For this meditation,
It is best if you lie down on the floor on a mat or a blanket,
With your legs uncrossed,
Feet feeling out to the side.
Your arms can be by your side,
Palms facing up,
Or if you're more comfortable,
Your hands can be relaxed lightly on your belly.
And make yourself comfortable.
You may want to be covered by a blanket so you're warm.
And make sure that you will not be disturbed.
Then close your eyes softly and bring your awareness to your body.
Be aware of the contact points of your body with the floor.
And take the time to adjust to this position.
And let yourself sink deeper in the mat on each breath.
Although this exercise can make you feel relaxed,
It's not the intention of the body scan.
I invite you to be alert and awake.
But if you notice you are falling asleep,
Please don't be critical of yourself.
If it happens frequently,
You may want to practice the body scan with your eyes open,
Or in a sitting position.
Take this time to observe the sensations that occur from moment to moment in your body.
How does the body feel right now?
Which areas of your body feel comfortable and relaxed?
Which areas are you experiencing tension,
Tightness or discomfort?
See if you can notice these areas without judgment.
No feeling is right or wrong.
Simply notice what you feel as you scan your body.
If you notice any thoughts,
Allow those thoughts to dissolve.
Maintaining your focus on your body,
Practice kindness with your body and the thoughts you have about it.
And as you move through various parts of the body,
Bring a gentle and kind awareness to the body.
Now please notice your breath.
Where in your body can you feel your breath?
You don't need to change anything.
Just observe the breath.
No judgment.
Then bring your attention to your belly and feel how it rises and falls as you breathe in and out.
I now invite you to bring your attention to your left foot and toes.
Allow the foot to become heavy,
Releasing towards the floor with each exhalation.
Notice any sensation in the toes,
Heel or top of your foot,
Tingling,
Heat,
Whatever you may feel.
Maybe you feel something else.
Or maybe you feel nothing at all.
And that too is fine.
If you do not observe any sensations,
You don't need to imagine them.
Try to do this with an open and curious attitude.
Bring your awareness slowly up to your leg.
Notice your ankle,
Calf,
The knee,
The thigh,
And all the muscles in your left leg.
Maybe you can feel contact with your clothes,
The way your pants make contact with your skin.
As you inhale,
Imagine your breath moving down into the leg.
With the exhalation,
Allow the leg to release and dissolve into the floor.
When you're ready,
I invite you to bring your attention to your right foot and toes.
Allow the foot to become heavy,
Releasing towards the floor with each exhalation.
And notice any sensation in the toes,
The sole of the foot,
Heel or top of your foot,
Tingling,
Heat,
Whatever you may feel.
Notice all the sensations you can feel.
If you notice any thoughts,
Bring your attention back to your body and the breath,
Without any judgment.
Bring your awareness slowly up to your right leg.
Notice your ankle,
Calf,
The knee,
The thigh,
And all the muscles in your leg.
Maybe you can feel the contact of your leg with the floor.
As you inhale,
Imagine your breath moving down into the leg.
Now notice the hips.
It is not uncommon for tension,
Even emotions,
To settle into our hips.
Breathe into the space in and around the hips and relax.
Feel the pelvic area.
Bring kind attention and the breath to the pelvic area.
And notice any sensations,
Maybe very subtle sensations.
Just be curious.
I invite you to focus your attention on your backside,
The lower back,
Observing in a kind manner.
And if you feel any tightness,
Discomfort or tension,
Maybe you can bring a bit of softness on the exhalation,
Letting go.
And the middle part of the back,
What sensations can you feel?
Now bring your mind to the top of your spine and your shoulder blades.
The space between your shoulder blades.
Recognize any area of tension that may have built up here.
Breathe slowly in and out and allow yourself to sink more deeply in the mat.
Now bring your awareness to your belly.
Begin to deepen the breath into the belly,
Breathing in and out through your nose.
If your hands are resting gently on your belly,
Feel the belly rise as you breathe in deeply.
When you exhale from your nose,
Feel the belly soften and release.
Allow your body to rest,
Releasing towards the floor.
Spend a few breaths here,
Allowing the belly to rise and fall as you inhale.
Relax and release as you exhale.
Allow all sensations and feelings that arise.
Bring your awareness now to your chest.
Maybe notice how your heart and lungs feel.
Begin to deepen your breath into the heart center.
As you exhale,
Feel the heart and lungs soften.
Let them relax.
Maybe become aware of your heartbeat.
Can you feel it?
Just notice.
Be sure to continue breathing while you notice.
Spend a few breaths here,
Experiencing the in and the out breath.
Please bring your kind attention to your shoulders.
What sensations do you feel?
If you feel any stress or tension,
Please breathe into the area of the shoulders and let go.
Allow the shoulders to relax,
Even a little bit.
And if not,
Can you be okay with that?
Just observing how the shoulders feel right now.
From here,
Shift your awareness to both arms,
The hands,
Your fingertips.
There are thousands of nerve endings here.
Just notice any sensations in your fingertips.
You may be aware of tingling or other sensations.
You may be aware of temperature,
Warmth or cold.
Again,
There's no right or wrong.
You may not notice anything.
And this is fine.
Just be present and aware.
Mindful of your experience at this moment.
Notice your hands,
The back of your hand,
The palms of your hand,
Your wrists.
Notice your forearms.
Relax them as you continue to breathe.
Bring your attention to your elbows and your upper arms.
As you inhale,
Imagine your breath moving down your arms into your fingertips.
As you exhale,
Allow your arms to become heavy.
Bring your awareness to the muscles of your face.
Feel your jaw.
Can you soften any tension here?
Relaxing your jaw,
Lightly place the tongue against the back of the top front teeth or on the roof of your mouth,
Allowing the jaw to relax and open.
Notice your mouth,
Your nose.
Maybe notice how when you inhale through your nose,
The air is cool.
And as you exhale,
The air is a little bit warmer.
Your eyes.
Soften your forehead and temples.
Imagining any tension or headache or pain.
Dissolving away.
Now focus on the crown of your head.
Maybe notice any clarity in your mind.
Notice how comfortable and relaxed your mind feels.
Spend a few moments scanning your body,
Releasing and softening any areas you may still be holding onto.
Allow the body to rest,
Watching your mind.
And any thoughts that arise while you rest,
Simply watch them passing by.
And when your mind wanders,
Gently call it back by focusing your attention on your breath.
Now slowly begin to deepen your breath.
And as you exhale,
Continue to let your body relax more deeply.
When you are ready,
Begin to move your fingers and toes.
Stretch your arms overhead or in any way that feels good to your body.
Taking your time,
Slowly come back to a seated position.
Cross your legs gently.
And allow your hands to fall lightly into your lap or on your knees.
Spend a moment here noticing.
Notice how your body feels.
Notice how your mind feels.
See if you can bring this feeling of peace with you into the rest of your day.
And as you exhale,
Continue to let your body relax more deeply.
