Body Scan For Rest & Relaxation

The body scan is a typical introduction exercise and is a wonderful way to develop greater body awareness. In this meditation, you will practice progressive relaxation to help you find rest and relaxation in your body from head to toe.

Transcript

Hi, My name is Josh and this is a guided meditation, A body scan for rest and relaxation. Wherever it is you're coming from today and whatever you have going on in your life, Know that now is a time to intentionally come to rest and restore your mind and body, A sense of balance and harmony. Because up until now you might be feeling a certain way, But know that that can change as we begin to allow ourselves the space to open and relax. So with that I invite you to find a space where you can be for the next 15 minutes in relative quiet, In a comfortable seated position or lying down. And once you've found that comfortable spot, I invite you to close your eyes and begin to allow yourself the space to relax. And the first thing that we might notice is that simply closing our eyes alters the experience we're having. That you might begin to notice the busyness and energetic sensations moving through your body. Just feel the different parts of your body that are coming in contact with the chair or the floor. And allow yourself to fully be supported by them. Allow your belly and chest to relax so that the breath can move freely in and out without effort. And now turn your attention down into the feet. Can you notice if one foot feels heavier than the other? Or maybe one foot feels warmer than the other. See if you can notice a softening from the underside of your foot, A softening from heel to toe as we allow the feet to progressively relax. Turn the attention into the ankle. Notice if you can feel a spaciousness, An opening, And a softening. As we notice the leg, The front of the leg, The sides, The back of the leg, We can allow the muscle to soften and melt away from the bone. As if our legs are becoming jello and spreading out as they relax. Let's bring our attention to the knee. Feeling the back of the knee, The front, The sides, Noticing the sense of air on the skin or clothing. And we can feel the upper leg relax, The thigh and the hips as we continue to soften and spread into the support of the chair or the floor. Feeling our backside, Back of the hips and lower back being supported by whatever it is they're resting against. Feeling the warmth or the coolness of the connection to whatever they're resting against. And as you breathe in and out gently, Allow the back to spread and open to soften and expand. Feel the belly release and allow the breath to flow naturally and without any conscious control. Allow your rib cage to relax, And your lungs to expand and release. Relax your shoulders and feel your upper arms and lower arms. Begin to rest more easily into the support of the floor or the chair. Feel the center of the palms release. And the lightness of that release can spread into the fingers, The backs of the hands, The wrists, All the way up into the shoulders and neck. As we allow the shoulders to relax. Let's relax the muscles of the face, Your jaw, The eyes, Your cheeks and tongue and gums can all relax. If you're lying down, Allow the weight of your head to rest into the floor. And if you're seated, Simply feel the head balanced over the shoulders and chest. And for the next minute, Allow your whole body to be in this state of rest and relaxation. Simply tuning in to the good feelings that are moving through your body to that sensation of restfulness that's now expanding your body. Good. And you're welcome to continue to rest here if it feels appropriate to do so. And if you'd like to continue into the rest of your day, Let's gently begin to make our way back into a wakeful state. And before you open the eyes, Just begin to wiggle the fingers and the toes, Allow the neck or head to take a little movement. And we begin to just blink the eyes open a few times, Allowing our experience to gently shift back into our eyes open more visually oriented in wakeful state. Good. Just take a moment to check in to see how your body, How your mind, How your state of being and quality of feeling has changed over these last 15 minutes or so. Taking a moment to appreciate, Taking the time to simply rest and allow your body and mind to recharge. You can feel good about that. You're allowed to congratulate yourself or simply being grateful for getting to share this moment with each other. So thank you. I hope you enjoyed this meditation.