Hello,
My name is Lindsay.
Today's practice will be a body scan meditation.
Begin by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position.
Leave your eyes permission to close.
Breathing in and out through the nostrils,
Take a deep inhale and a long exhale,
Relaxing your body even more.
We can always relax a little more than we think we can.
Are there any places you can soften right now?
Relax around your eyebrows,
Around your eyes.
Relax your jaw.
Relax your belly.
Deep inhale,
Long slow exhale.
Feel your body breathe.
You'll find that your mind naturally drifts into thoughts,
Feelings,
Or emotions.
This is no problem at all,
Let me assure you,
It does not matter what distracts you or how often it happens.
What is important is that when you realize you've become distracted,
You simply return to the practice.
That is what you are responsible for,
Returning to the practice.
Just let the process take care of the rest for you.
Deep inhale,
Long slow exhale.
Now I'd like you to bring all of your attention to the top of your head.
All your attention now to the top of your head.
You might feel a tingling or warmth or coolness.
You might feel pressure,
Softness,
Or hardness.
Remember it is not important what you feel.
What's important is that you are simply aware of what is happening as it is.
All the sensations at the top of your head.
Now that I'm aware of your entire scalp.
And now move on to your forehead,
See if you can soften your forehead.
Your eyes,
All the sensations you can feel.
Your cheeks,
Down your nose,
Your mouth,
Jaw,
Chin.
Now you are aware of your entire face,
All the sensations,
From very obvious sensations to very subtle ones.
And now soften your face,
Moving down your neck,
Down to your shoulders,
See if you can soften your shoulders.
Now move your awareness down your arm.
You can do left or your right or both at the same time.
All the sensations you can feel as you move down your arms.
Bicep,
Elbow,
Forearms.
Now to your hands.
See if you can feel the physical sensations of each individual finger.
And now move your awareness to the top of your chest,
Down your belly,
Feeling the sensations of your chest and belly.
Inhale and exhale.
See if you can soften your belly.
Now bring your awareness to the top of your back.
All the sensations you can feel as you move down your spine.
These sensations could be pleasant or unpleasant,
Strong or subtle.
You are simply watching,
Observing the sensations of your body.
And now move your awareness down to your hips,
Down your legs,
Thighs,
Knees,
All the way down to your feet.
And now you will reverse this process,
Moving back up from feet to head,
Scanning all your body,
Every single spot for some kind of sensation.
And remember if you become distracted,
It's all good,
Simply return to your practice.
Opening up your body until you reach the top of your head again.
You begin the process again.
Now release your awareness to the top of your chest.
All right.
Allow yourself to release your practice.
Before opening your eyes,
Take some time to take a few deep breaths,
Perhaps wiggle your fingers and toes,
Shoulders,
Anything that feels good.
And when it feels natural,
When it feels right,
Allow your eyes to open once again.
At any point in the day or night,
You can easily tune into your body like this,
Creating the opportunity for deep relaxation,
Release and rest.
May you be happy.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
