Body Scan

An invitation to pause and bring the awareness to the body. This practice is a guided body scan from the soles of the feet to the top of the head. This can be practiced lying down or seated, whatever is preferable. Appropriate for all levels.

Transcript

So taking a comfortable position.

Body scan can be practiced seated or lying down.

If you're lying down you may like to have some support underneath the head,

Perhaps under the knees.

Taking your time to get comfortable.

Beginning this practice by bringing awareness to the body.

Taking in a global sense of how you feel in this moment.

Perhaps a sense of tiredness,

Awakeness,

Calm,

Frustration,

Anxiety.

Whatever it is,

Simply noticing what's here.

Knowing that whatever you're bringing to the practice is welcome.

Recognizing with a practice like the body scan,

You really have the opportunity to experience embodiment in a deep way.

So taking this time to pay kind attention to the body.

And then coming into relationship with the direct experience of the body in this moment.

As you're ready,

Bringing the awareness to the space beneath you.

Sensing the contact points,

Connection to the earth.

And then perhaps you're lying down on a mat on the floor or seated in a chair.

And underneath the support,

Underneath the foundation of the building lies the earth.

You are ultimately held and supported by the earth.

Making a relationship with our bodies in the body scan practice.

Also making a relationship with the earth.

And sensing the space above you.

Perhaps opening the eyes,

You may be looking at the ceiling.

And above the ceiling,

The top of the building is the sky.

And sensing the vast openness of the sky above.

Sensing the earth below.

Making a relationship with these two energies.

If you like,

Gently closing the eyes so they can always remain open and downcast.

This next breath.

Bringing the awareness down.

Down to the soles of the feet.

Noticing anything that can be felt here in the soles of the feet.

Perhaps wiggling the toes to bring sensation to the feet.

Noticing anything that can be sensed all along the surfaces of the skin.

Perhaps air temperature,

Socks,

Blanket.

As well as noticing anything that may be felt internally.

Perhaps pulsing,

Tingling,

Tightness.

Something else.

You may notice the mind wandering.

It's no problem.

Simply noticing that quality of distracted mind and bringing the awareness back.

Back to the body.

In this case,

Back to the soles of the feet.

And coming back with openness and curiosity.

Not trying to create any particular experience with the body scan.

Simply noticing what's here.

What's here in the soles of each foot.

Bringing the awareness to the heels.

The soles of the feet,

Toes.

The space between the toes.

Gliding up to the ankles.

Noticing anything that can be sensed.

Sensation tends to enter the awareness.

It's pleasant,

Unpleasant,

Neutral.

Uncomfortable,

Uncomfortable.

Maybe curiosity about that.

As best you can,

Allowing the experience to be as it is.

Without needing to push anything away or cling on.

For any reason in the body scan,

You find yourself in an area that is too uncomfortable or overwhelming in any way.

You can only skip over that area.

You can redirect to a place that is pleasant or perhaps even neutral.

Maybe the sensations in the hands or feet.

At any point,

You can open the eyes and reorient to the room that you're in.

Returning to the practice as you're ready.

Really empowering yourself to work with this practice in a way that best supports you.

Bringing the awareness to the ankles and from the ankles gliding up to the lower legs.

The shins in front,

The calves in back.

Noticing anything that can be sensed along the skin surfaces as well as anything internally.

Gliding up to the knees,

Kneecap,

Knee joints.

Gliding up to the upper legs,

The thighs.

Sensing the hamstrings,

The quadriceps.

Here we have the largest bone in the body,

The femur bone.

This very powerful area of the body.

Noticing anything that can be sensed here in the upper legs.

Gliding up to the pelvic area,

The hips,

Seat,

Lower belly.

Perhaps sensing the contact points between the seat and the support.

The movement of the breath in the lower belly.

Maybe sensing digestion.

Bringing the awareness now to the entire bottom half of the body,

The pelvic area,

The soles of the feet.

This entire area alive awake with your kind attention.

Life force energy moving through you.

Noticing what's here.

Beginning to glide up,

Perhaps up the lower spine,

Vertebra by vertebra.

Sensing the torso.

All the vital organs of the body.

Perhaps sensing pulsing,

Tingling.

A sense of numbness,

Aliveness.

Gliding up,

Noticing the rib cage.

The movement of the bones.

Intercostal muscles allowing the movement of the bones.

Maybe finding the expansion in the back with the breath.

Maybe finding the heartbeat.

Maybe not.

Noticing the fall of the chest.

Noticing any tightness,

Tension.

Whatever it is.

Liding down the upper arms.

Perhaps sensing muscles,

Biceps,

Triceps.

Lining down to the elbows.

Lower arms.

Wrists.

Hands,

Fingers.

Space between the fingers.

Sensing the palms of the hands.

This very sensitive area of the body.

Noticing anything that can be felt here in the palms of each hand.

Vibrating,

Tingling.

Heat,

Fullness.

Noticing any thoughts or distractions with a light touch.

And gently coming back to the body.

And coming back to what can be sensed here in the hands.

Lining up in the palms of the hands.

Wrists.

Lower arms.

Elbows.

Upper arms.

Shoulders.

Sensing the neck.

Front.

Back.

Left.

Right.

Sensing the throat.

Maybe swallowing once or twice brings sensation into this area.

Noticing what's here in the neck and the throat.

The air pipe.

The esophagus.

Lining up,

Sensing the face,

The facial muscles.

The jaw.

Chin.

Mouth.

Sensations of dryness and moisture in the mouth.

Teeth.

Tongue.

Cheeks.

Nose,

Sinuses.

Nostrils.

Sensing the passage of air through the nostrils.

Ears.

Temples.

The eyes.

Sensations of moisture or dryness in the eyes.

Movement of the eyes.

Muscles around the eyes.

The eyebrows.

The space between the eyebrows.

The forehead.

The top of the head.

Noticing what can be sensed here on the top of the head.

Scalp.

Air.

The brain.

All the neurobiological activity of the brain.

The back of the head.

Meaning the awareness now of the entire body.

The entire body awake,

Alive,

With energy.

All the systems functioning.

Without your effort.

Heart beating.

Oxygen circulating throughout the entire body.

Taking a moment acknowledging this wonder of life.

This experience of being in a human body.

Taking now three deep breaths.

Breathing in from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head.

Letting it go.

Three deep breaths.

Gently opening the eyes.

Taking in the space around you and just resting in this embodied awareness.

Being very gentle,

Moving out of the practice.

Perhaps reaching the arms up and above,

Stretching.

Rolling over to one side.

Taking time to really support yourself and move with care.

Inviting this embodied awareness with you into the next moment of your day.

If you like continuing to just rest here.