This is Lara of Listen Lightly and this is a 15 minute body scan and relaxation meditation.
Come to a comfortable position seated either on cushions on the floor or on a chair wherever you're the most comfortable.
Ensuring that your spine is straight,
Your chest is open and your shoulders are back,
Your head is reaching tall and your eyes can be closed or you can look slightly in front of you on the floor.
Your hands resting on your lap,
Your feet firmly planted on the ground.
Begin to turn your awareness within you.
Noticing how your body feels right now.
Without changing anything at first,
But just tuning into yourself.
Notice how you feel physically today.
Notice how you feel energetically today.
Notice how you feel emotionally.
Paying attention to your current state with curiosity.
And letting go of any effort to feel any different than how you're feeling right now.
Now notice what your breath is doing.
Again without trying to change anything.
But just noticing or observing where it's going in your body.
Whether it's deep or shallow.
Whether it feels smooth or forced.
Notice what emotions are present as you breathe in.
And then breathe out again.
Sitting up tall.
We're going to begin the body scan.
Beginning with our heads.
Focusing all your awareness on how your head feels right now.
And as we scan each part of our body and bring our awareness to it one by one.
We're going to relax whatever part we're focusing on.
So paying attention to what sensations you can feel within your head.
Relaxing your face.
Your forehead.
The point between your eyebrows.
Letting your eyes be heavy.
And allowing your jaw to relax.
Moving onto your neck and throat.
Allowing any tension that's being held there to release.
And letting your throat be soft.
Notice any sensations you can pick up on within your throat.
Moving onto your shoulders.
Perhaps if it's comfortable taking a couple deep breaths.
Filling your shoulders with air on the inhale.
And as you exhale allowing them to release away from your ears.
Filling your shoulder blades slide down your back.
Noticing any particular sensations within your shoulders.
And notice how it feels as you release them lower down your back.
Changing our physical posture.
Intentionally releasing our muscles.
Cues our mind to become relaxed.
So noticing if you feel this connection within yourself.
Throughout this exercise thoughts will arise.
And you'll become distracted and that's okay.
It's all part of the meditation.
Just notice where your mind goes.
At each point.
And whenever you notice that your mind is wandered.
Gently bring it back to whatever part of your body you're focusing on.
And continue to breathe.
Now bringing your attention to your left arm.
Noticing any energy or sensations you can feel within it.
And allowing it to be heavy.
Relaxing your elbow.
Your wrist.
The palm of your hand.
And each finger.
And then coming to your right arm.
Allowing it to be heavy.
And gently relaxing it.
From your elbow.
Through your wrist.
Into your hand and each individual fingertip.
Bringing your attention now to your chest.
And as you breathe in and out of your chest.
Allow it to soften.
With each exhale.
And any tightness that you can sense within there.
Use your breath to massage this space.
And release the tension.
Moving into your rib cage.
Observe as your ribs expand with each inhale.
And relax again with each exhale.
Noticing this fluidity within you.
Doesn't require any effort.
But can simply be observed.
Now moving into your stomach.
Watching as it expands on the inhale.
Allowing it to be soft and warm.
Bringing your awareness to your lower back.
Just note if you can feel any tension in there where so many of us hold stress.
And if so,
See if you can intentionally release it.
Surrendering any effort right now.
Moving into your hips and pelvis region.
Taking a couple breaths into this space.
And noticing what sensations you can pick up on.
Now moving into your left leg.
Relaxing your thigh.
Your knee.
Your shin and calf.
Your left ankle.
The sole of your left foot.
And each individual toe.
Notice if you can feel the difference between each toe.
Now notice any difference between your left leg and your right leg.
Perhaps there is,
Perhaps there isn't.
Doesn't matter.
We're just noticing.
Now coming to your right leg.
Beginning to relax it from the top of your hip.
Moving through your thigh.
Relaxing your knee.
Your shin and calf.
All the muscles in your ankles.
The bottom of your foot.
And each individual toe.
Now opening up your awareness so that it encompasses your entire body.
Just observe as you sit here.
Breathing naturally.
Not trying to reach any particular state.
Or create any particular experience.
But instead,
Paying attention to the experience that you're having right now.
However that feels to you.
Remembering that every time you sit to meditate,
Your experience will be completely different.
And that's okay.
Becoming aware of your experience each time.
And more and more throughout the rest of your life.
Is why we meditate.
Challenging yourself here to pay attention to your breath and the rhythm of your body for the next 20 seconds.
And now starting to take some deeper breaths.
Breathing in some energy.
Fresh air into your lungs.
And if you'd like,
Sighing out the stale air.
Exhaling completely.
Letting go of anything you no longer need today.
Anything you can let go of mentally or emotionally.
So that you leave this sitting feeling a bit more refreshed.
Clear headed.
And centered.
And now starting to bring some movement into your hands.
Perhaps rolling your shoulders if that feels good.
Eventually bringing your hands in front of you and rubbing the palms together to generate some warmth.
Placing them over your eyes.
Noticing if you can feel that warmth transfer to your eyes.
Gently blinking your eyes open.
And releasing your hands.
