Welcome to your mindfulness practice.
In this practice,
We will be exploring the sensations,
Feelings,
And associations found within the body.
Body scans are particularly useful for developing a better relationship with the body and obtaining a state of deep relaxation.
Although the goal of this practice isn't to fall asleep,
It may happen,
Especially if you're lying down.
See if you can find a balance between a state of alertness and relaxation,
And feel free to change your position during the practice if you found you're falling asleep.
Find a comfortable position,
Whether that be lying down,
Sitting in a chair,
Or maybe even standing up.
Allow your body to settle and close the eyes.
And before we begin the body scan,
Take a few moments to ground your attention with your breath.
Watch the breath move in and out of the body.
Notice where in the body you can feel the breath most.
Perhaps that is your belly or chest,
Maybe your throat or nose.
Wherever it is,
Rest your attention there.
Feel the air moving in and out,
In and out.
During the body scan,
There might be parts of ourselves we feel good about,
As well as parts of us we may feel less good about.
See if you can bring an attitude of non-judgment and acceptance to whatever you might be experiencing.
You may also bring your attention back to the breath if thoughts or emotions get too challenging at any point.
Let's begin by bringing the attention to the feet.
Take a moment to notice any sensations in the feet.
Maybe wiggling the toes and seeing if you can have a sense of each individual toe.
Bringing your attention to the bottom of the foot,
The heel,
Top of the foot,
And the ankle.
Take a moment here to recognize all of the effort your feet make throughout your entire life to carry you from place to place and sending some gratitude to this part of your body.
And now moving up to have a sense of the lower legs,
The shins,
The calves,
And the knees.
See if you can sense any feelings,
Associations,
Or thoughts related to this area of the body.
And maybe even sensing a warmth in the back of the knees.
Moving up to the upper legs,
Feeling the thighs,
Hamstrings,
And buttocks.
What qualities are found here?
See if you can feel the solidity of this part of the body.
Take a moment to have a sense of both legs,
Feeling from the tips of the toes all the way to the hips.
And now moving away from your lower body and bring your attention to your waist and your belly.
The region in the body where your reproductive and digestive organs live.
Notice any sensations,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Or memories in this area of the body.
See if you can recognize what is present and bring a sense of acceptance and compassion for yourself.
Bring your attention to the back,
Lower back,
Middle of the back,
And your upper back.
Can you feel the points of contact between your back and the chair or floor?
Notice any areas of tightness or tension and see if you can relax those muscles.
Moving to the front,
Noticing any sensations in the chest,
The collarbone,
And your heart center.
Feeling the breath breathing,
The heart beating.
Noticing any feelings within this region of the body.
Moving up to the neck and shoulders.
Notice any thoughts associated with this area of the body.
See if you can feel a sense of deep relaxation through the shoulders.
Bring the attention now to the arms,
Feeling the upper arms,
The elbows,
The lower arms,
And the wrists.
What sensations can you feel in your arms?
Bring the attention to the hands,
Feeling into the palms,
Backs of the hands,
And bringing your attention to each of the fingers.
Maybe even moving the fingers or rubbing the hands together,
Feeling a sense of heat.
Just like your feet,
Your hands are incredibly useful for you in your everyday life.
See if you can hold a sense of gratitude for your hands and all of the work you do with them.
Moving back up the head now,
Starting with the jaw and mouth.
Notice any tension that you might be holding in this area of the body and see if you can relax those muscles.
Maybe even slightly parting your mouth.
Notice the muscles within the mouth,
The tongue,
And the lips.
Feeling into the cheeks,
The nose,
And the eyes,
Can you allow the eyes to relax?
Notice the forehead,
The temples,
And the ears.
What sensations are present here?
And finally,
Moving to the top of the head,
The scalp,
And the hair.
Take a deep breath and see if you can expand your awareness to include the entire body.
From the crown of the head all the way down to the toes,
The entire body breathing.
Bring a sense of acceptance,
Compassion,
And gratitude for the vehicle in which you live your life and know that your body is always present with you.
We'll begin to come out of the body scan.
Start by deepening the breath,
Taking a deep inhale through the nose,
Filling the belly and chest,
And exhale as you sigh it out through the mouth.
Listen to the entire sound of the bell and when you can no longer hear the sound,
You can open up your eyes.
You can open up your eyes as you sigh it out through the mouth,
Filling the belly and chest,
And exhale as you sigh it out through the mouth.
