Settle into a comfortable position,
Lying down or sitting anywhere your body can feel held.
Let your eyes close if that feels safe or just lower your gaze and take a slow breath in through your nose and let it out gently through your mouth.
No need to control anything,
Just arrive.
For this body scan,
Imagine your body as a landscape seen from above,
Like a peaceful map drawn just for you.
There are no labels,
No judgments,
Only shapes,
Textures and movement.
You're not fixing this landscape,
You're simply exploring it with curiosity.
I'd like you to begin at the crown of your head,
Picture a soft sky resting there.
Notice its colour,
Maybe it's pale blue or warm with early light,
Whatever appears is fine.
And every time you breathe out,
Imagine the sky clearing just enough to feel spacious.
And with that clearing,
Let your forehead smooth as if a gentle breeze passes through.
Your eyes rest,
Unbothered and just relaxing with this moment.
Now let your awareness drift down to your jaw,
Unclench it,
Let it soften,
As well as your cheeks.
And just imagine this area as a warm clay placed in the sun,
Softening without effort.
Your tongue rests easy with nothing you need to say and nothing you need to hold back.
Move your attention to your neck and shoulders,
Visualise them as a crossroads where many roads meet.
Perhaps they've been busy,
Noisy.
This time with each exhale,
Imagine traffic lights turning red,
Everything pauses,
The shoulders slope downward,
Releasing what they've been carrying that isn't theirs to hold.
Next you travel into your arms.
And you move that focus down to your elbows,
Into your forearms,
Your hands,
All the way into your fingers.
See them as long rivers flowing away from the centre of your body.
And if there's tension,
Imagine a small dam opening,
Allowing the water to move freely again.
And as you feel that water moving freely,
It releases the grip in your hands and you let them rest open,
Like they're willing to receive rest.
Next you bring your attention to your chest and heart.
Picture this area as a glowing lantern.
The light inside may be bright,
Dim or flickering,
Whatever resonates with you in this moment.
You're not here to adjust it,
Only to notice that it's still lit.
And as you breathe,
Feel the gentle rise and fall,
Like the lantern swaying slightly but staying steady.
Now let this awareness sink into your belly.
Imagine a warm pool of water here.
If there's tightness,
Just let it be warm slowly and patiently.
There's no rushing in this area.
The belly softens as it remembers it's safe to expand and fall.
Next you move down into your hips and pelvis.
See this area as the foundation of a house,
Solid,
Wide and supportive.
And feel how it holds you up without asking for recognition.
Allow any tension or gripping here to loosen just a little.
Finally,
Let's scan down through our thighs,
Knees,
Calves,
Ankles into our feet.
Picture your legs as roots growing into the earth beneath you.
The ground is calm and dependable and your weight is shared with it.
Your feet don't need to go anywhere.
And finally,
Take one full breath,
Sensing your whole body as a single connected landscape.
It's alive,
Imperfect and complete.
Rest here for a few moments.
And when you're ready,
Gently return,
Carrying this sense of familiarity and ease with you.
Thank you.
