Welcome to your 5-minute body scan for presence and grounding.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
You might practice this meditation while sitting or lying down.
Ensure that your body is fully supported to let go completely.
Once you're settled wherever you are,
Take a moment to become aware of the surface underneath you and how the earth is holding you up.
Notice how it feels and make any adjustments for your comfort.
Then you might focus your gaze softly on one thing or gently close your eyes if you feel safe doing so.
Bring your awareness now to your inner world,
Your mind,
And any thoughts or feelings you're carrying at this time.
You don't have to do anything with these thoughts or feelings.
You can simply observe them like clouds floating by and maybe internally say,
I see you,
I hear you,
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
And then allow those thoughts or feelings to drift away.
Now let your breath come into focus.
Feel how your natural breath is moving in and out without any control.
Notice the pace of your breath,
The temperature,
And maybe even the texture of your own breath without any judgment.
Simply take note of how the breath is supporting you naturally.
Then you might begin to slow your breath down.
Slowing down your inhales and exhales in your own way and in your own time.
Slowing down your breath slows down your mind,
Creates a sense of calm,
And soothes your nervous system.
Take three more slow,
Intentional rounds of breath.
Then release the count of your breath,
Continuing to breathe slowly.
Shift your awareness to the crown of your head now,
The very top of your head.
Just noticing the crown of your head.
Then notice your forehead.
Notice your eyebrows,
Your eyes,
Your nose,
Your cheeks,
And your mouth.
Notice your jaw and the way it unclenches.
Notice your throat.
Notice your shoulders and the way they relax down.
Notice your arms,
Your hands,
And your fingers.
Notice your upper back,
Your mid-back,
And your low back.
Notice your chest and your heart space at the center of your chest.
Notice your belly,
Your hips,
And your glutes.
Notice your thighs,
The back of your thighs,
Your knees,
Your shins,
And your calves.
Notice your ankles,
Your feet,
Your toes,
And the bottom of your feet.
Notice your breath again.
As you breathe in,
Notice the breath move in and up to the crown of your head.
As you breathe out,
Notice your breath move down to the soles of your feet.
Notice your breath move through your entire body from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet.
Notice how grounding that is.
Welcome to your present moment.
This is your place of refuge,
And it's always available to you.
You can always come back to this place at any time,
Anywhere.
When you're ready,
Notice the earth underneath you again.
Slowly open your eyes and focus on one thing.
Then become aware of your surroundings again.
Coming back into your space,
Feel free to gently wiggle or stretch.
If you're lying down,
Gently hug your knees in and roll onto one side of your body.
You can rest there for some time and sit back up when you're ready.
As you come back,
Drink some water or tea,
And express a sense of gratitude for this time and space to ground.
With gratitude in my heart,
I thank you for taking this time for yourself and for practicing with me.
Take care.
