Welcome to your body scan,
Where you'll reconnect with your highest self by bringing awareness to sensations in your body.
I'm your guide,
Heather Schenck.
Begin by finding yourself in a comfortable position.
It can be seated on a chair,
A cushion or bench on the floor,
Or laying down.
Let your eyes gently close and commit to being still for this practice.
Allow yourself to arrive in the present moment by filling your lungs with a few long,
Deep breaths,
Then allow your breath to be natural.
Allow your awareness to scan through your body,
Feeling the contact of your body with the surface that you're on.
Now begin to focus your attention on your head.
Notice any sensations present in the back of your head,
The top of your head,
And your ears.
If you don't notice anything,
That is okay.
Moving your attention to your face,
Soften your eyes,
Relax the brow line,
Unclench the jaw.
Let your tongue fall from the roof of your mouth.
Let your mouth rest in a gentle smile.
Feel into the physical sensations,
The aliveness inside your mouth,
Your lips,
Your cheeks,
Your eyes,
And your forehead.
See if you can feel from the inside out.
Notice the aliveness as it spreads down into your chest and allow your heart to open.
Allow space for anything to arise and pass through you.
If you notice thoughts or emotions arising,
Kindly acknowledge their presence,
Then gently return your attention to the physical sensations.
Draw your attention to your shoulders,
Allowing them to relax down,
Away from your ears,
Letting go of any tension that may be present.
See if you can feel your shoulders from the inside out.
Moving your awareness down through your arms,
Feel into any sensations that are present in the upper arms and the lower arms.
See if you can feel from the inside out.
Notice the tiny muscles in your hands.
If there is any tension,
Gently let it go and allow your hands to rest comfortably.
Sense into the aliveness of your hands.
You may notice gentle tingling sensations.
See if you can feel your hands from the inside out.
Scan back up through your arms,
Your shoulders,
Your chest,
And now rest your kind attention on your belly.
See if you can feel your belly from the inside out,
Releasing any tension or tightness that may be present.
Guide your attention into the pelvic region,
Feeling from the inside out,
Sensing the aliveness.
Moving your awareness on down through your legs,
Start at the thighs,
Feeling from the center on out.
Down to your knees,
Sensing the aliveness,
Then down through your lower leg.
Notice any points of pressure where your body meets the surface that you're on.
Feel your feet from the inside out.
Notice any sensations like tingling,
Vibrating.
Sense into the aliveness that's there.
Zoom out,
Gaining awareness of the whole body of sensation,
Of aliveness.
Relax with an open and receptive presence,
Allowing sensations to arise and pass through.
Notice again the breath and how the body gently and naturally moves with it.
When you notice the mind has drifted,
Gently bring it back to the sensations in the body.
When your thoughts have carried you away,
Re-scan through your body to anchor you back to this moment.
For the last few minutes,
Relax back into awareness of the body,
Sensing the aliveness.
We spend so much of our lives on default mode,
Where we are moving on autopilot,
Instead of listening to our bodies.
Our bodies contain a wealth of information,
And becoming more in tune with them,
Can open the door to less suffering and more joy.
The benefits of a body scan are most evident when we learn how to invite the practice into our daily lives.
How can you bring the practice of loving awareness of your body into your day?
