Compassionate Body Scan For Burnout Relief

This 5-minute body scan helps you tune into the sensations in your body with compassion - tending to the whispers before they become shouts.

Created for changemakers navigating high-pressure work, this practice helps you recognize early warning signs of tension and burnout through gentle, kind awareness of body sensations.

You'll move from head to feet, learning to listen to your body's messages without trying to fix or force anything. A lovely way to calm your nervous system, become more self-aware, and identify what would be of service next.

I'm a non-profit leader, leadership coach, and meditation teacher who is on a mission to help changemakers stop sacrificing their well-being for the work. I appreciate you practicing with me and refilling your cup! I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments.

Transcript

Hey friend,

Welcome to this quick body scan.

This is an integral practice in building self-awareness and preventing and recovering from burnout.

Our body sensations are always whispering to us.

They're like messengers and when we slow down and actually pay attention,

We can become more aware of how we're feeling and what we might be needing.

You can do this practice sitting,

Standing or laying down,

Eyes open or closed.

You're your own best teacher and you know your body best,

So feel free to focus on other parts of the body.

Use my guidance as just a starting point.

I invite you to imagine you're turning on a flashlight and pointing it to the top of your head,

Bringing awareness to the sensations at the top of your head,

Slowly scanning down the body,

Bringing awareness into the forehead,

The eyes,

The jaw,

The neck,

The shoulders.

Pausing here for just a moment,

Seeing what sensations are calling your attention most.

How is it to turn toward these sensations like you would turn toward a friend?

Open and listening.

You're not trying to force yourself to soften or fix anything.

You're just noticing.

How is it to let go of any desire for things to be different than they are?

Continuing to scan down the body,

Feeling into the chest,

The belly,

The seat,

The thighs,

The calves and the feet,

Bringing kind awareness into your hands.

It might be helpful for you to say to yourself,

How do I know I have hands?

This can be a way to shift from thinking about the hands to feeling them.

Can you notice any sensations in the hands?

Maybe it's in just one finger or the whole field of energy in the hands.

Our body is always in the present moment.

Our thoughts are often in the past or in the future.

So by tuning in to the sensations of the body,

This is a way to ground yourself.

Now that you've taken a moment to feel into the body,

I invite you to ask yourself,

What would be of service now?

What is my body needing?

Thank you so much for practicing.