Hello and welcome to this mindfulness meditation with me Heather Talbot.
Today we're going to do the version of the body scan that I like to do.
It's a scan from head to foot and I like to include what I call the smile down,
Which I think was originally created by the famous Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh.
First of all I want to invite you to really find a position that feels alert but relaxed.
So sitting with your hips square in the chair or cross-legged on the floor,
I'm in a sense of uplift through the spine.
I'm just kind of ensuring that the head is also directly above the shoulders and not kind of hanging down,
Putting strain on the neck.
You might let your eyes gently close or just kind of settle on a spot in front of you.
Maybe bringing a bit more attention to the breath.
Noticing the experience of breathing.
And we're going to start with the very top of the head.
This is best you can,
Noticing any sensations you might be experiencing there at the top of your head.
Dropping your awareness down through the top of your head to the space behind your eyes.
You might imagine a smile in that space or just sensing the spaciousness there.
And then bringing your awareness to your forehead and your brow.
Again noticing tightness or tension.
And seeing if you can just allow some of that tension to release so the brow is smooth.
Dropping your attention down to the eyes and all the tiny little muscles around the eyes.
Seeing if you can let the eyes be soft.
Almost smiling.
As if you're smiling behind or through your eyes.
And then dropping your attention down to the nose.
Maybe becoming aware of the cool air as you breathe in through your nose.
And the warm air on your upper lip as you exhale.
And dropping your awareness down to the mouth.
And the tongue inside the mouth.
And your jaw.
Seeing if you can let the tongue rest.
And the jaw be relaxed.
And again you might imagine a very subtle smile at the corners of your mouth.
So smooth brow.
Soft eyes.
Relaxed jaw.
Maybe becoming aware of the whole head.
Any sensations that you might be experiencing.
And just allowing if you can now and throughout this meditation.
Any tension or tightness you might be carrying to just melt away.
So you're not trying to force anything.
But letting that be the invitation.
And dropping your attention down to the neck.
Again just noticing any sensations you might be experiencing inside the neck.
And on the outside of the neck.
And you might experiment with sending a smile there.
Or seeing how it feels to send a smile to that space.
Smooth brow.
Soft eyes.
Relaxed jaw.
Feeling that subtle smile in the corners of your mouth.
And dropping your awareness down to the shoulders.
Seeing if you can let the shoulders relax back and down.
And you might experiment with sending the breath to the shoulders.
And letting some of that tightness go with your out breath.
And you let your shoulders relax back and down.
Bringing your awareness to your chest.
And the collarbone.
Seeing if you can sense a spaciousness in the chest.
Maybe aware of the breath.
And you might experiment with sending a smile here.
As if you were smiling directly from the heart.
And just noticing what happens when you do that.
And dropping your awareness down to your solar plexus.
That part of your body just above your belly button.
And noticing how it is to bring your awareness here.
And seeing what it feels like to send a smile here.
And dropping your awareness down to the belly.
Maybe feeling the breath in the belly.
And the spaciousness inside the belly.
And experimenting with sending a smile to the belly.
And just noticing how it feels to be here.
And just noticing how it feels to be here.
Shoulders relaxed back and down.
Smile from the heart.
Feeling the breath in the belly.
And dropping your awareness to the whole pelvic region.
Maybe really feeling where your body has contact with the chair or the floor.
Allowing yourself to feel supported here.
In your chair or by the earth.
We're all supported by the earth.
And my experiment with sending a smile here.
And dropping your awareness down from the pelvis.
Down the legs,
The thighs.
Through the knees.
And lower legs.
Ankles.
Tops of the feet.
And the bottoms of the feet.
Noticing if they are where your feet are making contact with the floor.
And then using your awareness,
Scanning down the arms.
From the shoulders.
Down the upper arms.
Elbows.
Forearms.
Wrists.
Top of your hands.
The palms of your hands.
Maybe really noticing the aliveness in your hands.
Maybe you can feel a heat or a pulsing.
Or a tingling.
And opening your awareness to your whole body.
To this changing flow of experience.
No two moments the same.
And then using your awareness to your whole body.
And then I want to invite you to take a couple of much deeper breaths.
Maybe bringing your awareness to the space around you.
Maybe becoming more aware of sounds in the room.
Feel welcome to stretch and maybe gently open your eyes.
This is going to mark the end of this meditation.
I hope it was helpful.
Thank you.
