25-Min Body Scan Mindfulness Practice

This body scan mindfulness practice involves bringing attention to different parts of the body, from head to toe, and observing physical sensations without judgment. The practice helps increase body awareness, slow down the chattering mind, reduce stress, improve sleep, and promote overall relaxation and well-being.

Transcript

This meditation can be practiced in many different postures.

It could be standing or sitting or walking or lying down.

We are going to continue lying down as this allows us the best chance of relaxing and cultivating our awareness skills.

But knowing as well if you feel like you need to throughout the practice you can move,

Maybe move to your side or sit up if you're feeling tired.

It's perfectly fine to adjust if you feel that's necessary.

So gathering anything you need and coming into a comfortable position lying down.

So as you may have been finding the body scan is a practice that works on many different levels.

The more you practice the more it can reveal.

But as well the more it can become challenging.

Revealing tension or the feelings of boredom and irritation.

Maybe being distracted and being hyper alert and not being able to sit still.

Or it could be the opposite,

Just drifting into a kind of spaced out sleepiness.

So this week we are going to try and bring more awareness to these parts of the practice.

Noticing how we are relating to them and what they might be telling us.

But also just knowing that these are not signs of the practice going wrong or signs of problems with us.

These are the practice.

These are the reasons we practice.

And becoming more aware of these experiences and relating to them in new ways is why we're here.

So bringing some awareness to your posture.

Having your arms by your side,

Palms facing up.

Allowing your spine to be long and straight but not too tough and tight.

Bringing some length to the back of your neck.

And just making any little adjustments that allow yourself to just be more relaxed and more comfortable.

Allowing your eyes to rest downwards.

Closing your mouth and resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

So as the body begins to relax you may become more aware of the breathing in our bellies or maybe at the tips of our nostrils.

Just becoming more aware of where we feel the breath most vividly.

Maintaining this alert awareness throughout the practice.

We're going to start by bringing our attention to the crown of our heads.

Now bringing your awareness into the forehead.

Not trying to feel anything in particular or change anything.

Just being present with how things are at the forehead.

Now the left side of your head above your ear.

The back of your head behind your forehead.

The right side of your head above your ear.

Moving your awareness down into your eyes.

Starting with your left eye.

Your right eye.

Your right ear.

The back of your head in line with your ears.

Your left ear.

Your left cheek.

Your nose.

Your right cheek.

The back of your head at the base of the skull.

Your left jaw.

Your mouth.

Your right jaw.

Noticing if your attention gets pulled away or if any other sensations are calling out to you.

Just seeing if you can allow them to be there and bringing your awareness to your right jaw.

Now continuing to move down into your throat.

The back of your neck.

The top of your chest.

Not needing to do anything or make anything happen.

Just bringing your awareness to the top of your chest.

Your right shoulder.

The top of your back.

Your left shoulder.

Your chest at the level of your heart.

Noticing any expectations,

Ideas of how things should be,

What you should be feeling.

Allowing yourself to notice what is present at the level of your heart.

The right side of your chest under your arm.

Your upper back at this level under your left arm.

Now becoming aware of your arms themselves.

Starting with your right upper arm.

Noticing any judgments about what you are feeling or not feeling.

Your left upper arm.

Now moving your awareness into the lower part of your chest cavity.

First on the left side.

The right side.

The right side of your body.

The lower back.

The left side of your body.

The solar plexus.

Your abdomen at the front.

Not forcing anything.

Trying not to resist what you're experiencing.

But knowing it's okay to move away if you feel you need to.

The right hip.

The back of your hips.

The left hip.

Now moving your awareness down again to the top of the right upper leg.

The right upper leg on the inside.

The back of the right upper leg.

The right side.

Noticing if at any moment you wander off or get lost in thought.

Just becoming aware that you've been away.

And bringing your attention back to the practice.

Or back to the part of the body we are currently on.

Your left upper leg at the front.

The inside of your left upper leg.

The back of the left upper leg.

The left side of the left upper leg.

Noticing any sensations that are arising elsewhere in the body.

Maybe some pain or tension that's calling you.

Not needing to change this or push it away.

Just noticing how we're relating to it.

Maybe taking a moment to bring our awareness to it.

Or continuing with the guidance.

Your right lower arm.

Your right wrist.

The back of your right hand.

The palm of your hand.

Your right thumb.

The index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

The left lower arm.

The left wrist.

The palm of your left hand.

The back of the hand.

The left thumb.

Index finger.

Middle finger.

Ring finger.

Little finger.

Moving your awareness down to your right knee at the front.

The right side of your right knee.

The back of your right knee.

The inside of your right knee.

Your left knee at the front.

The left side of your left knee.

The back.

The inside.

Moving your awareness down again into the right lower leg at the front.

The back of your right lower leg.

Your left lower leg at the front.

The back.

Now moving your awareness into the right ankle.

The left ankle.

The top of the right foot.

The heel of the right foot.

The sole of the right foot.

The right big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Now moving this presence to your left foot.

The top of your left foot.

The heel of your left foot.

Now the sole.

The big toe.

Second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Fifth toe.

Now slowly moving your awareness up through the body.

From the bottom of your legs.

Past your knees.

Your thighs.

Your abdomen.

Chest.

Arms.

Shoulders.

Neck.

Throughout every area.

Up to the crown of your head.

Then sweeping back down the body.

Maybe a little faster this time.

Not excluding any areas.

Allowing your awareness to sweep through the body naturally.

Now expanding your awareness out to encompass the whole body.

Paying particular attention to any areas of discomfort,

Attention.

Areas that may not feel 100% how they should be.

Seeing if it's possible to include these areas and just be present with them how they are.

Not needing for them to change or be different.

The changes come when they're ready.

What's transformative about this practice is the awareness that we bring to it.

Expanding your awareness further out still.

To maybe any sounds in the room.

The feeling of the ground underneath you.

Now gently starting to move your fingers and toes.

And maybe allowing yourself a good stretch.

Waking up the body.

Seeing if you can bring this quality of awareness into the next part of your day.