The body scan.
Feeling the weight of the body.
Noticing the parts of the body that make connection with the earth.
And sensing into these.
Sensing that connection with the ground.
The unconditional support of the air.
Moving awareness.
To the breath if that feels available to you.
I sometimes find that the breath doesn't feel available or safe.
If that's true for you today,
Think for you to stay with the body on the earth.
And if you choose to move awareness to the breath.
Not needing to change the breath in any way,
Simply noticing the waves of breath.
The gentle rise and fall as the body breathes.
Perhaps noticing that point where you're able to sense the breath most strongly in the body.
This might be the chest or the abdomen.
Maybe the back of the throat.
Noticing where this is for you this moment.
Guiding your attention gently here.
And if you notice your mind's wandered off,
Knowing that nothing's gone wrong.
This moment of noticing,
This is the moment of mindfulness.
Releasing your awareness of the breath now.
And bringing your awareness down,
All the way down the body.
To the toes.
Noticing the big toes on each foot.
Perhaps you're able to notice the pressure,
The touch of the toes.
It makes connection with whatever's supporting it.
Perhaps you notice the touch of fabric on skin,
Temperature.
Maybe you've noticed numbness.
Knowing that this too is an experience.
There's no right way to sense the big toes.
Whatever you notice,
Whatever your experience is right now,
That's your experience.
Moving your awareness to the little toes.
Moving your awareness to the little toes.
Moving your awareness once more to the middle three toes.
Noticing if you're able to sense the space between the toes.
Can you notice where one toe stops and another one starts?
Perhaps noticing if they all come as a set.
Releasing awareness of the toes.
Moving your awareness now to the soles of the feet.
Starting at the balls of the feet.
Moving your way back.
Noticing the arches and the heel.
If your feet are resting on the ground,
Noticing the points that touch the air.
Bringing your awareness to the tops of the feet.
The insides of the feet.
Broadening your awareness to take in the whole of both feet.
These feet which can do so much for us.
Noticing if there's numbness here.
Noticing if you're not able to fully sense into the feet.
Knowing that whatever you're experiencing is,
Whatever your experience is,
It's okay.
Releasing awareness of the feet.
Moving your awareness to the ankles.
Up your legs to the shins and the calves.
Seeing if it's possible to really sense into the lower legs.
Not the idea of them but the felt sense in this moment.
What does a leg feel like?
Perhaps there's tingling.
Perhaps there's a temperature.
Something else.
Bringing your awareness up to the knees.
Noticing the angle of the knees.
Front of the knees,
The back.
Noticing awareness of the knees and moving your awareness to the thighs.
The long bone of the thighs,
The large muscles.
The long bone of the thighs,
The large muscles.
Really bringing your curiosity,
Your interest.
Is my experience in this moment.
We often hold tension in our thighs,
Noticing if that feels like it's true for you.
Perhaps exploring what might happen if you allow a releasing.
A letting go as you breathe out.
Expanding your awareness now.
All of both legs,
Sensing the thighs,
The knees,
The lower legs,
The feet.
And perhaps using imaginative breathing to imagine you could breathe down.
All the way into your legs to the tips of the toes and back out again.
Holding the whole of the legs in your awareness.
Releasing your awareness of the legs now.
Moving your awareness to the sit bones.
To the pelvis.
The whole basin of the pelvis.
The lower back.
Noticing which part of your body is connecting with the earth.
If you're lying down perhaps it's the lower back.
If you're seated,
Maybe it's the sit bones.
And generally moving your awareness slowly from the lower back up the back.
One vertebra at a time.
Perhaps you're able to notice the gentle curves of the spine.
The mid back.
The upper back.
And the shoulders.
If you've come across any points of discomfort,
Perhaps noticing how you've responded,
How you've reacted to these.
Is there a sense of aversion or pulling away?
Or maybe the drawing in your attention you feel stuck there.
Seeing if it's possible to notice these points of discomfort.
Perhaps offering them a little gentle awareness.
You're breathing in and out of these places.
Perhaps releasing awareness on the points of discomfort now.
Bringing awareness back to the shoulders.
If you find your awareness is still very much being drawn towards discomfort,
You might like to practice holding a gentle light awareness on this point of discomfort.
As you move through the practice.
Moving your awareness now down to the abdomen.
Sensing into the abdomen as it moves with the breath.
Perhaps noticing if you sense any emotions here.
Some of us may find where we notice how we're feeling.
Perhaps you're noticing that you're hungry or maybe feeling very full after dinner.
Releasing your awareness of the abdomen,
Moving your awareness up to the chest.
Noticing this gentle rise and fall.
And if you notice your mind's wandered off.
Celebrating this noticing.
Nothing's gone wrong.
This is the nature of mind.
Noticing where the mind's gone and gently and kindly guiding your focus back.
Going to notice the throat,
Neck.
Moving up to the scalp.
Lying down,
Maybe noticing the point ahead makes connection with the ground.
The forehead.
The eyebrows.
A place between the eyebrows.
Temples.
Noticing if there's any tightness,
Any tension in the face.
So often tense our muscles,
Hold our muscles.
Not even realising it.
The cheeks,
The eyes,
The nose.
Noticing if there's any tension in the jaw.
You allow the jaw to release and relax.
Ellipse.
And expanding your awareness now.
Taking in the whole of the body.
Breathing in down to the tips of the toes.
And back out again.
Holding the whole of the body in awareness.
And when you're really releasing awareness of the body,
Returning to the points where the body makes connection with the air.
Noticing the pressure of the body on the ground.
Noticing the breathing body.
And as we come towards the end of this practice,
Noticing if there's anything that the body needs.
Is there any stretching or movement that will serve the body?
Just bringing some movement back to the body,
Stretching the fingers and the toes.
So you know,
Stretch.
And when you're ready,
Slowly starting to open the eyes.
Surveys or
