Meditation 1.
Body scan.
Hi,
I'm Dr.
Ed Rainbow.
This is a body scan practice.
Short number of minutes to reconnect with your body,
Which you've been ignoring whilst your mind has run wild.
There's no goal,
No trying to relax.
You're not trying to feel anything,
You're just noticing.
Find a comfortable position,
Lying down,
Sitting on a chair,
Whatever works for you.
Your intention today is to be aware,
Dignified,
Here,
Now.
Let's begin.
Take three slightly deeper breaths in and out through your nose.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose.
In and out.
In and out.
Now,
Let your breathing return to its natural rhythm.
You don't need to control it,
Just let it be.
Notice you're here,
Now,
In this moment.
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to achieve,
Nowhere else to be.
Start by bringing your attention to where your body makes contact with the cushion,
The chair,
Or the floor.
Just notice the points of contact,
The pressure,
The support.
Now,
Bring your attention to your feet,
Your soles,
Your toes,
Your heels.
Don't label anything,
Just notice whatever sensations are there or not there.
We're not trying to create anything.
Warmth,
Coolness,
Tension,
Ease.
There's no right or wrong.
If you feel tense,
You don't need to fix it,
Just acknowledge it.
Now,
Move slowly upwards to your ankles,
Your shin,
Your calves.
Notice the weight of your legs,
Your knees now,
Your thighs.
As you do this,
Your mind will wonder,
That's fine,
That's what minds do.
If there are lots of thoughts,
That's okay,
It's normal.
Just bring your attention back to your body,
To what you're noticing right now.
Now,
We're going to move higher up the body,
Bring your attention to your pelvis,
Your lower back.
What do you notice here?
Tightness?
Nothing?
Over-fat?
Move up slowly to your abdomen,
Your belly.
How's it feeling?
Are you holding your stomach in?
Just let it release a little,
If you can.
No one's watching,
Just let yourself be.
Just notice how your breathing makes your abdomen rise and fall with each breath.
We're going to move higher up the body now,
Your chest,
Your mid-back,
Your upper back.
How does the breathing move in your chest?
Notice how your chest feels,
Just with each breath,
In and out.
Let's move up to your shoulders now.
Stress lives here for many of us,
We push back against the world.
How do your shoulders feel?
Pushed up?
Rolled?
You don't need to change anything,
Just notice.
As your mind wanders off,
To thoughts,
Worrying,
Remembering,
That's fine.
Just notice and bring your attention back to your shoulders,
Back to your body.
Now,
We're going to look at your arms,
Your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Hands,
Fingers.
Are your hands clenched?
Fingers curled?
Or are they just relaxed and soft?
Just notice,
No judgment,
No labeling.
Your hands work hard.
Moving up again now,
To your neck,
The front,
Back,
The sides,
Your jaw.
Is it tight?
Is it relaxed?
Can you let it soften slightly?
Your face,
Your cheeks,
Around your eyes,
Your forehead.
The muscles in your face work hard all day,
Controlling,
Messaging,
Managing.
Top of your head now,
The back.
Has your thoughts come in your head?
That's fine,
Thoughts are normal.
Just gently return your focus to your body.
Now,
Let's expand your awareness to your whole body.
All of it,
All of you,
Just resting here,
Breathing,
Being.
Just notice how you feel.
Just being here gently with yourself.
Now,
Just notice,
How do you feel compared to where we started?
You may feel no different.
You may feel some relaxation,
All are fine.
We're now going to come back to the real world.
Just gently now bring your senses back online.
What can you hear?
What's the temperature of the room?
What can you see with your eyes?
Take your time,
There's no rush.
Gently wiggle your fingers,
Toes,
Open your eyes if you haven't done so already.
Thank you for taking your time for yourself and listening to your body.
It wants your attention and you've done this.
