This is a body scan practice.
We invite you to sit upright but body relaxed.
If you are sitting on a chair,
Put both feet on the ground.
And when you are ready,
Gently close your eyes.
If that's comfortable for you.
Take two deep breaths.
And as you inhale,
Fill up your lungs with air.
And as you exhale,
Feel the breath moving through your body,
Relaxing your body.
Next,
Bring your attention to a natural flow of your breath.
The in and out.
The in and out.
Notice where you feel the breath the most.
It can be the air going in and out of your nose.
Or it can be the rising or falling of your chest or abdomen.
Breathe naturally.
Now bring your attention to your feet.
You can notice your feet on the floor.
Notice the sensations of your feet touching the floor.
The weight,
Pressure,
Vibration.
The heat or the cold.
On your next breath,
Shift your attention up to your legs.
Notice any tension or tightness on your legs.
Breathe into the area that is tensed and let the muscles soften.
Next,
Notice your body against the chair or the floor depending on where you are seated.
Feel the pressure,
The posing,
The heaviness,
The lightness and the temperature of your body against the surface.
On your next breath,
Bring your attention to your stomach area.
Notice your stomach rising and falling with the breath.
And now,
Shift your attention to the chest area.
Noticing the subtle rising and falling of the chest as you breathe.
Feel the lungs filling up and then emptying in this life giving flow of the breath.
See if you can notice the heartbeat.
The heart area is the source of our care,
Our love and tenderness.
If you notice your mind has wandered,
Gently bring your attention back to body.
Shift your awareness to your hands and your arms.
Notice the sensations in your fingertips,
The palm,
The wrist,
Lower arm,
Elbow and the upper arm.
Breathe into both arms and hands and allow the muscles to soften.
On your next breath,
Pay attention to your shoulders.
Let go of any tension or tightness in this area.
Relax the muscles and let them be soft.
Shift your attention to the neck.
Notice any sensations in this area.
Breathe into the neck and observe any changes in the sensations.
Relax.
Next,
Soften your jaw.
Let your face and facial muscles be soft.
Let your eyebrows be smooth and relax the areas between your eyes and around your eyes.
Feel the entire head relax.
Now bring your attention to your breath.
Take a deep breath in to take in all the energy from this practice.
And as you breathe out,
Feel the tension melting away,
Relaxing and calming your whole body.
Allow the sense of calm and centeredness to stay with you as you go about the rest of your day.
Bring your attention back to your room by wriggling your fingers,
Your toes,
Moving your shoulders,
Your neck or your arms.
And when you are ready,
Gently open your eyes.
