Welcome,
I'm Kate and I'm so glad that you've joined me here for this practice.
Today we're going to be doing a gentle body scan to help ease any stress or tension that you may have been holding.
This is a really simple yet powerful practice that I use often to help soften my stress and find a little more grounding.
So most importantly,
Please get yourself comfortable,
Whatever that means for you.
Perhaps you're on a mat,
On the floor,
In bed,
On a chair.
So wherever you are,
Just adjust your posture a little to make sure that you're completely at ease.
For you that might be lying down,
Especially if it's late at night or early morning.
But sitting upright works really well too.
So just use your instincts,
Choose what's right for you.
Once you've adjusted your position.
It's time to get started.
When you're ready,
Just gently closing the eyes down.
Or if you prefer,
Simply lowering the gaze to the floor.
And with your eyes closed or lowered.
Just allowing everything to settle.
There's nothing for you to do,
Nothing for you to fix or change.
All you need to do is listen.
The sound of my voice.
And just follow the simple instructions.
So as you settle in.
Noticing the connection between your body and the surface beneath you starting with your sitting bones,
Noticing how they connect.
To the floor.
Or surface beneath you.
And exploring how it feels to touch ground.
And perhaps your mind's busy.
Distracted.
And just knowing that that's okay.
And our practice is just to notice that wandering mind.
And to gently guide the attention back.
To the body.
Back to these points of connection.
With the earth,
The ground beneath you.
And allowing the weight of your body to sink a little bit deeper.
Into the surface below.
Allowing a real letting go.
As we start.
Let's practice together.
So bringing your attention.
To the soft skin on the forehead.
And just observing.
What's hair?
How this area of the body is feeling.
Perhaps there's tension.
A sense of frowning or holding on in the forehead.
So just noticing that.
And seeing if you can allow an easing in this area a settling.
There's nothing to hold on to.
Just letting go.
No need to frown.
No need to focus.
Their need to work hard.
No need to find the answer.
Now,
Just allowing any tension in the forehead.
To melt away allowing a sense of spaciousness to fill this area of the head.
A bright sense of space.
In the forehead and all around it.
And now moving your awareness down to the softness of your cheeks left cheek and right cheek.
And just appreciating.
The softness of the skin in this area.
You're now noticing the breath.
As it enters and leaves the nostrils.
Soft ribbons of breath So just noticing.
How the in-breath feels inside the nostrils.
And then noticing how the out-breath feels as it leaves.
And touches the soft surface above your lips.
Ribbons of breath and just taking a moment to be really curious.
About the rhythm of the breath.
As it enters and leaves the nostrils.
Just sitting with it for a little while.
And now moving the awareness down past the neck.
Into the shoulders.
And seeing if you can allow the shoulders to drop just a little.
One at a time.
As the shoulders drop,
Allowing tension to dissolve from your body and be released into the earth.
And being curious.
About how the shoulders feel.
This place where we carry so much.
And seeing if you can allow a melting,
A dissolving in the shoulders.
Almost as if.
The hardness is melting.
Into a soft sense of ease.
And now moving your attention down.
Towards the belly.
And if it feels okay,
Taking one hand and placing it.
On your belly.
And exploring.
The feeling of the breath against your hands.
Noticing how The belly moves with every breath.
Moving on.
And moving down.
Effortlessly.
And if the mind wanders,
At any time.
Just moving it back.
With this feeling of connection between hands.
And belly.
And connecting in with the feeling of the breath.
Moving.
Rising and falling.
And with your hand resting here.
Allowing any feelings of tension a sense of holding on in this area.
To ease.
And melt away.
And noticing now.
The soft skin.
Of your hands.
Perhaps moving them both back down to your sides.
And feeling the air.
Against your skin.
Noticing first the backs of your hands.
Perhaps there's tingling.
I'll sing.
Perhaps the air feels warm or cool against the back of your hands.
So just noticing that.
Now.
Doing the same for the palms of the hands Perhaps they feel different.
Warmer.
And cooler.
Bringing all your attention into the palms of your hands.
There's such ease and safety in these hands.
His hands that do so much.
Noticing any sensations.
And feeling the air against your skin.
Allowing the palms to hold the air above them.
And appreciate its softness.
Noticing the tips of your fingers,
One by one.
Being curious about every little detail of sensation.
In the tips of your fingers.
And now moving your awareness.
Towards the knees and placing your attention at the back of the knees in that soft skin.
Hidden behind each knee.
And being curious about how it feels.
In this tiny space behind each knee.
This shady,
Soft,
Quiet space.
Left knee and then right knee allowing all your attention.
To sit in the soft.
Space.
And now.
.
.
Moving your awareness down to the feet.
How does the air feel against the skin of your feet?
Or if they're covered,
How does the material resting on them?
Touch your skin.
Bringing a real sense of wonder.
To the tops of your feet.
Left foot.
And then right foot.
And now connecting in with the feeling of feet against ground.
Noticing that point of connection.
How does it feel?
Touch.
The air beneath you.
Perhaps exploring sensations.
Tingling or pulsing.
A sense of heaviness.
There's no right or wrong,
But just noticing what you notice.
Just allowing yourself.
To be held to be connected.
To the ground beneath you.
And now.
.
.
Holding the whole body in awareness.
The soft,
Resting body.
And just think if you can hold it in your attention.
With real gentleness.
And noticing how it feels.
Seeing if perhaps something's shifted.
Since we started this practice together.
Maybe a little ease.
A little softening.
So just scanning the body,
Holding it in your awareness.
Unnoticing.
How it's doing.
And as we move towards the end of this practice of sealing in any of the benefits.
And knowing that just by practicing sitting quietly,
Exploring the body and holding it in this way.
You will have eased.
Sum of your stress and tension you've bought yourself a little more grounding.
That you can take into the rest of your day or evening.
To help you feel.
A little steadier.
A little more able to cope.
With whatever life.
Throws you.
So when you're ready.
Just bringing some movement back into the body by wiggling the toes.
And then wiggling the fingers.
And perhaps stretching a little if that feels right.
And in your own time gently opening the eyes.
I hope that this has been helpful for you.
You can revisit it whenever you need a little more grounding in moments of stress.
And if you enjoyed this practice,
I have many other much shorter practices for busier days.
To help you feel.
A little more grounded.
A little more ready.
For your day.
So wishing you well.
And I hope to see you again soon.
Take care.
