15-Minute Body Scan For Stress Relief

This is the 15-minute version of the body scan used in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes. The meditation begins with some guidance as to how to approach the meditation, and then systematically asks the participants to bring attention to various parts of the body. The body scan is a foundational practice for MBSR and can be practiced by anyone.

Transcript

So when we practice the body scan,

Arranging ourselves to lie down on our bed or a thick rug or on a mat,

Just finding a way to be comfortable so that we won't be interrupted by anyone or by the phone.

We can really make this time to be time just for ourselves.

Time to be with ourselves and to be exactly as we are without striving,

Without wanting to do anything or go anywhere or to be different from how we already are.

So just allowing our experiences to be exactly as they are and even if they're difficult,

Just really welcoming whatever the experience is that we're having.

So as we lie here,

Allowing the body to sink deeper and deeper into the mat with each exhale.

And checking the body posture,

Allowing the legs to be apart from one another,

The feet falling gently away from one another,

The arms to be alongside the body,

Palms facing up toward the ceiling or the sky.

And as we begin just tuning in to the grounding points or the bodies in contact with the mat or the supporting surface,

Allowing the attention to rest there.

Noticing how our sense of touch is activated by this pressure.

This contact will help tune in this high degree of awareness as we go through our body scan.

So just taking the attention now and moving it up to the abdomen,

Feeling the movement of the abdomen.

As we breathe,

Our abdomen continuously moves up and down.

So tuning the awareness as best we can into that physical sensation of breathing.

The stretching out of the abdominal wall as we breathe in and the collapsing back as we breathe out.

And so once we've gathered up enough awareness,

Just taking that awareness and bringing it down the left leg.

So going past that left hip joint,

All the way through the leg,

Past the knee,

Past the ankles,

All the way out into the toes.

Feeling the left toes in their entirety.

Just noticing whatever there is to notice here.

It could be tingling,

Warmth,

Coolness,

Itching.

Maybe you have difficulty tuning into the sensation of the toes.

Just knowing that that's okay too.

Just allowing this experience to be exactly as it is.

And so with that same attention,

Just allowing our attention to expand outward,

Including the left foot,

The sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

The ankle,

The heel,

Including the lower leg,

The calf muscle,

The shin,

Including the left knee.

Feeling the front and back and then the left thigh.

Feeling the inside of the thigh,

The outside,

The front and back,

Deep within the thigh.

So just feeling the entirety of the left leg now.

And on the next exhale,

Letting go of the left leg,

Allowing the awareness to come up and across,

Across the pelvis and down into the right leg,

Past the knee,

Past the lower leg and ankle,

All the way out into the right toes.

Feeling all the toes individually if you can.

Just feeling what's here,

Including the sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

The ankle,

The heel,

Including the right lower leg as well.

Feeling the shin bone,

The calf muscle,

Including the knee,

Feeling whatever is here,

Including the right thigh.

So feeling the entirety of the right leg now and holding it in the forefront of awareness.

And then letting go of the right leg and bringing into awareness the pelvis.

Feeling the buttocks against our supporting surface,

The hips,

The front of the pelvis,

The perineum,

Just holding all of the pelvis in the forefront of awareness now.

And then letting go of the pelvis and bringing the awareness up into the torso.

So feeling the abdomen and the lower back,

Feeling the abdomen in constant motion with the breath,

Feeling the muscles in the lower back,

Noticing where the spine ends.

Also noticing the internal organs here.

Feeling the digestive system,

Any movement that may be inside,

The movement of the lower torso as we breathe.

And then letting go of the lower torso and bringing into the forefront of awareness the upper torso.

Feeling the shoulder blades in contact with the supporting surface,

Feeling the chest and the skin all around.

Then feeling deeper within,

Feeling the rib cage wrapping all the way around the torso,

The sternum in the front,

The lungs deep within,

Tuning into the heart beating in your chest if it's accessible to you.

And then letting go of the upper torso and bringing into awareness now the shoulders,

The upper arms,

The elbows,

The forearms,

And the hands,

Holding all of this region in the forefront of awareness,

Experiencing whatever there is to be experienced here.

And then letting go of the shoulders and the arms and the hands and bringing the awareness up into the neck,

Feeling blood flowing through the neck,

Air moving through the airway.

And then letting go of the neck and bringing the awareness into the face,

Feeling the chin,

The jaw,

The mouth,

Lips,

Teeth,

Gums,

Tongue opening to the throat,

Expanding to the cheeks,

The ears,

The nose,

Feeling the air moving through the nose as you breathe,

The eyes,

The forehead,

The temples,

And the face as a whole.

And including now the head,

Feeling the crown of the head,

The back of the head,

The scalp,

The skull,

And deep within the head,

Just feeling everything,

Our face,

Our head.

And as we breathe out,

Letting go of the head and bringing into awareness now the body as a whole,

Everything from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes,

Just noticing the entire body lying here breathing.

And in a few moments,

We'll draw this practice to a close with a ring of the bell.

But for now,

I'd like to invite you to bring some gratitude to yourself for having nourished yourself in this way today.

It's really important to thank yourself for taking time to really take care of yourself this way.

So bring some small movements back into the body,

Allowing the movements to become gradually larger and larger,

And then maybe bringing some intention to being a bit more mindful throughout the rest of your day,

Just paying attention to all the physical sensations around what it is that you're doing.

Reviews

I like your style. Such a pity your live sessions are usually too late for me as I am on CET. Keep up th good work. ✨🙏🏻✨

Very nice – I really liked this! Thank you!

I really enjoy doing this practice. It's wonderful to be able to come back and repeat it. Thank you Ryan. 🥰❤🦜🦜

Thank you Ryan! Very helpful tonight and always.

Very helpful for relaxation and bringing my awareness to what I'm doing in the present moment.

عالی

Wonderful
Yes

Thank you - such a soothing practice. Many blessings 🙏

A wonderful reminder to come home to my body and relax. Thank you 🙏🏻💖🌸

Thank you Ryan! I love this body scan. It has helped me “fall awake” to the feelings in my body. ✨💛💫🙏

Lovely thanks Ryan 🙏

Today i didn't hop out of bed in a rush, i did this mindfulness to start the day gently. Thank you

Refreshing 🤗

🌸

Beautiful💜🙏🏼💜

I have been having lower back pain & I experienced some relief. Thank you.

Excellent - needed meditation to stay
in the moment! LSS🙏