Hello and welcome to Meditation Time.
My name is James Whitaker.
God created the heavens and the earth and everything contained with Him,
Including you.
In Psalm 143 5 it says,
I remember the days of old,
I meditate on all that you have done,
I ponder the work of your hands.
You are a work of His hands.
Today we will be doing what I like to call a grateful body scan meditation.
We are doing a body scan similar to any you have tried before,
Except we will be thanking God and focusing on the fact He created us as we do it.
This is a way of showing our gratitude for Him creating us by taking care of His creation.
You can do this meditation sitting or lying down.
Place your hands on each side of you,
Palms facing up.
Close your eyes gently.
Let's start off with prayer.
Dear God,
Thank you so much for creating us.
Please bless us as we do a body scan today.
Help us to focus on and be thankful for the amazing gift of life you gave us.
Let us settle into a peaceful time of meditation.
Calm our hearts,
Calm our spirits,
Calm our bodies and calm our breath.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Let's do some breathing.
In through your nose,
Long and deep.
Out through your mouth,
Long and slow.
In through your nose,
Long and deep.
Out through your mouth,
Long and slow.
In through your nose,
Long and deep.
Out through your mouth,
Long and slow.
In through your nose,
Long and deep.
Out through your mouth.
Long and slow.
Let your breathing return to its normal rhythm.
Feel the sensations where your body touches the floor or surface under you.
Feel your body getting heavy.
Focus on feelings of thankfulness as we proceed.
Starting by focusing on your head.
Feel your forehead and the area around your eyes.
This is an area lots of us hold tension.
There's no wrong or right thing to feel.
Just notice and gently name any sensations silently like warmth,
Tingling or pressure.
Ask for peace here.
Let your attention move to the top of your head.
And down the sides and the back of your head.
And feel your neck and the muscles along the back and the sides.
And even sense inside your neck and throat.
Thank you God.
Now we feel your shoulders.
The large heavy muscles of your shoulders and shoulder blades.
If you notice any tension or discomfort here,
It's not anything you need to change.
Just be aware of it.
If you like,
You can breathe into any area that feels some discomfort.
This just means that you imagine your breath is moving in and out of that part.
Instead of your nose.
Ask for your pain and stress to be soothed.
Let your attention move slowly down your arms.
Sensing your upper arms.
Then elbows.
And then your lower arm.
Sense the muscles and bones here.
Feel the bones of your wrist.
And the softness of your palms.
We use our hands all day long.
They are an amazing creation.
Feel all the sensation in your palms.
Then your fingers.
And then the tips of your fingers.
Now move your attention to your chest.
Around your heart.
What do you notice here?
Breathe and feel it.
It may be different in the next moment.
You're just turning in right now to your body.
To these precise physical sensations.
And remember,
Be patient.
Your body moves at a slower pace than your mind.
Let him touch your heart.
Now allow your attention to move into your stomach and hips.
Let your attention rest there for a few breaths.
Now continue down your upper legs.
Down to your knees.
And now to your lower legs.
Take as much time as you need to feel the sensations and awareness there.
Remember,
There's no right or wrong feelings.
Only to be as present,
Caring and thankful as possible.
Then move down into your feet.
Then your ankles.
The soles of your feet.
And then each of your toes.
From the smallest to the largest.
Your feet work hard,
So hard all day long.
Really feel all the muscles and tendons and tissues there.
Now take a big breath.
And see if you can feel your whole body at once sitting or lying.
From the tips of your toes.
Up through your legs.
Up your torso.
Along your arms.
On your head.
And on your face.
Feel your body as one.
Feel all the sensation and energy at once.
The entirety of what he created.
Now to your knees.
The energy that he created.
Now take two more deep breaths.
In through your nose.
Long and deep.
Out through your mouth.
Long and slow.
In through your nose.
Long and deep.
Out through your mouth.
Long and slow.
Slowly open your eyes.
Take a moment to take in how you feel now.
Always check up on yourself after any meditation practice.
Remember,
God created you and we need to take care of what we are given.
Take time every day to be present and mindful while focusing on him.
Be grateful at all times in your actions.
I hope you found peace today and feel more connected with the body you live in.
Thank you for joining me today.
God bless.
