Let's begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle into a comfortable position.
Sitting upright in a chair with your feet on the floor or lying down wherever you find it most comfortable,
You may close your eyes or keep them slightly open and allow your spine to lift.
The shoulders should soften.
Today we will practice a body scan.
Taking a full breath in and a long breath out.
Begin by bringing your attention into your body.
Notice the feeling of the weight of your body on the chair or the floor or wherever you are right now.
And as you breathe,
Notice how your chest and abdomen expand to allow the air to enter your lungs.
What sensations are you aware of?
And as you exhale,
Bring awareness to the stillness and notice the sense of relaxing more deeply.
Now bring your attention to the top of your head,
Noticing any sensations in the scalp.
Down the back of your head,
To the sides,
To the face.
Now notice your jaw.
Are you holding any tension in your jaw?
Let your face be soft.
Relax the muscles around your eyes and your mouth.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Now notice your neck and your throat.
Let them be soft.
Notice your shoulders and arms.
Feel any sensations as you allow your tension to move from your shoulders down to your upper arms,
The elbows,
To your forearms,
Wrists,
Hands and fingers.
Notice any tightness and any temperature sensations.
Noticing what the fabric of your clothing feels like against your skin.
Continuing to breathe in and to breathe out.
Now bring your attention to your chest and abdomen,
Feeling the movement in your chest as you breathe.
Bringing your attention to your stomach,
Notice if your stomach is tense or tight,
And just letting it soften.
Noticing now the upper back and the lower back.
If you're holding any tension there,
Also letting that release.
Now continue travelling down to your legs.
Your thighs,
Your knees,
Your calves and shins.
Your ankles.
And finally bringing your attention to your feet.
Noticing the sensations of your feet against the floor or ground or wherever you are.
Noticing any weight,
Any sense of temperature and feeling of energy perhaps present in your feet.
And as you continue breathing in and breathing out,
Now noticing the whole body.
From the top of your head all the way down to your toes.
Stay with a sense of the whole body for a few more breaths.
And as we draw to a close,
Continue remaining aware of your body as best you can.
As you finish with a full deep breath in and a long deep breath out.
And as you continue breathing in and out.
