Welcome to your 10 minute body scan.
Take a moment to find a comfortable position and it's your choice whether you choose to do this from a seated or lying down position.
There's no right or wrong way.
Start by drawing the awareness to the natural flow of breath in and out of the body.
There's no special way that you need to breathe,
Just take notice of what it feels like as the breath comes into the body and notice any sensations as the breath leaves the body.
When you're ready,
Gently draw the attention to the tips of the toes.
As you pay attention,
What do you notice about the tips of the toes?
Perhaps the temperature of one foot feels different than the other,
Or maybe you notice sensations like pins and needles or a vibration.
Whatever you notice,
Remember that there's no right or wrong sensation to feel or to not feel.
We're just paying attention to the experience exactly as it's unfolding.
Gently draw your awareness now to the entire foot.
What do you notice in terms of sensations that might arise in the foot?
And can you use your breath to bring a sense of softness to the muscles and the bones?
When you're ready,
Gently directing your attention now to the ankles and scanning all the way up the shins and calves right to the knee joint of both legs.
Paying attention to the lower legs,
Can you use your breath to bring a sense of softness to the muscles and bones in this area?
Take a moment now to direct your attention to the knee joint and scan your way all the way up the upper legs right to the hips.
Can you use the breath to bring a sense of softness to any part of the upper leg that needs it?
Gently drawing your attention now to the lower stomach all the way to the belly button and wrapping around the side body to the lower back.
Can you draw the attention to this area and notice if you can hear or feel any sensations emerge to the surface?
Remembering to keep an open mind and that there's no right or wrong sensation that you should or shouldn't feel.
Just simply noticing and redirecting your attention back to the area should the mind begin to wander.
And when you're ready,
Gently drawing your attention to the belly button and scanning all the way up to the base of the rib cage.
This includes the side body and the space that wraps around the back.
This area includes many of our vital organs as well such as our small intestine,
Our stomach,
Even our kidneys.
As you pay attention to this area of the body,
What do you notice in terms of sensations?
Do you hear anything specific?
Do you feel anything?
Remembering to lean into the experience with curiosity and an open mind.
Gently bringing your awareness to the base of the rib cage and traveling all the way up the ribs,
Landing on the space where the heart resides.
Can you draw your attention to this entire area,
Feeling the sensation of the rib cage expanding on the in-breath and feeling the sensation of the ribs contracting as we exhale?
Perhaps you notice the subtle beating of the heart in the chest as you direct your attention to this area.
And when you're ready,
Gently bringing your awareness now to the upper rib cage to the neck.
This includes the back of the neck and also the area of the upper back in between the shoulder blades and the tops of the shoulders.
For many of us,
When we feel anxious or stressed,
This is often an area that can hold on to a lot of tension and muscle rigidity.
Can you use your breath here to bring a sense of softness to any of the muscles that you might notice are holding on to some tension?
Noticing if the mind attaches a judgment or a criticism to any parts of the body and gently returning your attention back to your breath and focusing your attention back to the area of the body that we're currently scanning.
Gently bringing your awareness now to the tops of the shoulders,
Extending all the way down both arms,
Past the elbow creases right to the wrist.
Noticing the muscles in the bones,
Noticing any sensation in the arms,
And using your breath to bring a sense of softness.
When you're ready,
Bringing the awareness now to the entire hand.
As you draw your attention here,
What do you notice in terms of the sensations arising in the hands?
Gently now bring your awareness and focus to the entire surface of your face.
This includes the chin all the way up to the top of the forehead and from one earlobe across the face to the opposite earlobe.
And you notice how you might be holding on to tension in the face and see if you might be able to use the breath to bring a sense of softness to the muscles of the face.
And when you're ready,
Gently drawing the awareness to the top of the head all the way to the back of the head and base of the skull.
This is the area that houses the brain,
Which houses the mind,
So it's not uncommon to feel a lot of different sensations arise in this particular area.
Remembering to notice without judgment and instead being curious if any particular sensations rise to the surface.
Drawing the attention to the crown or top of the head and scanning all the way back down the body,
Noticing each of the major joints and bones and muscles as you come to land your attention at the tips of the toes.
And now that you've completed an entire body scan,
You may wish to identify an area that perhaps emerged today as having some particularly challenging sensations.
Take a moment now to spend a few extra breaths and directing your attention to this area to see if there might be an opportunity to have a little extra softening or relaxation.
And whenever you're ready,
Gently bringing some small subtle movements to the fingertips and the toes as we reawaken the body for the day ahead.
If you'd like,
You may wish to reach the arms way up past the head into a morning stretch or even twist the body from side to side.
Whatever feels good for you in this moment to re-energize,
Choose whichever movements feel the best for you.
Thank you for tuning in to your 10-minute body scan.
I wish you a day of peace and joy ahead.
