Hello,
Welcome!
My name is Michaela and I am here to guide you through a body scan meditation.
If you are listening to this recording,
You should be ready to relax and to let go of some of the tension in your body.
We're going to start by bringing your attention spontaneously to your breath.
Pay attention to the inhale and the exhale coming in and out of your nose and your mouth.
When it feels good to you,
Take a deep breath in,
Hold it for just a moment and let it go.
Once more,
Take a deep breath in,
Hold it for a moment and let it go,
Allowing your breath to return back to normal.
Bring your attention up to the top of your head.
Notice if there's any sensations on the very top of your head.
Numbness or tingling,
Heat or cold.
Notice all sensations on the top of your head before flowing your attention down to the back of your head.
Is anything supporting your head?
Can you feel your hair,
A pillow,
Or a couch?
Bring your attention to your forehead.
Many people hold tension in their forehead.
Notice if this is true for you.
Before bringing your attention to your eyes,
Allowing your eyes to be gently closed but not squeezed shut.
Allow the muscles around your eyes to relax.
Bring your attention to your nose,
To your mouth,
To your jaw.
Allowing your jaw to gently relax by opening your lips slightly and parting your teeth.
Pay attention to your whole head at once,
The top of your head,
The back of your head,
And your face.
Your whole head alive with sensation.
Allow your attention to flow down your neck to your shoulders,
Relaxing the muscles in your shoulders,
Allowing there to be space between your shoulders and your ears.
Bring your attention to your upper back,
Your middle back,
And your lower back.
Your whole back and shoulders at once.
Breathe into areas that need relaxation that may be holding on to tension.
Bring your attention to your chest,
The rise and fall of your chest,
To your abdomen,
The rise and fall of your belly with each breath.
Notice your whole torso at once,
Front and back,
Chest and belly.
Allow your attention to be drawn to your arms,
To your upper arm,
Your bicep,
And your tricep.
Allow a wave of relaxation to flow from your shoulders down your upper arm to your elbows.
Notice sensations in your elbows.
Feel any material resting against them.
Notice if they are bent or straight before bringing your attention to your forearms,
To your wrists,
And to your hands.
Notice your left hand,
The back of your hand,
The palm of your hand,
Your thumb,
Your pointer,
Your left middle finger,
Your ring finger,
Your left pinky finger,
Your whole left hand from your wrist through your palms to the tips of your fingers,
Before bringing attention to your right hand.
Notice the back of your right hand,
The palm of your right hand.
Bring your attention to your thumb,
Your pointer,
Your middle finger,
Your ring finger,
And your pinky finger.
Notice your whole right hand from your wrist to your palms to the tips of your fingertips.
Bring your attention down to your waist,
Your hips,
Your pelvic area,
And your buttocks.
Notice your whole pelvic region alive with sensation.
Notice how this area is connected to the ground beneath you,
Holding you,
Supporting you,
And allow these muscles to relax.
Bring your attention to your thighs,
Your big,
Strong thighs that hold you throughout the day.
Allow them to relax.
Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out,
Feeling relaxation flow from the top of your head,
Down your shoulders,
Past your torso,
Past your pelvic area,
To your thighs.
A nice flowing sensation of peace.
Bring your attention to your knees.
Notice the bend in your knees,
Your kneecap,
And the back of your knees,
Both knees at once.
And down again to your calves,
To your shins,
To your whole lower leg.
Notice your ankles,
And then bring your attention to your left foot,
The heel of your left foot,
The ball of your foot,
The sole of your foot,
The top of your foot.
Notice each individual toe on your left foot.
Notice the spaces between the toes on your left foot.
Feel your whole left foot alive with sensation.
Before bringing your attention to your right foot,
From your heel to the ball of your feet,
Notice the sole of your right foot,
Notice the top of your right foot.
Notice each individual toe on your right foot.
Notice the space between the toes.
Feel your whole right foot at once alive with sensation.
Your whole left foot and right foot at once alive with sensation.
Take a moment to breathe and to enjoy this feeling of relaxation.
Allow yourself to be five or ten percent more comfortable in the position that you are in.
Let your attention flow freely around your body,
Noticing areas that are relaxed and areas that need to release tension.
Take a deep breath in,
And when you exhale,
Imagine yourself releasing tension in these areas.
When you are ready,
Wiggle your toes,
Roll your ankles,
Wiggle your fingers,
Roll your wrists,
Move your neck from side to side and front to back.
Put a stretch in your body,
Allow your arms to go above your head,
And bring your body back to the present moment.
Thank you for joining me for this guided meditation.
