Before you begin,
Find a quiet and comfortable space.
Sit or lie down in a relaxed position.
Let's begin.
Start by bringing your attention to your breath,
Taking a few deep breaths,
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth,
Feeling the body expand with each inhale and feeling a sense of grounding and relaxation with each exhale,
Allowing your breath to find its natural rhythm.
Now bringing your attention to your body,
Noticing how your body feels and paying attention to the sensations in your body,
Feeling the feeling of your body in space,
Simply becoming aware of the sensations in your body.
You may feel areas of tightness or tension or you may feel areas of relaxation,
Expansion and space,
Whatever it is you are feeling,
Simply noting how your body feels without judgment or trying to change it.
Now slowly shifting your awareness to your head,
Noticing any sensations on the top of your head,
The back of your head,
Your forehead and the muscles around your eyes,
Noticing sensations around your nose,
Your mouth and your jaw,
Allowing any tension in your head to dissolve with each breath,
Perhaps relaxing the jaw,
The tongue,
Letting the tongue rest on the bottom of the mouth,
Shifting your attention to your neck and shoulders,
Feeling your head being supported by your neck,
Noticing any areas of tightness,
Tension or discomfort with each breath,
Letting go of any tension in your neck and shoulders,
Relaxing the shoulders down and back,
Continuing to move your awareness down to your chest and upper back,
Feeling the gentle rise and fall of your chest with each breath,
Noticing the expansion and contraction of your ribcage,
Allowing any tightness in this area to soften as you breathe.
Now shifting your focus to your arms and hands,
Feeling the sensation in your biceps,
Triceps and the palms of your hands,
Noticing any warmth or coolness,
Perhaps tingling or any other sensation,
Allowing yourself to simply take note of the experience without feeling the need to change or evaluate it,
Bringing your attention to your midsection,
Your belly and your lower back,
Feeling the support of the surface beneath you,
Noticing any sensations in your abdomen,
Perhaps feeling the belly expand with each inhale and relax with each exhale,
Bringing awareness to the sensations in the center of your body,
Moving your awareness to your hips and pelvis,
Feeling the connection between your body and the surface beneath you,
Noticing any sensations in this area of your body.
Now shifting your focus to your legs,
Feeling the weight of your thighs,
Knees and calves,
Noticing any sensations in your legs such as warmth or coolness,
Tightness or spaciousness,
Perhaps breathing into any areas of tension,
Letting them soften,
Finally bringing your attention to your feet,
Feeling the sensations of your feet,
Making contact with the floor or the surface beneath you,
Noticing the tops of your feet,
The bottoms of your feet and your toes,
Sensing if there are any areas that feel tense,
Tight,
Soft,
Warm or cold,
Simply taking note of any sensations you are experiencing in your feet.
Now taking a moment to observe your entire body as a whole,
Bringing your awareness to every part of your body at once,
Noticing the sensations of your breath in your entire body,
Simply noticing the sensations in your body without judging them or trying to change them.
If you find your mind getting distracted,
Simply notice where your mind has been and gently bring your attention back to your breath.
It is normal for your mind to wander.
The practice lies in noticing whenever your mind has left its intended place of focus,
Gently guiding it back to the sensations of your body.
Now slowly bringing your attention back,
Expanding your attention to the space you are sitting or lying in,
Taking note of any sounds around you,
The temperature of the room or space around you,
Taking one more clearing breath in and one more clearing breath out.
And now slowly,
When you're ready,
Opening your eyes.
An important aspect of this practice is non-judgmental awareness.
Allow yourself to notice your body sensations and let them be present without attaching labels such as good or bad or any stories to them.
Through regular practice,
You can develop a greater sense of your body and more ease in being with the body and its sensations.
