Hello and welcome.
Our meditation is a body scan.
Regularly practicing a body scan can reduce stress,
Help to cope with pain,
Increase compassion and gratitude,
And improve focus.
Before we begin,
Take a moment to reduce any distractions.
And if you wish to journal your thoughts after your meditation,
Have pen and paper nearby.
Choose a comfortable position.
It can be seated in a chair or on the floor,
Lying down or standing.
Throughout the meditation,
As your body begins to settle,
Feel free to move in a way that makes you comfortable.
There will be moments of silence throughout the meditation,
And toward the end of the meditation,
There will be a longer pause of silence.
Please know I will guide you out of the meditation.
I will give you a few moments to make yourself comfortable and cozy.
And as you begin to settle in,
Ask yourself,
How often do I pay attention to my breath,
To my body?
What does it feel like when I pay attention to my breath and to my body?
And as your body begins to relax and settle in,
You may close your eyes or keep them slightly open.
If you are seated,
Making sure you're sitting up nice and tall,
But not stiff.
Let's briefly turn our attention to our breath.
The breath is through the nose.
And if you have sinus congestion,
Do your best or simply breathe through your mouth.
Now,
Beginning with your next breath,
As you breathe in,
Feel the coolness of your inhalation move past your nose.
And as you breathe out,
Feeling the warmth of your breath,
Breathing in,
Feeling the belly rise and expand.
As you breathe out,
Allowing the belly to fall and release.
Continue to follow your inhalations and exhalations for the next few breaths.
Checking in with our bodies helps to settle the mind and notice what physiological sensations and emotions might be present.
Let's begin by taking a full breath in and a long breath out.
Now bring your awareness to the top of your body,
Your head,
Face,
Neck,
And shoulders.
Noticing any sensations,
Movements,
Any places of holding or gripping.
Moving down to the arms and hands,
Sensing the back of the body,
The front of the body,
Sensing your body position,
Feeling the contact of your body with whatever is supporting you.
Now sensing your upper legs,
Your lower legs,
And the feet.
Noticing if there are any particular places that call out for attention,
Places where sensations feel most vibrant or dynamic.
Scanning to see if there are places where there's a lack of sensations or only faint sensations.
Now sensing the whole body breathing,
Sensing the body as whole and complete.
Take your time transitioning back.
When you are ready to transition,
Gently begin to bring your awareness back to the room,
To the space around you,
Then bring your awareness back to your body.
If you like,
Deepen your breath,
Shift your weight a little,
Or gently stretch.
Do whatever feels natural to transition to a more ordinary state of awareness.
Then when you are ready,
Allow your eyes to gently open.
Be sure to move slowly as you complete your transition back into waking awareness.
Thank you for your presence today.
Until next time,
Namaste.
