Begin by finding a comfortable seated position.
Allow yourself to settle into this moment,
Bringing your awareness to your breath.
Simply notice the gentle sound of your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
There is no need to change anything,
Simply observing.
If it feels right,
Gently close your eyes.
If closing your eyes doesn't feel comfortable,
Allow your gaze to soften and rest on an object in your space.
Now let's begin by guiding your awareness to the soles of your feet.
Notice any sensations present in your toes.
Maybe there is a sense of warmth or coolness.
Whatever you feel,
Welcome it with openness.
There is no need to change or shift anything.
Simply acknowledge what is present for you right now.
Extend your awareness to your heels and ankles,
Taking a mindful pause to honour your feet.
Without moving or looking,
Ask yourself how do you know that your feet exist?
What sensations tell you that your feet are here in this moment?
As you continue this inward journey,
Bring your focus to your calves and the fronts of your lower legs.
Notice the tops and the backs of your knees.
Pause here,
Scanning the space between your knees and your ankles.
How do you know that your lower legs exist?
Perhaps you feel weight,
Pressure,
Lightness or dullness.
No sensation is right or wrong,
Just observing and accepting what is present for you.
Now shift your attention to the tops of your thighs,
The space between your thighs,
Your sit bones and your pelvis.
Take another mindful pause to scan the area between your pelvis and your knees.
What do you notice?
Do you feel any contact with the surfaces you are resting on?
Sense the weight or perhaps some subtle movement in your body.
Now slowly guide your awareness up to the base of your spine.
Notice your tailbone,
Your lower back,
Your belly and your belly button.
Moving upwards as you become aware of your ribs,
Your chest and your heart space.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your breath and take a moment to scan all the way between your throat,
All the way down to the base of your spine.
What sensations are alive in you in that space?
How do you know that these parts of your body exist?
Perhaps there is constriction,
Expansion,
Lightness or maybe a gentle pulsing.
Simply invite curiosity and awareness to whatever you discover.
Next bring your attention to your shoulders,
To your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Your lower arms and all the way to the palms of your hand.
Send your awareness even further to the tips of your fingers.
Take a moment here to notice your palms.
Without moving them,
How do you know that your hands exist?
Perhaps you can feel the surface they may be resting upon,
The points of contact against your skin or perhaps any change in temperature.
Notice any spaciousness,
Heat or maybe there's even some discomfort.
Welcome all the sensations with acceptance.
Now release the focus on your hands and move all the way up to the base of your neck.
Notice your jaw,
Your cheeks,
Your tongue,
Your eyes,
Your forehead and the tops of your head.
Take a pause here noticing any sensations between the top of your head all the way down to the base of your neck.
How do you know that your face exists?
Finally,
Draw your awareness to your whole body now.
From the top of your head all the way to the tips of your toes and fingers,
Acknowledging and feeling your entire being.
Without moving,
Ask yourself,
How does your body tell you that it exists?
Where are the sensations most alive in your body?
They may be pleasant or uncomfortable.
All experiences are welcomed here.
As we begin to journey back,
Return your awareness to your breath.
Take a deeper nourishing breath,
Allowing your lungs to stretch and expand.
Breathing in whatever way feels right for you,
Honoring your body's needs in this moment.
Noticing the sounds in your space,
Near or far,
The temperature on your skin and the contact against the surfaces you are resting against.
When you feel ready,
If your eyes are closed,
Gently open your eyes,
Slowly bringing your awareness back into your space,
Into this moment.
Thank you for this practice.
