Guided Body Scan
by Gil Fronsdal
Enjoy this gentle guided body scan, which will leave you feeling relaxed and tuned into the sensations of the present moment. the Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California and the Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, California. Please note: This track was recorded live and may contain background noises.
Transcript
So let's start the sitting and make yourself alert with your posture.
I would like to suggest that in the heat that it might be more comfortable if you're actually more alert in your posture.
Sit up straighter.
Take your place here in a dignified way.
And then gently close your eyes.
Can everyone hear okay?
Anybody not hear?
Is it working okay?
So,
And close your eyes.
And then take a few long,
Slow,
Deep breaths as a way of using the in-breath to connect to your body from the inside.
To feel it,
Be with it.
And then as you exhale,
To relax your body.
Relax your belly.
Let your belly hang forward.
Feel your body.
Become familiar with your body as if it's for the first time,
From the inside.
What is this body like?
How do you experience it?
How does the body experience itself?
And see if you can notice how the rhythm of breathing impacts the body.
What it does to your body that you breathe in,
You breathe out.
How this chest and the stomach move and expand and contracts.
The sensations of breathing.
And for this time,
See if you can let go of whatever thoughts and concerns you have.
Put them aside.
Maybe imagine that you're shelving them for the next half an hour.
They're not really needed now.
And then you can relax your body in favor of feeling and sensing your body.
And then I'm going to guide your attention through your body for a few minutes.
And as I direct your attention in the most matter of fact way possible,
Feel the sensations of that part of your body,
The process of discovery.
There's no need to judge or to evaluate or make a story out of the sensations you experience.
Just as simple sensations as they are.
So first bring your attention to the top of your head,
Area of your scalp.
And perhaps you feel very little there or nothing at all,
Or maybe vibration or pressure,
Tingling.
Even if you feel nothing,
It's fine.
Just let you hold your attention to that part of your body.
And then slowly let your attention glide,
Slide,
Flow,
Down from the top of your head into your face.
Feeling the muscles in your body and feeling the sensations of that part of your body.
And then slowly let your attention glide,
Slide,
Flow,
Down from the top of your head into your face.
Feeling the muscles of the face,
The skin of your face,
The eyes,
Nose,
Cheeks,
The jaws,
Mouth.
And just feel what it's like from the inside.
Feel your ears,
Sides of your head.
And let that attention slide,
Flow into your neck.
Then down into your shoulders.
Gentle attention,
Presence,
Process of discovery.
And then down your arms,
Elbows and wrists and hands.
Take in the experience of arms and hands.
Bring your attention into your torso,
The chest,
Rib cage,
Back rib cage,
The spine.
And let your attention feel the variety of sensations in the torso.
Feeling it from the inside,
Seeing if you can have equanimity,
A balance of mind to just feel the sensations very simply,
Whether they're pleasant or unpleasant.
Down into your belly,
Lower abdomen,
Your belly,
Lower abdomen,
Your hips,
Pelvis area.
And then let your attention flow into your legs and feel the legs,
Knees,
Ankles,
The feet.
And then,
Feel your whole body,
The best that you can.
Take two or three gently,
Gentle,
Deeper breaths.
And as you do that,
Feel as much of your body as you can,
Almost as if the breath is cycling through your whole body.
And then,
Feel your whole body,
The best that you can.
Take two or three gently,
Gentle,
Deeper breaths.
And as you do that,
Feel as much of your body as you can,
Almost as if the breath is cycling through your whole body,
The in-breath and out-breath.
And then let your breath return to normal.
And letting your breath be as comfortable,
Relaxed as possible.
Feel your breathing,
Be with your breath.
But as a part of your body,
Feeling the breath body,
As the breath goes in and out,
The body expands and contracts.
Be content to let go of any thoughts and concerns you might have in favor of being with the breath body,
The body as it breathes.
Being with the breath body,
The body as it breathes.
Be content to let go of any thoughts and concerns you might have in favor of being with the breath body,
The breath body.
When you are with the breath body,
Be content to let go of any thoughts and concerns you might have in favor of being with the breath body,
The body as it breathes.
Feeling comfortable when your breath is relaxed,
Relaxed when it breathes,
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4.5 (1 562)
Recent Reviews
Fred
February 9, 2024
I loved the practice of scanning like it was the first time I inhabited this body! Loved!
Graham
July 12, 2022
Excellent guided meditation from Gil. Thank you so much 🙏
.
July 6, 2022
Gil's guidance is wonderful. Calm, collected & consice, allowing space for our own work within the meditation. One of my favourite teachers over the past decade 🧡
Warwick
April 4, 2022
Some background noise otherwise it is a perfect place to be
Barbara
June 6, 2020
💫 A Good Balance of Breathing and Body Scan with Silence 🌟 Very Good Anytime Meditation😌
Michael
May 10, 2020
Gentle guidance with a nice balance of talk and silence. Very well done!
Brian
September 3, 2019
Gil has been a favorite for years, Always insightful and a phenomenal teacher. 🙏
Virat
August 16, 2019
A fantastic body scan session albeit with a bit of background static which helped in its own way. Looking forward to more sessions. Thank you Gil for a great experience 🙏
Peter
April 25, 2019
I’ve been working with this practice for several weeks. It’s helped me extend my sits beyond 10-15 mins. I like the reminders to “let go of your thoughts and concerns” during the periods of silence. To be in the “breath body” is welcome change from mind thoughts and thinking.
Julie
January 5, 2019
Maybe a little too long for me. I drifted off during some of the long periods of silence🙏.
kabir
August 31, 2018
Thank you so much for this!!
Bobb
August 13, 2018
Awesome experience. More connecting than scanning the body & I loved that... just being & feeling, but not really reviewing, the whole body. Nice connection & relaxed response.
Silvia
July 24, 2018
I find Gil's choice of words and timing very helpful to stay present. His wisdom comes through. Would to have moré rom Gil.
Eleanor
May 25, 2018
Just the ticket! Thank you. 🙏
Jules
May 1, 2018
Marvelous and beyond any simple body scan instead deep into the breath-body.
Diane
April 14, 2018
Longer meditation for me. It went just as quickly as the 15-20 minutes I had been doing. Thank you for this. 💕
Alejandro
February 10, 2018
I appreciate Gil's meditations. He doesn't lead from a perfect environment, which allows one to learn how to be still in those environments that aren't perfect... Thanks Gil!
M
February 5, 2018
Wonderful! Thank you.