Welcome.
I'm Ronna Lynn.
To begin,
Just get nice and comfortable,
And make a mental note of how you're feeling right now.
On a scale of 1 to 10,
How would you rate your level of worry or anxiety?
And make a note of it,
And then just let it go.
Now,
Just close your eyes,
And just bring your attention to your breath,
And focus on each breath inward and outward.
Maybe sigh.
Just,
You know,
Let yourself settle into this experience.
If you find yourself having mind chatter about,
Oh,
This isn't going to work,
Or this is a waste of my time,
Or I don't have time for this,
Just ignore that.
You're doing yourself a huge favor.
There isn't anybody who can't benefit from this practice.
So I congratulate you.
Notice the quality of your inhalation.
Is it shallow or deep?
Is it smooth or jagged?
We're just noticing it,
Not judging it.
Even though we're labeling,
I'm only asking you to label as a type of observation,
Not as a judgment.
What does the air feel like as you inhale?
Is it warm or is it cool?
Do you notice any scent?
Just notice what you notice without judgment.
You're an observer exploring your condition.
How far into you can you feel your breath?
Do you feel it at the back of your throat?
Do you feel it in your lungs?
How fast are you breathing?
Can you invite your breath to just slow down?
Just naturally let it slow down.
Can you feel your lungs and ribs move slowly and gently?
Notice the top of your head and the back of your head.
Feel the space around your head.
What do you notice?
What is the temperature around your head?
Maybe you'll feel a temperature.
What is it?
What do you hear?
Allow the sounds to just fade into the background as you go.
Notice your eyes.
What do you notice just behind your eyelids?
How do your eyes feel?
Allow your eyes to sink deep within their sockets.
Releasing all the muscles surrounding them.
Notice your tongue.
Where is it positioned inside your mouth?
Does it rest against the roof of your mouth?
Or do you notice it more behind your bottom teeth?
And as it does so,
Just notice your jaw.
And notice what is different about this breath.
Was it a little bit deeper?
Did you notice your shoulders dropping?
Allow the back of your neck to release and feel between your shoulder blades.
Can you notice your breath there?
Can you imagine your breath smoothing out the muscles on the tops of your shoulders?
Let your attention float to your arms.
Where are your hands resting?
Just notice the position of your hands.
It's important that as you scan your body,
You're not thinking about feeling it.
You're actually feeling it.
Notice your back and your belly.
And notice how the space changes inside.
Imagine breathing into your organs.
Where does your attention go?
If thoughts or memories interrupt your body scan,
Just gently bring your attention back to your breath and your belly.
There's no criticism here.
We're not evaluating how well we're doing this.
We're just noticing what we notice.
Noticing the sensations.
Noticing thoughts that interrupt our sensations.
Bringing our breath.
Invite your breath to flow down your back.
And feel your ribs moving front and back.
Notice your bottom against its support.
Is it easier to notice your weight more on one side than the other?
Or is it evenly balanced?
As you imagine your breath sliding down your back,
Notice your middle back and then your lower back.
See if you can allow them to sink deeper into the support beneath them.
And notice that as you do so,
The pressure on your lower back releases.
Notice your shins and your calves.
Just let your legs fall open gently and easily.
How are your feet resting?
Do you notice one foot more than the other?
Now just rest here for a moment,
Breathing in and out.
If you notice your mind starts to drift,
Don't punish yourself or beat yourself up.
Just simply make a note of how your mind is working,
And then bring it back.
As you gradually expand your awareness to encompass your entire body,
And then further to encompass the environment around you,
What are you noticing?
Just sense it around you.
Be grateful for this body and the time that you've given yourself.
Be aware of how many sounds you can pick up.
Don't engage with them,
Just be aware of them.
And be constantly aware of your breathing.
Now starting at your toes,
Give them a wiggle,
Just gently.
Notice the back of your head and neck further,
And this time to encompass your thoughts.
So what do you notice about your thoughts now?
How do you feel?
Take another measurement about the state of your mind,
The level of your anxiety,
And be grateful for the smallest of changes.
Thank you,
Not to me,
But to yourself,
For giving yourself this time to share this with you.
You've just completed a body scan,
And I hope that you find it helpful,
And that you find it useful for your practice.
You take good care,
And thanks a lot for listening.
Bye for now.
