Body Scan For Sleep

An extended body scan to calm the mind and help you get settled to drift off to sleep. Whether you're struggling to fall asleep or have woken up in the middle of the night, this meditation will help you relax. And even if you don't drift off to sleep you will be much more relaxed and rest more than you would otherwise.

Transcript

So this is a practice You can use whether you're trying to fall asleep,

Or if you've woken up in the middle of the night And can't get back to sleep.

It's just helping to calm the anxious mind Any anxious thoughts and inviting your body to rest To soften to be okay with the things as they are so lying down If you're not already and gently closing the eyes softening the face softening the forehead softening around the eyes Softening the cheeks the jaw maybe swallowing once and relaxing the throat Shoulders soft arms legs soft and the belly and the chest soft Responding to that natural rhythm of your body breathing And noticing where you can feel your breath.

It's more in the belly or the chest the back of your body the sides of your ribcage the throat the nose Where can you feel your breath?

We're noticing if the breath is deep or shallow Fast or slow.

What is the quality of your breath?

Judging just noticing observing witnessing Noticing your breath how it feels to breathe and if you find your mind is distracted or agitated That's totally okay Just any time you notice a thought coming back to the body coming back to the breath coming back to the present moment And then in your top known time taking three deep breaths So breathing out then breathing in slowly slowly the belly expands the chest expands Extending out the breath as much as is comfortable.

And then when you're ready breathing out really really slowly Just slowing down your breath as much as you comfortably can Without gasping for air can breathing in and out of the belly.

So the belly expands as you breathe in and Falls as you breathe out,

But if that's confusing just breathing in whatever deep way Feels natural to you and then allowing the breath to settle return to its natural rhythm Body breathing all on its own because the body knows how to breathe all on its own as you bring your awareness to your left toes noticing any sensations around your left toes without moving them just Noticing,

Can you feel your toes hot or cold?

Is there tingling might even notice there's space between your toes If you can't feel them at all Just becoming aware of where they are visualizing in your mind where they are the end of your feet now noticing the left foot sole of the foot top of the foot and all the space Between the top of the foot and the sole of the foot the left ankle part of the body that connects The legs to the feet left calf the left shin and all that space between The calf and the shin just any sensations that you can feel Inside that lower half of your leg.

Well,

If you can't feel it,

That's okay Just visualizing in your mind where your lower half of your leg is in space knee front of the knee in the back of the knee and the space between The front of the knee in the back of the knee the left thigh and any Any sensations around your left thigh any sensations that tell you it's part of your body.

It's there it exists Just all that space embodied by your left thigh and the left side of the pelvis pelvic area bum cheek left hip Any sensations around that left side of your pelvis the left side of your pelvic area and the left side of the torso?

Side of the belly Chest back upper back lower back is becoming aware of all the different Sensations around the left side of your torso might be a gentle movement as you breathe body breathe Maybe the contact between the body and the bed Body and the sheets that blanket is the left side of your torso left shoulder And any sensations around your left shoulder armpit left upper arm through all that space and all those sensations within the space of your left upper arm elbow inner elbow and outer elbow and the space between Your inner elbow and outer elbow left forearm and any sensations around your left forearm to wrist Or should your body that connects the arm to your hand your left wrist?

And your left hand palm of the hand Back of that might even notice that the palm of the hand and the back of the hand feel different Or maybe they feel the same just becoming aware of the sensations around your hand Palm of the hand back and all that space that inner space Between the palm of the hand and the back of your hand on a finger is any sensations around your left fingers Maybe even becoming aware of the space between your fingers and then just Expanding your awareness for a moment to encompass the whole left side of your body Just experiencing the whole left side of your body is a sea of sensations this landscape of different sensations Support of the bed.

Maybe there's warmth or coldness Maybe there's tingling.

Maybe it's just an awareness.

The left side of your body is there it exists It is part of you and your experience and then bringing your awareness to your right toes toes On your right foot any sensations you can identify Identify tell you your right toes are there they exist part of your body Maybe even the space between the toes and then the right foot the sole of the right foot Top of the right foot and that space all that inner space Between the sole of the foot and the top of the foot the right ankle any sensations around your right ankle And if you can't feel it,

That's okay.

Just visualizing it visualizing where it is and And how it connects your foot your right foot to your right leg coming up to the right Shin and the right car the lower half of the right leg the space between the shin and the calf That inner space like knee the front of the knee back of the knee and all that space between the front of the knee and the back of the might even notice the front of the knee and the back of the Knee feel a bit different or maybe not.

Maybe they feel the same the right thigh all the different sensations To make up your right thigh.

They'll tell you it's there.

It's part of your body.

It's bringing your awareness To your right thigh the right side of the pelvis Right bum cheek the right hip any sensations around that Right side of your pelvic area and the right side of your torso right side of your belly your chest Upper back lower back.

It's the whole right side of your torso might be a slight movement as you breathe body breathing support of the bed feeling up the weight of the blanket or covers Just any sensations around that right side of your torso the right shoulder And the right armpit the right upper arm and any sensations any feelings any tinglings?

Around your right upper arm right elbow inner elbow outer elbow space between The inner elbow and the outer elbow just all that space that inner space of your elbow forearm lower half of your arm any sensations Around your right forearm in the right wrist you can't feel that it's okay Just picturing it in your mind your right wrist and the right hand so the palm of the hand and the back of the hand Noticing if the palm of the hand and the back of the hand feel different or if they feel the same Maybe some of the hands hot some of its cold and all that inner space of your hand,

Too so the space between the back of the hand and The palm of the hand and then the right fingers any sensations around your right fingers and the space between your right fingers and then Expanding your awareness to encompass the whole right side of your body body you call home Any sensations around your right side of your body?

Tingling Temperature the support of the bed or just an awareness that the right side of your body is there it exists You can feel it right side of the body coming up to your neck bringing your awareness to focus on your neck Any sensations around your neck outer surface of your neck or the inner?

Sensations of your throat you might even feel the breath at the back of your throat and then coming up to the chin Noticing your chin lips teeth and gum tongue cheeks ears inner ear and the outer ears eyes eyelids and eyeballs eyebrows Forehead one of the head the top of your head back of your head and experiencing the whole head and face And all the different sensations around your head and face.

I tell you it's there It's part of your body and expanding your awareness to encompass your whole whole body is this sea of?

Sensations this landscape of different sensations tingling of support between the bed and your body There's temperature pressure being aware of your body as a whole and if a particular body part draws your attention Allowing your awareness to drift there and then drift away just experiencing your body It's all these sensations this experience of being alive experience of breathing of resting body Body breathing body alive and then just staying here now connected with your body connected with your breath