Restorative Body Scan

This Body Scan meditation offers a gentle opportunity to take a pause in your day. Dedicating 20 minutes daily to reset mind and body, and take deep, restorative rest can transform your health & wellbeing, your sleep, and your life. This is a core meditation practice on my eight-week Mindfulness for Life program.

Transcript

So you can sit or lay down for this meditation,

Whichever is most comfortable for you.

Taking a few moments to make yourself comfortable and you can close over your eyes if you'd like.

So if you're sitting,

Allowing the small of your back to be pushed against the back of the chair and your spine to be straight but with your shoulders relaxed down.

And feeling your feet on the ground and resting your hands on your lap.

And if you're lying down,

Allowing your hands to rest down by your sides and your legs to be straight,

Your feet falling out gently to the sides.

And you can adjust any light,

Tight or restricting clothing so your breath can flow naturally and easily.

And you can try to remain still for the course of this meditation.

But if you do need to move and adjust your posture,

That's fine too.

With this body scan meditation,

It's a chance for you to take some time out of your busy schedule to simply be present.

There is no clear goal to achieve here.

We are just becoming fully aware of our experience in the present moment.

You may feel more relaxed as we go on or you may not.

But all that is required of you now is to keep your attention on the sound of my voice.

As I guide you to focus on different parts of the body in turn.

And we'll begin by becoming aware of the physical sensations in the body,

In the places where your body makes contact with the chair or the ground.

Feeling your heels or your feet on the floor,

Your thighs and your back against the chair or the mat.

And noticing if there are any other parts that are making contact with the ground or chair.

And allowing the surface to hold you,

To support you throughout the practice.

And bringing your attention now to the breath.

Feeling the air coming in and out of the body.

Can you feel the air in the nostrils?

Is it warm or cool?

Can you feel the air moving in and out of the belly?

As the belly moves up and down.

Just noticing.

Not needing to alter the breath in any way.

Just watching the breath as it rises and falls.

And now I want you to direct spotlight of your attention to the toes of the left foot.

Becoming fully aware of your toes to the exclusion of every other part of your body.

Exploring how your toes feel.

Can you feel all the individual toes?

Do they feel cramped or loose?

Just noticing what sensations are present.

And then expanding your awareness to the rest of the left foot.

To the heel and the sole and the top of the foot.

Holding your entire left foot now in your mind.

And moving your awareness now into the left lower leg.

Letting go of the foot and tuning in to the lower left leg to see how that feels.

Your calf.

Your shin.

Can you feel where your clothing makes contact with the skin of your leg?

Becoming present with your experience.

And noticing now where your mind is.

Has it drifted off to some worries,

Plans,

Memories or emotions?

And if it has,

That's okay.

Minds wander all the time.

That's what minds do.

So just gently returning your attention to the sensations in the left leg.

Moving now to the upper leg.

Seeing how this area feels.

Exploring deep into the bones and the muscles of the left leg.

Moving now to the thigh.

And now moving your awareness across the body to the sensations of the toes of the right foot.

Again seeing what sensations arise here.

Is there any difference between the left toes and the right toes?

Moving your attention now to the entire right foot.

And to the right lower leg.

And again up towards the thigh.

Tuning in here and seeing what is present with a sense of playful curiosity.

Is there any particular sensations like tingling,

Pulsation,

Blood flow?

Just noticing.

And seeing now if you are still present or if your mind has drifted off again.

And if it has,

Bringing your attention back to the body without any judgement or criticism.

In fact you can congratulate yourself.

You have caught yourself.

This is a moment of mindfulness.

It is this catching the mind and returning to the body that strengthens our attention.

And cultivates peace and stillness within the body.

So returning your attention to the body,

Focusing now on the abdomen.

Tuning in here again to the rise and fall of the breath in the body.

Watching the breath and accepting it for exactly how it is in this moment.

Just watching the breath.

And moving your awareness now around to the lower back and seeing how this area feels.

Many of us carry pain in the lower back.

And if you are feeling pain,

Just observing these sensations.

Exploring the sensations that you find here.

Is there pinching?

Tightness?

Or is it a dull ache?

Being present with your experience exactly as you find it.

And now extending your awareness up the body to the rib cage and the upper back.

Tuning into the work of the heart and the lungs as you breathe oxygen into the body.

Noticing the expansion and contraction of the rib cage.

This powerful process that keeps us alive.

And becoming aware of the shoulders.

How they gently rock as you breathe.

Noticing the subtle movements and sensations of your shoulders against the chair or the floor.

And moving your attention now to the neck and the head.

Tuning into the forehead and the cheeks and the jaw.

Seeing if there is any tension or holding here.

And if you like you can choose to relax these areas.

But for the purpose of this exercise,

All that is required is that you just notice how they feel.

And now moving the spotlight of your attention from your shoulders down your arms through your wrists.

And focusing fully on the sensations of the hands.

Our hands where we can really experience the pulsation of life.

Tuning into any tingling,

Pulsation,

Warmth or coolness that you find here.

And it's funny how these sensations become so alive when we choose to place our attention on them.

Yet we don't even notice this when we are busy throughout the day.

And bringing your entire body into awareness now as you rest here.

Becoming aware again of the breath infusing throughout the whole body.

Nourishing cells,

Tendons and organs.

Imagining the breath filling the entire body with the nourishing air on the in-breath.

And on the out-breath.

Letting go of all that is not wanted or needed by the body.

In-breath nourishment.

Out-breath letting go.

And as we come to the end of this body scan exercise.

You can acknowledge with gratitude the effort you made to be present with your experience as it unfolded moment by moment.

Taking time to practice mindfulness is an act of self-care.

An act of commitment to yourself.

To create a healthier mind,

A healthier body and a more joyful and peaceful life.

Despite all of the challenges of life.

There is always the opportunity to take the time to just be present.

Without the habitual need to be fixing,

Perfecting and achieving.

And when you hear the bell ringing to mark the end of this body scan exercise.

You can open your eyes carrying with you this sense of being fully present into the next moments of your day.

Championship celebration

Reviews

Thank you for the pleasant body scan. Your voice is very soothing.

Such a pleasant voice ❤️

Thanks for posting and getting my week off to calm start. ♥️♥️♥️