This meditation is a simple beginner's body scan to help you get in touch with your body,
Your breathing,
And to release any tension that you are feeling throughout your body.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
You can do this meditation sitting on a cushion,
In a chair,
Or lying down.
I recommend doing it lying down.
To get started,
Begin with a few deep breaths.
On your exhale,
Imagine any tension or stress that you have being carried out on your breath.
Take a few more deep breaths.
I'd like to ask you to draw your attention to your toes.
Starting with the pinky toe,
Go through each toe.
Just imagine any tension leaving your toes on your exhale.
Your pinky toe,
Your fourth toe,
Your third toe,
Your second toe,
And your big toe.
Now bring your attention to the ball of your foot.
As you exhale,
Imagine any tension in the ball of your foot releasing.
Bring your attention to the sole of your foot.
On your next exhale,
Imagine any tension being held in the sole of your foot,
Be it from working,
Playing,
Dancing,
Chasing little ones around.
Just lovingly let that tension release.
Now bring your attention to the heel of your foot and your ankles.
Take a deep breath and relax those parts.
Let any pain or tension simply go.
Now bring your attention to your lower legs,
Your calf muscles,
Your shins,
These muscles that work so hard to support you throughout your day.
Take a few deep breaths.
Imagine white light coming in on your inhale,
Cleansing out any toxins or impurities.
And on your exhale,
Let those toxins and impurities go.
Moving up to the knees now.
Pay attention to what you have going on in your knees.
Is there any soreness,
Any tightness,
Any pain?
Take a deep breath after you've noticed your tension and simply let it go.
Now let's bring our attention to our thighs.
Our thighs are full of absolutely massive,
Powerful muscles that help support our entire bodies throughout the day.
They can get tight with sitting,
Standing,
Anything we do for too long can cause tightness so just be mindful of whatever you might have experienced to make these muscles tight.
And now just lovingly let that go.
Now bring your attention to your pelvic girdle,
Your hips,
Your groin,
Your glutes.
Just notice any tension that you have there all the way into the low back,
Just about where it meets your hips.
This can be a source of tension for many people,
Though our back issues are fairly common.
So now noticing any tension about the hips,
The low back,
Or the groin,
Breathe deeply and allow that tension to go.
Now let's bring your attention to the muscles in the stomach and the mid back.
Sometimes we can feel pain in these muscles,
Burning sensations due to anxiety we have,
Holding it inside our solar plexus.
And this can be a source of nausea or discomfort throughout the day.
Noticing any discomfort,
Any sensations that do not serve your highest good,
Simply allow yourself to let this tension go.
As the tension leaves your body,
You can thank it for its service to you,
For letting it know that you needed to do this meditation and take care of yourself.
And simply allow it to release back into the universe,
Where it can be transmitted and healed.
Now bring your attention to your upper back and your chest.
There's a world of muscles here that allow us to stretch,
Reach,
Breathe.
These muscles serve a vital role in our day to day functioning in ways we might not even think about.
So now take these muscles for all the wonderful things that they allow your body to do and simply release the tension from them on your exhale.
Now bring your attention to your shoulders.
Notice any tension you feel from slouching,
Leaning forward too far,
Be it from reading a book or working at a computer screen.
Allow this discomfort to leave.
Bring your attention down to your arms,
Your elbows,
Your lower arm,
Your hands,
And your fingers.
Breathe deeply as you imagine any tension or impurities leaving from these parts of your body.
Now bring your attention to your arms,
Your elbows,
Your fingers that allow you to hold your loved ones,
Write letters to them,
Be in contact with them.
They give you the gift of exploring the physical reality around you.
Once you have released the tension from your arms,
Bring your attention to your neck.
The neck is another major area where we really tend to hold a lot of tension.
In paying attention to your neck,
Be sure to be mindful of your throat and your lower jaw.
These areas can become tight as well.
As you take a few deep breaths,
Simply allow your jaw to relax for that to help serve the purpose of relieving tension in your neck.
Pay attention to the relief in your neck and allow it to help soften the muscles in your forehead and your face.
Many times people experience what they think are sinus headaches when what's really happening is the muscles in the neck are creating tension that pull on the head and pull the muscles in the face back.
So it's so important to pay attention to your neck and head as a unit and to allow that tension to simply go.
Allow your eyes to soften,
Your cheeks to soften.
Feel your inner ears relax as everything just becomes loose,
Comfortable and free of any discomfort.
Notice your whole body now.
Notice how now it's feeling lighter,
More relaxed,
How areas of tension you were dealing with before have simply been allowed to relax,
To let go.
Take as many deep breaths as you like and continue to focus in this relaxed stillness.
When you are ready,
Bring your attention back to the feel of your body on your seat.
Be well and love always.
