Welcome to the body scan meditation practice.
Taking a few moments to find a comfortable position.
Either lying down on a mat or on the rug.
Lying is not comfortable for you.
You may choose to sit in a chair.
The intention of this practice is to bring your attention to any sensations that you might notice.
As you bring your attention on each body part in turn.
The practice is not about trying to feel any different,
Relaxed or even calm.
As this may happen or it may not.
It is simply about being present to your body.
Exactly how it already is.
Allowing the eyes to close.
And allowing the body to settle more deeply into stillness.
Noticing any thoughts or stories that you may have brought to today's practice.
Allowing them to be here as you continue to soften into the body.
Now becoming aware of the sensations of the breath in the body.
Noticing the breath as you breathe in and breathe out.
Treating the subtle sensations of the breath.
Perhaps around the ribs,
The chest area or in the lower abdomen.
Not changing the breath in any way,
Simply experiencing the air as it comes into and out of the body.
Staying here for a few moments.
Now releasing your attention from the awareness of the breath.
And shifting your attention to the toes of both feet.
Becoming aware of the heels,
The soles of the feet.
The size of the feet.
Noticing the entire feet.
Perhaps noticing sensations of tingling,
Coolness,
Warmth.
Or maybe no particular sensation at all.
Now becoming aware of the lower legs,
The ankles,
The calves,
Shins.
Just feeling into whatever sensations are present in these parts of the body.
Noticing the knees.
Moving up to the thighs,
The back of the thighs,
The muscles and the skin and the bones.
Awareness of the entire legs.
Now taking one deeper than normal breath and letting go of the entire feet and legs completely.
If at any moment you become aware of tension or of other intense sensations in a particular part of the body,
You may experiment with breathing in to them.
Inhaling gently to bring attention right into the sensations.
Softening around the sensations on the out breath.
Seeing if you can stay with the discomfort.
If the experience becomes too overwhelming,
You can always choose to bring your attention back to the breath.
Or some place else in the body that feels safe.
Taking another breath and bringing your attention to the pelvic region.
The hip bones,
The pelvic ball.
And possibly becoming aware of the organs held in this part of the body.
The intestines,
The reproductive organs,
The bladder.
You may also notice the contact of the tailbone and buttocks on the surface that you are lying on.
Taking a long breath in and out.
And shifting your attention to the lower back and noticing any sensations here.
Some of us may feel tension or tightness around the lower back.
It is normal if memories or emotions arise while paying attention on a particular body part.
If this happens,
You can simply notice them and when you are ready,
Returning to the sensations in the lower back.
Becoming aware of the middle back and upper back.
Perhaps feeling the subtle sensations and movement in the back as you breathe in and breathe out.
And breathing fully into the back.
And as you exhale,
Letting go.
Coming around to the front of the body.
Becoming aware of the abdominal region.
The stomach.
Perhaps feeling sensations of digestion,
Hunger,
Or fullness.
Noticing any subtle sensations in the abdomen as it rises and falls with each breath.
Awareness of the chest.
Feeling the inflation and deflation of the lungs with the breath.
The ribcage expanding in the front,
The sides,
And the back.
Noticing the rising and falling of the chest from breathing.
Sensing the muscles of the chest,
The breasts,
Collar bones,
And skin.
From time to time during this practice,
You may notice that your mind has wandered to a thought.
Thoughts about the body,
Or thoughts about the practice,
Or thoughts about something else.
When you notice that your mind has wandered to a thought,
Or to lots of thoughts,
Remembering to continue practicing non-judgment toward whatever you are thinking or feeling.
See if you can let go of thoughts and returning to the sensations in the body.
Now taking a big breath in,
And shifting your attention to the hands and fingers.
Awareness of the palms of your hands and the backs of your hands and your wrists.
You may notice some energy in the hands,
Perhaps pulsing,
Tingling.
It could be warmth,
Coolness,
Dryness,
Or moisture.
Now becoming aware of the forearms and the elbows.
Now noticing the upper arms,
And feeling your entire arms from the inside out.
Now moving attention to the back of the head,
The scalp,
The sides of the head,
The ears,
And awareness of the face,
The lips,
The mouth,
The nose,
The cheeks,
Cheekbones,
Areas around the eyes,
And noticing the entire face.
And bringing your attention to the top of the head.
And then bringing your attention all the way down to the toes.
Gently scanning your entire body from top of the head to all the way down to the toes.
And returning to the breath.
Becoming aware of the subtle sensations of the breath as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
And feeling the sensations of the breath and noticing the stillness of the body.
And before today's practice comes to an end,
Acknowledging yourself for having spent this time cultivating greater awareness and ease,
And for increasing your capacity to live and perform mindfully.
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