and take three deep breaths,
Filling your lungs with each inhale and letting it all go on the exhale.
You can breathe in and out through the nose or the mouth,
Whichever you prefer.
If you'd like,
You can flutter your eyes closed or simply soften your gaze and let your body find its way to stillness.
Now I want you to imagine on your next inhale,
You're breathing in a beautiful golden light from the bottoms of your feet to the top of your head.
Drawing that light up with the inhale.
And on your next exhale,
Imagine that you are releasing any negative energy,
Watching it flow down from the top of your head down and out through the bottoms of your feet.
Just letting go of anything you've experienced in the day.
Feel free to take a few breaths to do this.
Releasing that negative energy until you see there's none left.
And all that's left is the golden light filling your body.
Body scan meditation is a very simple practice and yet it's incredible in its powerful effects.
The more embodied we are,
The more connected we are to our truth.
So now just follow my lead.
As I invite you to focus your attention now on the bottoms of your feet.
Just noticing the left,
The right foot.
Noticing if there's any sensation.
And it's okay if there isn't.
And if there's pain sensation anywhere in the body or you notice where that anxiety lives as we move through the body,
Can you allow yourself to be present with it?
Whatever it is.
Simply accepting for now that it's there.
Not needing it to go anywhere.
This is the key to really releasing those difficult feelings.
So now bringing your attention to your toes and see if you can spend just a moment with each and every toe on your left foot.
On your right foot.
And bringing your attention up to the tops of your feet.
And if your mind wanders at any time,
Go ahead and just take a nice deep breath and bring your attention back to where we're focusing.
Without judgment,
It's simply what the mind does.
Now bringing your attention to your heels.
The left heel.
The right heel.
Your ankles.
The ball and socket joint of the ankle.
So useful.
Moving your attention up now through your calves and shins and letting it rest among the bones and muscles,
Noticing what arises for you.
And then bringing your attention simply to being in the body.
And if at any time anything feels too intense or overwhelming,
No matter where we are in the body,
Feel free to take a deep breath and allow yourself to zoom out of your body just a little bit until you're able to come back with us.
Taking care and listening to yourself.
Connecting now with your knees.
Just notice what's here with the knees.
Now the thighs,
The quadriceps.
Just holding that spacious awareness of what comes up.
Not pushing anything away.
Allowing it to be there.
Allowing you to be here as you are.
Simply accepted.
Moving your attention up around the pelvis and the backside and lower back.
The buttocks.
Being present with your root.
Bringing your attention up now into the abdomen.
This amazing space that holds so many of our vital organs.
Noticing the breath rising and falling in the abdomen.
Like ocean waves lapping back and forth against the shore.
Moving up into the chest,
The heart space.
Just being with what's here.
Honoring it as it is.
Maybe for you the feeling of anxiety lives here or in your gut.
Can you breathe with any feelings or emotions that arise here?
Allowing your attention to connect with the spinal column and the back.
See if you can connect with your heart center from the backside of your body as well.
And then the shoulders.
Arms all the way down to your fingertips.
Just take a moment to be with your whole skeletal system and the structure of the body.
Your strong bones supporting you always even in the midst of anxiety and fear.
Supporting you so that you can find that inner peace.
So that you can thrive and build in your outer world.
Or simply enjoy being.
Let your attention,
When you're ready,
Flow to the neck,
The throat.
The throat chakra.
Allowing you to communicate honestly with yourself and others.
Allowing any density to clear away here.
And then bringing your attention up to your head.
The backside of your head.
The top of your head,
Your crown.
And your face.
Your jaw.
The muscles in your face.
Your lips,
Your eyes.
And finally your forehead.
Allowing the muscles to smooth in the forehead.
See if you can now feel your whole body all at once.
Letting go of the parts and now experiencing it as one unit.
Feel your presence.
Feel what it's like to feel centered.
Grounded.
Letting go of any judgments or ideals about what that should be like.
And simply experiencing it as it is.
When you're ready.
Allow yourself some soft,
Gentle movements and breaths.
Wiggling your fingers and toes.
Making your way back into this moment,
Into the room you're in.
When you're ready,
Have some water.
And this concludes our meditation for today.
Again,
I'm Ellie Bosmorova.
So grateful to be practicing with you.
And I'll see you again soon.
