Body Scan Meditation to Release Anxiety.
Welcome.
My name is Eva and I'll be your guide.
Please find a comfortable position.
Think about your back being a little straighter than usual,
But not uncomfortable.
Relax your shoulders.
You can place your hands on your lap.
And whenever you feel ready,
Gently close your eyes.
Or you can have a soft gaze if you prefer.
Now let's start by taking a deep breath in and out through our nostrils.
And again,
Take a deep breath in,
Feeling your body,
Taking this deep breath.
And you can find your own rhythm of breathing in and out through your nose.
And just enjoy this experience,
Connecting with yourself.
We will begin the Body Scan Meditation by placing your attention,
Your focus,
On the very top of your head.
I invite you to notice what sensations are present here.
Perhaps a tickling sensation,
Or any pleasant sensation,
Or even an unpleasant sensation.
Just observe and notice.
Silently,
Say in your mind's eye,
Okay,
Pleasant sensations.
I feel you,
But you are impermanent.
I will not get attached,
And I will not crave the feeling of these sensations when they change.
Just notice them.
As Pema Chodron says,
Feel the feelings and drop the story.
Now move on to the forehead.
And notice what sensations are present under your forehead right now.
Are they pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral?
Just notice and observe them.
And move down to the eyes,
The eyelids and eyebrows.
What do you feel?
What are you aware of in this area of your body?
Just be with what is.
And then move down to the nose.
Perhaps you feel the sensations of the breath on your nostrils.
Just notice and experience them.
See what is here.
Think about this small part between your nose and your lips.
Perhaps you feel the air gently touching your upper lip.
And then the lips.
Notice how they touch one another.
What does this contact feel like?
Know that whether it's pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral,
It's impermanent.
Say to yourself,
I will not get attached.
I will not crave this feeling or sensation if it's pleasant.
I will not react if it's unpleasant.
I will just maintain a gentle noticing.
And move on to the chin.
What do you feel around your chin right now?
What about your ears?
What sensations are present here?
What about the back of your head,
Your scalp,
And your hair?
What sensations are you noticing here?
Drop the story.
Just notice,
Watch,
And observe.
And move to the neck,
The base of your neck.
How does swallowing feel?
Do you feel hair,
Fabric,
Or clothing here?
Place your full attention on all the sensations in and around your neck.
Then your shoulders.
Do you feel fabric from clothing?
Do you feel tightness or relaxation?
You can say,
Sensations,
I feel you,
But you're impermanent.
I will not get attached or react.
Just notice without judgment.
What are you experiencing in your shoulders right now?
And continue to your arms,
Noticing both of them.
What sensations are present here?
Are your hands facing down,
Touching your lap,
Or facing up?
Do you feel a tingling sensation in your fingers,
Or a sense of energy in your fingertips?
What is present here?
And move slowly from your fingers to your shoulders,
Noticing what is present.
Now move to your chest.
What is present here?
You might have a sense of your heart beating.
Just witness and experience without labeling or judging.
Move to your belly.
What is present in this area of your body?
Perhaps notice a feeling of digestion,
Fullness,
Or hunger.
Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant,
Say to yourself,
Okay,
Unpleasant or painful sensations,
I'm aware of you,
But I know this isn't permanent.
I will not react.
If it's neutral,
Continue to gently keep your attention here and see if you can notice any sensations at all.
Perhaps the expansion of the belly with the breath,
The rising and falling.
Feel the feelings and drop the story.
Just notice and observe.
Move to the pelvic area,
The seat bones.
What sensations are present here?
What's unobserved,
Sitting on a chair or on the floor?
Notice the pressure and what can be felt here.
Move to your thighs.
Witness what's present here.
And draw attention down to the knees,
The kneecap,
The sides,
The back of the knee.
Is there a tingling,
Warmth,
Or coolness?
Watch and observe.
And move to the lower legs.
Are they relaxed or tight or sore?
If you have any unpleasant sensations,
Notice them with the same detachment.
Say to yourself how interesting this is,
What an unpleasant sensation feels like.
And then say,
I will not react.
Carefully watch and notice the experience.
Move to the ankles.
What is present here?
What sensations are you experiencing around your ankles right now?
Move down to your feet,
Your toes.
What sensations are present here?
Witness them with a gentle notice.
And as sensations move and change,
Allow them to move and change.
And now,
Bring your awareness into your breathing,
Allowing your mind to be one with your breath.
Take a deep breath in.
And slowly exhale through your mouth.
And again,
Take a deep breath in.
And slowly exhale.
Take a moment to acknowledge that you've taken the time to do this.
Appreciate your body and the effort you've made to give it attention.
As Thich Nhat Hanh says,
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.
And you've just given your body a precious gift.
Say a big thank you to your mind's eye.
And whenever you feel ready,
You may gently open your eyes.
Namaste.
