Today's practice is about giving your mind permission to slow down.
In our busy lives,
It's easy for thoughts to race and the nervous system to stay switched on.
This body scan meditation is a way to invite your body to release some of the tension that builds when the mind is overstimulated.
As we begin,
Know that this practice is a safe place to soften the grip of overthinking.
Through breath,
Awareness,
And somatic cues to invite micro-movements,
We let the body guide us back into calm presence.
Let's begin by settling into a comfortable position,
Lying on your back,
Legs long or bent in constructive rest,
Arms outstretched in a wide V at your side,
With your palms facing up.
Feel the full weight of your body resting on the ground.
Notice the points of contact,
Heels,
Calves,
Hips,
Back,
Shoulders,
And head.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in,
And then let it go with a sighing exhale through your mouth.
Simply allow the next in-breath to arrive on its own,
And let the out-breath fall away,
Letting your attention settle on this steady flow of breath.
If the mind feels busy,
Quietly reassure it that for now,
It can take a break.
Let it know it doesn't need to fix or solve anything right now,
And then return to your breath.
Bringing your attention to your feet,
Feel the shape of each foot,
The curve of the arch,
The roundness of the heel.
Notice any warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling,
Or stillness.
Imagine your feet softening towards the floor.
If it feels good,
Gently wiggle your toes,
Then let them be still.
Let awareness travel into your lower legs.
Notice your calves,
The skin surrounding your calves,
The muscles deep within.
Sense the support beneath them.
Allow the lower legs to grow heavy.
Affirm quietly to yourself,
I am supported.
Bring awareness to your knees,
Tops of your knees,
The sides,
And the back.
Then sense the length of your thighs,
From knees to hips.
If you notice any tension,
Imagine it sinking downwards into the earth.
You might welcome a small slow movement,
A micro shake or jiggle to release what the body is ready to let go.
Affirm quietly to yourself,
I am grounded.
Notice the broad base of your hips,
And the bowl of your pelvis.
Feel where your sacrum meets the support beneath you.
Sense into the space inside your pelvis.
Warm,
Spacious,
Relaxed.
The organs resting within.
Invite a subtle pelvic rock and tilt.
Forward and back.
Letting the tailbone and sacrum roll forward to arch.
And releasing the weight down into the floor with ease.
When ready,
Let your pelvis come into stillness.
Affirm to yourself,
I am at home in my body.
Place one hand on your lower belly,
And one on your lower back,
If this is comfortable.
Feel the rise and fall with your breath.
Notice how your inhale creates a gentle expansion in your lower back and abdomen.
And how your exhale softens and releases.
Stay with this movement.
Affirm to yourself,
I am resilient.
Bring awareness to your chest.
Observe how it rises and falls with each breath.
Sense your collarbones.
Your shoulders.
The space across your upper back.
Visualize your breath moving into these spaces.
If it feels natural,
Roll your shoulders in small,
Slow circles.
Forward and then backward.
Then come to be still.
Invite them to melt into the floor.
Affirm to yourself,
I am at ease.
Feel the weight of your arms.
From shoulders to fingertips.
Notice any sensations in your palms.
The space between your fingers.
Tips of your fingers.
If you like,
Rotate your arms slightly.
So palms turn up in a gesture of receiving.
And then down in a gesture of grounding.
Affirm to yourself.
I am open to the present moment.
Just as it is.
Let your attention rest at the back of your neck.
Let your tongue rest on the roof of your mouth.
Soften your jaw.
Smooth out the spaces between your eyebrows.
Whole face relaxed.
Even the skin of your scalp softens.
Affirm to yourself.
I am calm.
Sense your whole body all at once.
As a unified field of sensation.
Tuning into the subtle vibrations of aliveness.
Throughout.
Placing one hand to your heart.
And the other to your lower belly.
Feel the natural rhythm of your breath.
Know you can return to this place anytime.
Take a full breath in.
And a slow steady breath out.
Invite small movements back in.
Rolling your head side to side.
Circling wrists and ankles.
Bend your knees so the soles of your feet are connected to the ground beneath you.
Allowing the legs to softly sway from side to side.
Taking a little stretch or twist if that feels good.
When you are ready.
Roll to one side.
Pausing here for a few breaths.
And then make your way up to sit.
Bring your palms together at your heart space.
Think of your body as an anchor.
Always waiting for you to return.
When the mind feels scattered and restless.
This practice helps you land back in the steady ground of your own being.
Breath by breath.
We can unwind from the noise.
And rest in the simplicity of being here.
Now.
