Hi everyone,
Welcome to this five-minute body scan exercise.
Today I'm going to lead you through a mindfulness exercise,
Just noticing what's going on in the body and maybe some adjustments that we can make along the way.
It's important that you are in a safe space doing this,
A space that feels really relaxing and calming and does not feel overwhelming to your body.
You'll want to make sure that you're comfortable sitting or lying down with your back supported if you're sitting and your feet grounded on the floor.
If you're lying down,
You want to make sure that you have proper support along your whole body.
Okay,
When we're ready,
We'll go ahead and begin.
We're going to start by taking a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
Notice the quality of your breath.
If you're breathing in through the throat,
The chest,
Or the stomach,
Give no judgment to what you're feeling.
I'd like to make sure that your eyes are closed at this point.
If that feels safe or your gaze is fixed on a point in front of you,
Kind of like a drishti gaze,
Which means a really soft gaze.
What we'll do is we're going to start at the bottom of your feet where your feet are connected to the ground.
Just notice any sensations in your feet.
Maybe wiggle your toes if that feels good.
Maybe they feel a little tired from walking around or being active.
Maybe it feels good to roll out the ankles a couple times if that's accessible for you.
Go ahead and move up to the calves and the shins,
Noticing what's going on there.
If they're tight,
Maybe they're loose.
Just notice.
Make sure to take a deep breath in through the nose,
Out,
And a deep breath out through the mouth.
Next,
We'll move up to our knees and our thighs,
Noticing if we're holding any tension.
Sometimes it can be nice to squeeze the muscles and then release them,
Just letting go of any tension that might be there.
Notice where your thighs meet the chair you're sitting in.
Next,
We'll move to the hips and where your bum meets the chair.
Notice any qualities that are in that location.
Next,
We'll move to the lower back.
There can be a lot of tension that's held there,
So just notice what's going on.
Provide no judgment for it.
Wrap around to our core,
Noticing if our stomach feels upset,
If it feels calm.
Maybe we notice our breath in our stomach and just feel your chest expand.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Next,
Move to your upper back.
You might notice if your shoulders are really high towards your ears.
You just go ahead and readjust.
Notice your biceps.
Notice your forearms.
Notice your hands.
It feels good to add a couple of wrist rolls here if that feels safe.
Crack some knuckles or stretch your hands out wide.
We're going to move to our neck,
The back of our head,
Noticing any tension that might be held in the front of the face.
It might feel really good to squeeze in the face and then release.
As you reflect over this time that you just spent with your body,
Thank it for the way it's carried you through.
Show it gratitude,
How it shows up every day,
All the things it's carrying.
When you're done,
Go ahead and open your eyes back up.
Come back to the present moment and the place you're located.
Look around and notice a few things.
Thank you for taking this time to honor your body.
Take care of yourself.
