Close your eyes and settle into a comfortable position.
Let's begin by bringing your attention to the sensation of breath in your body.
Notice where in your body you are experiencing the sensations of breath.
Do you notice your breath in your belly,
Your chest,
The back of your throat,
Or in your nose?
Is there anywhere you notice your breath a little stuck or tight?
Can you send your breath there and create a little more space in your body for your breath?
Bring your attention now to any sensations in your body that are drawing your attention.
Anywhere sensation feels particularly intense or acute.
If nothing is coming up,
Simply rest in neutral sensation.
Create an awareness around any strong sensations in your body rather than shifting attention away or trying to ignore the sensations.
I invite you to bring your attention from this sensation out in wider and wider circles around the intense sensation to where you notice the edge where strong sensation meets little sensation or no sensation.
Rest your attention here.
Breathe fully into this space.
Use this mindful technique if at any time during this body scan you experience strong sensations.
Draw your attention now to the sensation of your whole body resting here.
Notice the lift and opening on your front body as you inhale and the letting go and release on your exhale.
Notice where you feel heavy and where you feel light.
As you are ready,
I invite you to bring your attention to your left foot,
Noting any sensations that are present.
Maybe scrunch up your toes tightly and then gently release.
Breathe into each toe,
One at a time.
Travel your attention now into your left ankle and heel.
Notice the angle of your foot.
Feel the sensation of your foot resting on your support.
Moving your intention from your foot into your left shin and calf.
Notice any sensations that are present.
If you have a hard time feeling anything in particular,
Simply rest an open awareness of your shin and calf.
Just contract your calf muscle as you inhale and on an exhale release.
Mindfully moving into your left knee,
Imagine your breath as a little swirl of energy,
Creating opening and ease.
Continuing up to your left thigh,
The front of your thigh,
And the back of your thigh.
Take a slow and easy breath in and as you exhale allow your thigh to sink more heavily into your support.
Move your attention now into your left hip.
Notice the sensations here,
Pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral.
Breathe into your left hip and imagine your breath creating ease and release.
Bring your awareness now into your left side body.
Feel the opening along your left rib cage and chest as you deeply inhale and the release of tension as you fully exhale.
Feel the delicate hollow of your armpit as you travel your attention from your left side down the inside of your left arm,
Forearm,
And wrist.
And your breath into your thumb,
Your first finger,
Your middle finger,
Your ring finger,
And your pinky.
If you like,
You can clench your hand into a tight fist as you inhale and then release and let go on your exhale.
As you are ready,
Travel your attention up the outside of your left forearm,
Arm,
And into your shoulder.
We carry so much tension in our shoulders,
So take some time to feel what is present here.
Take a slow and easy breath in and a gentle,
Easy breath out.
Continue with these gentle breaths,
Feeling the tension drip off your left shoulder with each breath.
Bring your attention up the left side of your neck into your jaw.
Can you perhaps feel an easy smile on your face?
Release any tension in your jaw as you continue to deeply relax.
I invite you to bring the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth just behind your top teeth.
The pressure point here will elicit a relaxation response through your jaw,
Neck,
And shoulders.
Allow your attention now to drift to the space between your eyebrows.
Breathe fully and deeply into the space,
Erasing any tension,
Worry,
Or stress.
Begin to travel your relaxed attention down the right side of your neck into your right shoulder.
As we did on the left,
Notice any tension here.
Take a slow and easy breath in and a gentle,
Easy breath out.
Continue with these gentle breaths,
Feeling tension,
Stress,
And burdens drip off your shoulder with each breath.
Continue breathing down the outside of your right arm,
Forearm,
And into your wrist.
Breathe into your pinky,
Ring,
Middle,
Pointer,
And thumb.
I invite you to make a tight fist,
Feeling that tension all the way up your arm.
Take a full breath in,
And on an exhale,
Release,
And allow your arm to settle heavy by your side.
Bring your awareness up the inside of your right arm,
Forearm,
And the curve of your armpit.
Notice your breath in your right side,
Chest,
And ribcage.
Feel the gentle rhythm of your breath in your right side body.
Bring your kind attention to your right hip.
Feel what is present here in your right hip.
Breathe fully and deeply to ease any tension.
Feel your attention down into the front of your right thigh and the back of your right thigh.
Maybe give a little squeeze to engage the muscles of your right thigh.
Take a full breath in,
And as you exhale,
Release all the tension.
Feel your right thigh grow heavy with relaxation.
Send your attention into your right shin and calf.
Feel the connection of your right calf with your support.
Bring your attention now into your right heel and ankle.
Notice the angle of your foot and where it touches your support.
Breathe into each toe,
One at a time.
Feel the tops of both feet together,
Your shins,
Knees,
And the front of your thighs and hips.
Bring your attention into your belly.
Feel your breath here as you fully inhale and deeply exhale.
Notice your breath now at your diaphragm.
Feel the gentle expansion of your ribs as you inhale and the settling of your ribs as you exhale.
Bring your attention to your collarbones.
Feel your breath under your collarbones.
Notice the subtle lift of your collarbones as you inhale and the release and spread of your collarbones as you exhale.
Feel a gentle ease through your jaw,
Your face,
Your forehead.
Feel your breath in the top of your head,
The sides and back of your head.
Use your breath to release any lingering tension in your shoulders.
Feel the gentle support at your mid-back,
Low back,
And hips.
Take a breath in and give a gentle squeeze of your buttocks and on an exhale release and let go.
Travel your attention to the back of your thighs and the gentle curve of the back of your knees and down into your calves.
Breathe into your heels and the bottoms of your feet.
Your whole body.
Your whole body.
Your body as a whole.
Perhaps extend some phrases of loving kindness toward your whole body.
May you be well.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be at ease in body and mind.
Your whole body.
May you be well.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be at ease in body and mind.
Your whole body.
May you be well.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be at ease in body and mind.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
May you be free from suffering.
