For this body scan,
I'll invite you to lie down on your back with your legs extended.
Your arms can be out by your sides with the palms facing up,
Or you can rest your palms down on your body somewhere.
Take a moment to make any adjustments until you feel comfortable.
You can experiment with the space between your legs,
The distance between your arms and your body,
Or maybe where exactly you want your hands to rest on your torso.
You might let your head rock from side to side a few times until it lands in an easy way.
When you feel comfortable,
Relax all the effort from your body and find a soft stillness.
Bring your attention to the back of your head and feel its weight against the floor.
Relax any expression from your face,
Softening your forehead,
The space around and even behind your eyes.
With your lips softly sealed,
You can let your teeth part slightly to release your jaw.
And the tongue can rest naturally against the roof of your mouth.
And then as you relax your neck muscles,
Let your head get a little heavier.
You might feel some space behind the back of your neck,
Or maybe it's just lighter contact with the floor.
Keep your attention to your shoulders and notice how they feel.
Sense the support of the floor behind them.
Scan your attention from your shoulders down the arms slowly,
Feeling whatever sensations are present.
Rest with the ground,
Clothing against your skin,
Areas that feel lighter or heavier.
If your hands are on your body,
Notice where your arms are disconnected from the floor.
Wherever your hands are,
Really soften through the palms and the fingers.
If the palms are facing up,
Maybe the fingers curl in slightly.
You might notice a difference in sensation between your right and left arm.
Maybe the sensations are a little bit more similar.
Now bring your attention to your chest.
You might feel the rise and fall of your breath here.
Let this breath be natural.
There's no need to control it.
As you scan your attention a little further down,
You might notice the front and sides of your ribcage fanning open and closed with your breath.
Cover your attention further to the expansion and softening of your belly.
You might notice areas where clothing feels a bit tighter around your torso and other areas where it feels looser.
Now bring your attention to the back of your spine.
Notice where the spine feels heavier against the floor and where it feels lighter.
You might sense the natural curves.
Move the attention into the weight of your pelvis and relax it into the ground.
As you slowly move your attention down your legs,
Observe any sensation you feel.
See what areas feel heavier and lighter against the floor.
You might notice contact with clothing here as well.
Let's see if one leg feels different than the other or if they feel similar.
As you get to your ankles,
Notice if you feel contact with the floor underneath them or if there's some space.
Feel the weight of your heels against the ground.
You might notice that your feet turn out slightly or maybe the toes point more upward.
Slowly relax the soles of your feet and your toes.
Now invite your attention to spread out into the entire container of your body.
Where can you feel the rise and fall of your breathing most easily?
When you notice your mind drifting,
Simply bring it back to your natural breath.
With each easy exhale,
Let your body's weight melt a little heavier into the ground.
I'll end my guidance here,
But please feel free to rest here for as long as you'd like.
