Deep Relaxation | Guided Body Scan Meditation

Whether you’re looking to reduce stress, manage anxiety, or simply find a moment of peace in your busy day, this full-body scan provides a structured way to settle into the present moment. By systematically scanning from the top of the head down to the toes, you'll learn to notice and release gripping and tension, leaving you with a sense of softness and relaxed presence.

In this video, you will practice a guided 25-minute body scan for deep relaxation and cultivate a "beginner’s mind" to approach meditation with curiosity. You will identify and release physical tension stored in the body, connect with the natural rhythm of your breath to ground yourself, and carry a sense of peace and presence back into your daily life. As this practice promotes deep relaxation, please refrain from listening while driving or operating machinery.

Transcript

We're going to practice body scan meditation. So get comfortable. It's going to last about 25 minutes. And when you're ready. Allow the eyes to gently close. And this may be the first time you've ever meditated. It might be the first time in a while, And that's all fine. Because every time we approach meditation. It should be with. A beginner's mind. As if we're meditating for the first time. So we throw out. Any expectations? Any preconceived ideas. And we just sit. With the eyes gently closed. As if sitting. In this body. As if sitting for the first time ever. . . As if just landing in this body. Having never experienced it before. So with that sense of. . . Awakening Curiosity? Take your attention to the top of your head. What can you feel here? Perhaps you can feel. . . Cool that. Tingling. Attention. Whatever you feel, Just tune into it. And feel it chain. Perhaps softening. Then almost as if. The muscles of the scalp. Let go. Melt away. Field. Release here. And then allow that sense of awareness to travel down into the forehead. What can you feel here? Again. Allowing the muscles in the forehead to soften. To let go. Than allowing that sense of awareness to scan down into the eye. And releasing any tension. And his sense of holding onto the ice. Just surrender. All the muscles in this area to gravity. Then down into the cheekbones the jaw. Allowing the jaw to drop a little. To soften. And down in two. The front of the neck. The throat. Along the collarbone. And the muscles of the shoulders allowing them to just soften. And then down the upper arms. The lower arms. Into their hands. And for a moment really focusing on the hands. What can you feel here? Become one with. What have you feel in the hand? So that the whole of your attention is absorbed. Into sensations occurring now in the hand. Then out into all the fingers and the thumbs. And taking your attention back up. Onto the tops of the shoulders What can you feel here in the shoulders? And can you feel the breathing? Slightly. Moving the shoulders. Feeling the way they rise on the in-breath and fall on the out-breath and sweeping that attention down in the chest feeling the muscles of the chest skin against clothing. And expand that awareness. Into the ribcage. Feeling the ribs move. As you breathe. Than the solar plexus. And down into the abdomen. Releasing any tension in the abdomen. Any feeling of gripping? Of holding in. Allowing everything to just. . . To surrender to gravity. And connecting to. The rising and falling that happens with the breath. The feeling of the abdomen gently swelling. Then contracting. And down into the hips. Pelvis. And along the fronts of the thighs. Moving your awareness along. Towards the knee. Feeling whatever is present. Into the knees and down the shins feeling air on the skin. Touch of clothing the tingling. Blood flow. The release of muscles. Down into the ankles. And along the tops of the feet. Healing the toes. The tops of the toes. The tips of the toes. Toes touching one another. And the undersides of the toes. And feeling the balls of the feet. If you're seated in a chair. You'll be able to feel the light pressure. As they meet the ground. And then D. Soles of the feet. All the way. From the ball. The instep. The heel. Then travelling up the back of the calves. Deep into the muscle belly. Allowing any knots. Any tension to be noticed. And when we notice tension. We often see that we're gripping and holding. We're creating the tension ourselves. So wherever you find tension in the body See this as an opportunity. So just. Let it go. And then into the back of the knees. Along the hamstring. All the way until. . . You reach the buttocks. Feeling the right side. Connected. To the sea. Setting up. And then the left side. And then both at once. Feeling. Her balance comes from here. Of strong stability. Rooted in the present moment. Then up into the lower back, Accepting if you can. Any discomfort that's here. And if there is none, Appreciating that. Then up into the middle back. The shoulder blades. Seeing if you can soften the shoulder blades. Onto the tops of the shoulders. Again, Seeing if you can connect with the breath. The rising and falling. That happens. With the in and the out breath. And again, If you feel any tension here. Move into it. And push it out of the body. Instead see where you are holding on yourself releasing any gripping. Then at the back of the neck. The nape of the neck. Back of the head. The sides of the head, Including the ears. Then all the way back onto the top of the head. Right where we began. Feeling whatever you feel here now and then allowing that awareness to simply. . . Be fully embodied. Wherever it shows up. Just resting. In awareness connecting with. Any sense of ease that might have arisen. Any sense of peace. A sense of softness. Sense of presence. And in one moment we will. Bring the class to a close. And when we do, Don't hurry out of meditation. We've cultivated this. Soft and gentle awareness. And we need it very much in the world. So instead of rushing. Allow the eyes to open. And carry this. Sense of relaxation presence. Out with you. Into your world.