Hey,
It's Theo.
Thank you for joining me for a mindfulness practice.
Did you know that when we nurture,
Respect,
And tune into our bodies,
They teach us important information about ourselves?
Well,
Training our attention to focus on the experience of the body is one way to tune into the physical sensations and simply take note of how it feels in the moment.
This mindfulness practice is called a body scan.
In a body scan,
We pay attention to one part of our body at a time.
While doing so,
We are not trying to find anything in particular.
Rather,
We are simply taking the time to notice with openness and curiosity what is unfolding in each specific area of the body.
Because our emotions are often experienced as physical sensations,
Practicing the body scan can help us recognize and work with those emotions and the effects they have on our bodies.
So let's get started.
Begin lying down on your back or seated upright with your arms relaxed by your side or in your lap.
Take a moment to settle into your body,
Closing your eyes or softening your gaze downward.
Bring your attention to the flow of your breath.
Notice each breath coming into the body with an in-breath and leaving the body with an out-breath.
With each out-breath,
Allow the body to relax.
No sensation is right or wrong.
The intention is to simply open your awareness to how your body feels.
At the end of your next out-breath,
Bring your attention to focus on the back and the top of your head.
Simply notice what sensations arise,
And remain open to the experience.
If you get distracted by other thoughts,
Emotions or body sensations,
Simply notice what is distracting you and gently let it go by redirecting your attention back to the back and the top of your head.
Now bring your attention to focus on your face,
From forehead to chin and from ear to ear.
Allow your facial muscles to soften.
At the end of your next out-breath,
Shift your attention to the back of your head.
Bring your attention to your shoulders,
From the shoulders to the wrists.
At the end of your next out-breath,
Shift your attention to the length of your arms,
From your shoulders right down to your wrists.
Bring your attention to your hands,
The palms of your hands,
The back of your hands and the fingers.
Notice the sensation of touch between the hand and the surface where it's resting.
Allow your arms and hands to relax.
Now place your attention in the area of your torso,
From the chest all the way down to the hips.
From the chest all the way down to the hips.
You can notice the rising and falling of the chest and belly as you breathe in and out.
At the end of your next out-breath,
Bring your awareness to focus on the length of your legs,
From the hips all the way down to the ankles.
At the end of your next out-breath,
Bring your awareness to focus on the length of your legs,
From the hips all the way down to the ankles.
Let your legs be at rest.
Now bring your attention to your feet.
Include the soles of the feet,
The tops of the feet and the toes.
Allow your feet to relax.
Continue to pay attention to your body for a few more sips of breath,
Allowing your whole body to relax.
Whenever you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes if they were closed and take a few moments to check in with yourself.
Whatever you feel is perfectly fine.
The idea is to just notice without judgement and let how your body feels in the moment help inform your choices.
By deliberately placing attention on our body sensations,
We are able to befriend and better understand where in the body we are storing physical and emotional pain.
Before we end this practice,
Take a moment to appreciate your effort in bringing awareness to your body.
Self-care practices like the Body Scan will help you function at your best.
Thanks so much for your practice.
