Mini Bodyscan - Resting As You Are

This much shorter version of the Bodyscan practice is for connecting more deeply with the body. The emphasis is on rest, acceptance and letting sensations be. The practice is short enough to fit into even the busiest day, but at the same time it can really help you to come into a kinder and closer relationship with your body, to manage stress, to resource you to deal with daily challenges, and to improve sleep.

Transcript

This is the mini body scan practice. So whether you're sitting, Standing or lying down, Just making yourself comfortable and settling into stillness. Feeling into the connection between your body and whatever is supporting you from below and seeing if you can just open to that support a little bit more to really allow yourself to be held. Becoming aware of the breath for a few cycles, Following it as it comes in and following it as it flows out and knowing that you can come back to the sensations of the breath or to the contact between your body and whatever is supporting you at any point in the practice. Then letting your awareness travel down to your feet and becoming aware of whatever you can notice there. Sensations in the toes, In the soles, In the heels, In the ankles. With the breath in the background, Just noticing different sensations changing and coming and going in the feet. Letting your feet rest just as they are. Then taking a deeper breath and with the out breath letting go of the feet and becoming aware of your legs. Sensations in the shins and calves, In the knees, In the upper legs and in the hips. Opening to sensations in the whole of both legs now and letting your legs rest just as they are. Then taking a deeper breath and with the out breath letting go of the legs and directing your attention to the pelvic area. Sensations coming and going in the pelvic area and then coming up to the lower half of the torso, The lower back and spine, The abdomen at the front and then an awareness of sensations in the upper half of the torso. The chest, The ribcage, The shoulder blades and the upper half of the back and spine and the tops of the shoulders. The whole of the torso now, Noticing sensations coming and going in the whole of the torso. Letting it rest just as it is. Then taking a deeper in breath now and with the out breath letting go of the torso and directing your awareness to the hands. Different sensations in the hands and then up to the wrists, The lower arms, The elbows, The upper arms and the shoulder joints. Noticing sensations coming and going in the whole of both arms and letting your arms rest just as they are. Then taking a deeper breath in and with the out breath letting go of the arms and directing your attention to the neck and throat area and then to the back of the head, To the sides of the head including the ears. And then to the features of the face, The jaw and mouth, The nose and cheeks, The eyes, The forehead and the top of the head. The whole of the neck, Head and face area. Noticing sensations coming and going and just letting your head rest as it is. And then just for a few moments having a sense of your whole body, The whole body, The front as well as the back, The left side of the body as well as the right, The lower body as well as the upper body. Noticing sensations coming and going in the whole body and letting your whole body rest just exactly as it is. And then you may choose to rest for some time more with an awareness of your whole body or you may choose to begin to move and stretch the body a little and then to continue with your day with your awareness more grounded in the body and more grounded in the present moment.