The body scan,
Shorter version,
Recorded by Gemma at the Owl and the Coconut.
Find in a comfortable position where you're going to be for around 10 minutes.
Maybe lying on a bed or on a mat or a blanket on the floor or sitting in a chair.
Bringing your awareness to the bottom of your feet.
To the contact of the heels on the floor.
Tuning in to any sensations at the big toe.
And all the little toes around it.
Maybe noticing the temperature at the feet.
Any sensations of touch.
Contact with a sock or a shoe or the ground.
And bringing the awareness to the ankles.
Just noticing if there's anything present at the ankles.
Bringing awareness up the legs,
Along the bones and the skin to the knees.
Noticing any sensations at the knees,
Any areas of softness or difficulty.
Or perhaps just registering a blank.
And just noticing as the mind drifts and thoughts come in and out.
And just if you choose,
Returning your awareness back to the knees.
And any sensations present at the knees right now.
And gently moving your awareness up the thighs.
From the backs of the thighs and the front of the thighs to the hip joints.
And the pelvis area.
The front and the back of the pelvis area.
And just noticing this area of your body and how it is for you right now.
Any contact with the floor or the mat or the chair.
Just tuning in to any sensations inside the pelvic area.
Travelling around the lower back,
Spine,
Around the tummy area,
The stomach.
Towards the lungs and the rib cage.
And just noticing any sensations in the lungs or the ribs.
Around towards the middle of the back.
Just resting awareness around this area.
The lungs,
The ribs,
The middle of the back.
And travelling your awareness to the top of the shoulders and the front of the chest.
And just noticing anything registered in this area,
Any areas of softness or tension.
And just breathing into this area,
The shoulders,
The upper back and the chest.
And just noticing what's present for you in these areas right now.
Travelling your awareness down from the shoulders to the upper arms.
The elbows,
The lower arms.
To the wrists and down to the hands.
The fingers and the fingertips.
Just tuning in to any sensations present at the fingertips.
Noticing any contact with maybe the floor or the sitting bones.
If the hands are resting on the floor or on the legs.
Just tuning in to any connection with anything that the hands are touching.
Perhaps noticing the temperature at the hands.
And travelling the awareness back on the tips of the fingers,
Up the hands,
Past the wrists.
Lower arms and the elbows.
The upper arms and the shoulders.
To the neck.
And just taking in the whole neck area.
Taking a few breaths here.
Rising the awareness to the back of the neck and the jaw.
The teeth,
The lips,
The cheeks.
The nose,
The eyes,
The eyelids,
The forehead.
The top of the head and the back of the head.
And the ears.
Just taking in,
Taking the awareness to the whole of the face and the head.
You don't need to do anything particular here.
Just noticing how the face and the head is for you right now.
Just registering any sensations,
Areas of coolness or warmth.
Any areas of softening or hardening.
Or just registering a blank.
And just noticing as the mind wanders as it will over and over again.
And that's completely normal.
And just gently,
If you choose,
Guiding your awareness back to noticing the sensations in your face and the back of your head.
Moving now to the sensations of the whole body.
Taking the body in as a whole.
From the head,
The shoulders,
Down the hands,
The arms to the hands.
The upper torso and the lower torso.
The hips,
The legs,
The knees,
The feet.
And just taking in all of the body as you take a few last mindful breaths.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Just noticing again the contact of the body as you lie or sit in the last few moments of this body scan for now.
And if you've had your eyes closed,
Just opening the eyes now.
Wiggling the fingers and the toes.
And just gently and gradually easing back in to movement.
