Welcome to this 20-minute guided body scan.
Find a comfortable position either seated with your back supported or you could lie down.
You might want to put a pillow under your knees and if you're lying down try having your arms by your sides palms up with your arms about 30 to 45 degrees from your body to help your shoulders relax.
You might want to have a pillow under your head.
Make sure that your forehead is higher than your chin.
Just start to get comfortable and then start to tune in to your breath.
Breathing in and out of your nose.
You can close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Starting to notice all the places where your body is supported by the floor or whatever surface that you're sitting or lying down on.
Each time you exhale letting go a little bit more.
Letting gravity take over.
Allowing your body to be supported by the surface underneath you.
And as we go through this body scan each time your mind wanders just notice that your mind has wandered and gently and kindly return your attention to whatever body part I'm directing you towards.
Start to notice the big toe of your left foot.
You might notice temperature,
Pulsations,
A heaviness or you might notice nothing at all and that's completely fine.
I'm moving your attention to the second toe of your left foot.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
Noticing the sole of your left foot.
Top of the foot.
The entire left foot and toes.
Maybe noticing it feels heavier on your next out breath.
Moving up to the left ankle.
Lower leg.
Knee.
Upper leg.
Left hip.
And then broadening your attention to the entire left leg and foot.
Directing your in-breath to your leg and foot.
And feeling it get heavier as you breathe out.
I'm moving to the right hip.
Right upper leg.
Knee.
Lower leg.
Right ankle.
Top of the right foot.
Sole of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe.
Fourth toe.
Fifth toe.
And then noticing your entire right foot and leg.
Directing your in-breath to your right leg and foot.
And sensing a heaviness on the out breath.
And then moving your attention to your pelvis.
Noticing the weight of your pelvic bowl and the organs inside.
Lower abdomen.
Noticing the rise and fall of your lower abdomen with your breath.
Upper abdomen.
Low back.
Noticing where your low back makes contact with the surface beneath you or behind you.
Middle back.
Upper back.
Left shoulder blade.
Right shoulder blade.
And noticing the entire back.
And if you have any areas of tension in your back,
Directing your in-breath to those areas of tension.
And then seeing if you can soften on the out breath.
And remembering that each time your mind wanders,
Just noticing that your mind has wandered.
And kindly bringing your attention back to the body scan.
Moving your attention to the right side of your chest.
Maybe noticing an expansion and rise of the right side of the chest with your in-breath.
And a contraction and falling of the right side of the chest as you breathe out.
Left side of the chest.
The rise and expansion with the in-breath.
Falling and contracting with the out breath.
Noticing if you can sense your heartbeat.
And then moving to the left shoulder.
Left upper arm.
Elbow.
Lower arm.
Wrist.
Palm of the left hand.
Back of the hand.
Thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
And broadening your attention to the entire left arm and hand.
Maybe noticing it feel a little bit heavier on your next out breath.
And shifting your attention to your right shoulder.
Upper arm.
Elbow.
Lower arm.
Right wrist.
Palm of the right hand.
Back of the hand.
Right thumb.
Second finger.
Third finger.
Fourth finger.
Fifth finger.
The entire right arm and hand.
Sensing the weight of your right arm and hand on the next exhale.
Moving attention to your neck.
The back of your neck.
Throat.
Chin.
Jaw.
The inside of your mouth.
Tongue.
Teeth.
Gums.
Notice your lower lip and upper lip.
And the sensation of your lips touching.
Bringing your attention to your nose.
Noticing the cooler air in your nostrils as you breathe in.
And the warmer air as you breathe out.
Left cheek.
Right cheek.
Right eye.
You might feel your right eye heavy in the eye socket.
Right eyelids.
Right eyebrow.
Left eye.
Sensing it heavy in your eye socket.
Left eyelids.
Eyebrow.
Forehead.
Noticing if you can soften in the area between your eyebrows.
Relaxing all the muscles of your face.
Your jaw.
And moving your attention to the back of your head.
Left ear.
Right ear.
Top of the head.
And then sensing the entire head.
The weight of the head supported by the surface beneath you.
And on your next in breath,
You're going to bring your attention to the left side of your body.
As you breathe in,
Scanning from the tips of your left toes,
All the way up the left side of your body to the top of your head.
And then as you breathe out,
Shifting to the right side of your body.
And scanning from the top right side of your head,
All the way down to the tips of your right toes.
And on the next in breath,
Breathing in the right side toes to the top of the head.
And breathing out left side top of the head all the way down the left side of the body to the left toes.
And then doing that two more times on your own.
Breathing in starting on the left side,
Toes to the top of the head.
And out,
Right side,
Top to bottom.
And then back in right side,
Toes to head.
And out,
Left side,
Head to toes.
Continuing with that alternate side of the body breathing on your own.
Next time you breathe out the left side of the body,
You can release your attention from the alternate side.
Breathing.
Start to notice your entire body.
Your entire body feeling heavy and relaxed,
Supported by the surface underneath you.
And noticing if there are any areas of tension.
You can direct your in breath to those areas.
And try to soften on the next exhale.
I invite you to take your right hand and put it over your heart.
And then put your left hand over your right hand.
Noticing the weight of your hands against your chest.
The subtle rise and fall with your breath.
Sending gratitude to yourself for taking the time to do this body scan today.
Sending gratitude to your body for all the things that it's able to do.
Taking three final deep breaths in and out of your nose.
And then you can start to bring some motion back to your fingers and toes.
You might circle your wrists and ankles.
And if you're lying on your back,
Roll over to either side,
Taking a couple of breaths before you push yourself up to a sitting position.
You can slowly blink your eyes open,
Coming back to your surroundings.
Bringing your awareness to the present moment.
Thank you so much for practicing this body scan with me today.
Namaste
