Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Gently closing your eyes and taking a deep breath in.
Slowly filling your lungs completely,
And as you exhale,
Releasing any tension,
Any anxiety or stress that you may be holding on to.
Let's begin by bringing awareness to your body as a whole.
Feeling the weight of your body sinking into the surface beneath you,
Whether you are sitting or lying down now.
Invite yourself to feel grounded and supported,
As if the earth has been waiting to hold you all day long.
Taking a moment to notice how your body feels in this space.
Noticing any areas that feel tense,
Tight or uncomfortable.
And just observe these sensations without judgment or the urgency to change them.
Now we will begin a slow,
Gentle body scan,
Moving our awareness from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
And as we move through each part of the body,
You will bring your attention fully to that area,
Inviting your breath to guide you,
Inhaling peace and exhaling tension.
Start by bringing your attention to your feet.
Feel the surface beneath your feet,
Supporting them.
Noticing any sensations in your toes,
Perhaps they feel warm,
Cool,
Tight or relaxed.
And whenever you notice,
Simply be present with it.
And if you feel any tension in your toes,
Imagine your breath moving down into that space as you inhale.
And as you exhale,
Release any tightness,
Letting it melt away here.
And now gently shift your focus to the very soles of your feet.
Feel the contact of your feet with the ground or the surface beneath you.
Notice any sensations of pressure or discomfort.
And with every breath,
Imagine that tension slowly dissolving,
Replaced by warmth,
Comfort and relaxation.
Letting your breath carry away any tension in your feet.
And gently moving your attention now to the top of your feet and your ankles.
Feel the gentle movement of your breath entering your feet as you inhale.
And as you exhale,
Release any tightness or strain you might feel in this area.
And as you exhale,
Release any tension in your feet.
Bringing your attention up your legs,
Moving into your calves,
Feeling any sensation in your calves.
Are they tight or relaxed?
And as you exhale,
Release any tension in your feet.
Just notice the muscles in your calves and breathe into them,
Inviting them to soften and loosen with every breath out.
Moving your awareness to your knees now.
And if there is any tension,
Imagine that your breath is flowing into your knees,
Bringing relief and calm.
And as you breathe out,
Feel that tension dissolve away.
Traveling your awareness up into your thighs now.
Noticing if they feel heavy or light,
Tight or soft.
And if you notice any discomfort,
Send a gentle,
Loving breath into your thighs,
Letting the warmth of your breath relax the muscles there.
Traveling your attention up into your hips now.
And as you exhale,
Release any tension in your hips.
Or is there a sense of ease in this area?
And as you exhale,
Release any tension in your hips,
As you feel your hips soften and relax.
Now,
Feeling into the space of your lower back and the surface beneath you.
Are there any areas of discomfort or sensations of tightness or aching here?
And as you let your next inhale,
Travel into the lower back,
Allowing the breath to soften and release all the muscles that live there.
And with every exhale,
Feel the lower body relaxing more deeply.
And shifting your attention to your upper back.
Noticing your shoulder blades and the muscles surrounding them.
Notice if you're holding any stress or tightness in this area.
And with each inhale,
Let your breath reach into these areas.
And as you exhale,
Let go of any tension and feel the muscles relax and release,
Letting go.
And gently moving your attention to your arms.
Down to your elbows.
Down to your forearms and your wrists.
Feeling any sensations along these energy centers.
And sending a gentle breath down the length of your arms now.
And allowing your exhale to dissolve any tightness or discomfort.
Allowing your attention to travel up to your neck now.
Notice how your neck feels.
Is it stiff or relaxed?
And with each exhale,
Feel the tension flowing out of your neck.
And moving your awareness to your face now.
Relaxing your eyes and your forehead.
Your cheeks and your nose.
And notice if you are holding any tension in your face.
And with every inhale,
Bring warmth and relaxation to your facial muscles.
And with every exhale,
Releasing any tightness in your face.
Letting the muscles soften and relax.
And now take a moment to scan your entire body as a whole.
Noticing how your body feels now compared to when we began this practice.
You might notice some areas that you're still holding some tension.
And with your breath,
You can gently soften those areas.
Breathing in to any lingering tightness.
And as you exhale,
Let it go.
Allow yourself to rest in this space of deep relaxation.
And feel the peace and stillness throughout your entire body.
Know that you are supported and safe.
And you can return to this peaceful awareness of your body anytime that you wish.
Take a few more deep breaths,
Feeling the full relaxation of your body.
And in your time,
Gently begin to bring awareness back into the present moment.
Wiggling your fingers and your toes.
And as you take a nice deep breath in,
Slowly opening your eyes,
Carrying with you the calm and ease from this body scan.
