Hi there.
My name is Hilary LaFawn and today I'd like to guide you through a body scan to help relax your body and your mind when you're dealing with anxiety.
This quick body scan will help you tune in to what's going on in the here and the now and help with the chatter of what's happening in the future or the past.
So wherever you find yourself today,
Allow yourself to get as comfortable as you can,
Whether that's sitting,
Lying,
Standing,
Pacing,
Walking,
Eyes closed,
Eyes open.
Through my struggles with anxiety,
I know that there's no one fit that helps during these times.
So having your heart be open,
Feeling what's right for you in the moment,
Honoring your spirit and what your body's trying to tell you.
Although anxiety can be quite debilitating,
Sometimes it helps for me to think of it as a message.
And when I'm clear headed and I'm not lost in my thoughts,
I can notice that it is a message,
Something that can help me in the future and help me get through this moment.
Realizing that anxiety is not something to avoid,
It's just a normal part of our human existence,
Helps me settle in and realize there's nothing wrong with me.
This is normal and it's part of being a human.
So hopefully just this last minute or two,
Just the sound of my voice,
Has helped you stay in the present moment.
And let's go a little bit further.
Taking a moment to connect with your breath,
Remembering to take full,
Deep belly breaths as opposed to the shallow chest breathing,
Remembering that using all of our muscles in our chest,
Stomach,
Around the spine helps activate our nervous system for relaxation.
So wherever you are,
Exhale all your breath out and inhale deeply through your nose,
Sipping the air in,
Feeling it go down,
Feeling your body rise up,
Feeling alert.
And then as you exhale,
Allow your body to soften and maybe one fiber relaxes,
Maybe one cell expands.
Breathing again through the nose,
Chest rise,
Stomach expand,
Sipping in the air,
Maybe more than you think you can.
And then as you exhale,
Letting it all relax,
Soften.
One more time together,
Inhale through your nose and exhale through your nose or your mouth,
Sighing it out,
Letting some of that energy go,
Some of that nervousness,
The heat,
Whatever it is,
Letting it go.
Feeling your feet flat on the floor,
Feeling wherever your seat meets the chair or the floor or the bed,
Feeling your spine alert and upright,
Head right over your shoulders,
And just noticing what sensations your body is telling you.
Starting with the top of the head,
Noticing any sensations you feel,
Tingling,
The air blowing the hair or the skin.
As you inhale and exhale,
Allow this area to soften,
Expand,
Noticing any sensation,
Whether it's coolness,
Heat,
Tingling,
Vibration.
Noticing if there's any tension behind the eyes or in the back of the head.
And with this next inhale,
Maybe visualizing a warm wave of relaxation and comfort washing over you.
Exhaling,
Allowing it to wash down your body.
The front of the face,
The back of the head,
Smoothing out any creases or tension.
Your next inhale and exhale,
Noticing any sensation around the bridge of the nose or the eyes or the cheekbones.
Noticing this area getting softer.
Start visualizing one cell at a time,
Just reacting in response to the breath,
Allowing some space where there feels like no space could happen.
Bringing some awareness to the mouth.
Are you grinding your teeth,
Clenching your jaw?
If your mind is wandering off,
Use the breath as an anchor.
Stay present.
Following the inhale of the nose,
The air through the nose,
And the exhale as it exits your body,
Releasing tension and anxiety.
Maybe even visualize a color as you inhale and a different color as you exhale.
Inhaling,
Breathing in a light,
Beautiful color that resonates with you.
Thinking peace and joy.
Then as you exhale,
Maybe deepen the color or have a different cue,
Allowing the negative energy,
The anxiety,
The anxious thoughts,
The waste products,
Everything to just exit your body.
That which does not serve you,
Let it go through the breath.
Feeling normally and naturally for yourself,
Trying to remember to take deep belly breaths,
Slowly riding the wave of the breath in and out.
This time bringing your awareness to the back of the head,
The neck,
Noticing any tension or fear,
Any sensation,
Dull pain,
Anxiety.
Remembering that the goal of mindfulness and meditation is to pay attention on purpose to the present moment in a particular way,
Without judgment.
So although anxiety is an unfavorable part of the human existence,
Sometimes learning how to sit with it and be with it can help lessen the suffering.
So without trying to push your anxiety away,
Maybe just being an observer and noticing how it talks to you in your body,
How it presents itself.
Just breathe and settle.
And allowing it to send messages,
Physical messages.
Having gratitude during anxiety is very difficult,
But maybe think it.
Be curious about it.
Think of your anxiety in a way you've never thought of before.
And are you trying to teach me?
What can I learn from this experience?
If your mind has wandered,
Come back to the breath,
Recommit,
Inhaling and exhaling,
Allowing your shoulders to roll back and down.
Feel free to have movement during your time.
Although we think of mindfulness as always being sitting upright,
Not moving.
This is your time.
This is your practice.
If you need to move,
If you need to situate,
Honor yourself.
Take a deep breath in.
Inhale completely.
Feeling your body relax and soften.
Noticing any sensation in your throat or your chest.
A lot of us can feel tight in this area.
Feel like the weight of the world is sitting on us.
Push past that.
Expand your chest.
Expand your stomach.
Allow new breath in,
New energy,
New ideas.
And exhale any resistance.
Coming back around to the shoulders.
Feel this next inhale wash over your head,
Your shoulders.
And as you exhale,
Allow it to go down your arms,
Down your back.
Like a warm Caribbean wave.
Or as if you're in a shower,
Feeling the most perfect temperature wash over your back.
Every breath relaxing a little bit more.
Inhaling and exhaling,
Coming around to the front of the body,
Allowing your stomach to be soft.
Your tummy to just hang.
Allowing space in between your spinal discs.
Feeling a shift from when you started just a few moments ago to now.
Relaxing your legs to be heavy.
Rooted solid.
Relaxing any muscles in the right and the left leg.
Feeling your toes belong.
Noticing if you're clenching your feet.
Any tension in the feet,
Just allow it to expand.
Noticing any sensation in your hands.
Are your hands palm up,
Face down?
Hot,
Cold?
I encourage you to bring a sense of curiosity,
Especially during times of anxiety.
When our thought process is laser focused on one thing or many things,
Expand that focus.
See the bigger picture.
What is my anxiety trying to tell me?
Maybe it's to rest more,
To let something go,
To ask for help.
What can you learn from your anxiety?
Understanding your body as a whole.
One energetic being.
With this next inhale,
Allow yourself to soften just 1% more.
Pick one area that might be calling to you and energetically let it go.
Soften,
Expand.
Set an intention for your time ahead as we wrap up.
As we finish up our practice together.
Set an intention that can help guide you through the rest of your day.
What has your anxiety,
Your tension,
Your feelings of being stuck?
What does it have to teach you?
What is today's lesson?
Remembering anxiety will not last forever.
Although it feels like forever and it drags on.
Five minutes,
Fifteen minutes can feel like a lifetime.
Understanding this is one emotion,
One feeling.
What can you learn from it?
Ending our time together,
Let's take three breaths.
Inhaling as deeply as you can.
Expanding.
Exhaling,
Letting it all go.
And if you can,
Give a thankful,
Give a thank you,
Some gratitude for the anxiety.
Two more times,
Inhale.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Last time,
Inhale.
And exhale,
Let it go.
Bringing that intention back to mind.
Opening your eyes if they've been closed.
Taking a moment to look around you,
Orient yourself in time and space.
Thank yourself for giving yourself ten to fifteen minutes of rest and relaxation during a difficult time.
Thank you so much.
I look forward to our time together in the future.
Thank you,
Bye bye.
