Body Scan

This is a 38 minute body scan meditation from mindfulness-based stress reduction.

Transcript

Invite yourself to settle in to this place,

To this moment.

Allowing yourself to feel all the touch points of your body on the mat or on the chair.

Settling in to all these touch points.

And choosing to just settle in to this moment.

Taking a couple of nice big deep breaths.

Noticing wherever you feel the breath most prominently in your body.

And then settling in to a normal rhythmic breathing.

Allowing the inhalation and the exhalation to flow naturally and comfortably.

And as you settle in to this moment,

Just allowing yourself to release just a bit more.

Knowing that all you have to do right now is just be here.

That's all.

Bringing curiosity,

Kindness to this moment.

Just allowing your body to be.

And as you bring awareness to this moment,

Bring awareness to the fact that you are breathing.

Perhaps noticing your belly rising and falling.

Perhaps feeling your breath in your throat or your chest.

Just allowing yourself to be breathed.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Bringing your awareness to the toes of your left foot.

Not thinking about your toes.

Not moving your toes.

But bringing your awareness to the experience of your toes.

Perhaps noticing tingling or numbness.

And perhaps no sensation at all.

Just focusing on these toes.

And when your mind wanders,

As your mind will,

Bringing your mind back to focus on your toes.

Perhaps experiencing the space between your toes.

Or how your toes feel within your socks.

Bringing your full and complete attention to your toes.

And when you're ready,

Expanding your awareness to include the bottom of your left foot.

The arch.

The heel.

Bringing awareness to where the heel touches the floor.

And then expanding your awareness to include the foot as a whole,

Including the top of the foot.

Perhaps going deep inside your left foot.

To experience the bony structure.

The tendons.

The joints.

Or expanding your awareness to include the skin on top of your foot or around your foot.

Really bringing a curiosity to this left foot.

Now expanding your awareness to include your ankle.

All the bony structures of the ankle.

The magnificent way it joins your foot to your lower leg.

Really taking time to examine the nooks and crannies of the left ankle.

And when you're ready,

Expanding your awareness and your focus to include your lower left leg,

The calf,

The shin.

Experiencing the muscles,

The tendons.

Experiencing how the ankle and the lower leg are connected.

Moving into this area.

Bringing all your attention and awareness to this very specific part of your left leg.

And when you're ready,

Moving your awareness up to your knee.

This wonderfully complex structure that is so often taken for granted.

Paying attention to the intricacies of the movements and the joints.

As well as expanding out to really experience the kneecap,

The tendons,

The skin that protects the knee.

Breathing into this area of your body.

Noticing if there's any tension here.

And perhaps also noticing if any thoughts or emotions arise as you're examining this particular part of your body.

And when they do,

Just noting that and bringing your awareness back to the knee.

Back to whatever part of the body we are focusing on.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Allowing your attention to focus on your left thigh.

Feeling the touch points of your thigh on the mat or on the chair.

Feeling the density of these muscles.

Perhaps taking a moment to be appreciative for the hard work our thigh muscles do for us every day.

Breathing into this area.

Really experiencing this left thigh.

Now expanding your awareness to your left buttocks.

Feeling the touch points on the mat or the chair.

And as you breathe into this area,

Allow your awareness to expand to the right buttocks.

And to the right thigh.

Feeling these muscles.

Perhaps noticing if there's any tension or any sensation trying to get your attention.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Bringing your awareness all the way down your right leg,

Down to the toes of your right foot.

Feeling your toes deep inside.

Experiencing them on the outside.

Noticing any sensations or perhaps any thoughts or emotions that arise as you explore different areas of your body.

And when this happens,

Just acknowledge such thoughts and emotions and come back right now to the toes on your right foot.

Bring your awareness to the bottom of your right foot,

To the arch,

To the heel.

And then allowing yourself to include your foot as a whole.

Bringing all your attention to this right foot.

And if there are no sensations,

That is okay.

That is what you find.

Allowing your body as it is today,

Right now in this moment.

These sensations,

This body is neither good nor bad.

It just is.

Allowing yourself to be open to what you find as you take this very special time to explore each part of your body in a way that is non-judging and accepting.

When you're ready,

Expanding your awareness to include the ankle of your right leg.

Feeling all the knobbiness of it,

The intricacies of the ankle.

Perhaps taking a moment to be grateful for the hard work the ankle does,

Allowing us to go forward and backward.

And when you're ready,

Expanding your awareness to include your right lower leg.

Breathing the calf muscle and the shin bone.

Breathing the skin,

Just breathing into this area of your body.

And when your mind wanders with friendliness,

Escort it back to the right calf.

Bringing your awareness back,

Like we do a puppy that we're training time and again.

As our mind wanders,

We bring it back without judgment,

That is the practice.

Bringing awareness to that wandering mind and coming back to our focus time and again.

And when you're ready,

Expanding your awareness to focus on your right knee.

Bringing your full awareness to this area.

Focusing any sensations you may experience here.

You may find some pain,

Some tension.

And if so,

You may want to spend a moment,

If you wish,

To breathe into this space just a bit longer.

Just perhaps to soften this area.

And when you're ready,

Moving your awareness to your right thigh.

Feeling the touch points of your thigh on the mat or the chair.

Breathing into this large muscle group.

Experiencing your right thigh,

Whether from the inside or from the outside,

Not thinking about it.

Just experiencing it.

Remembering to breathe as you bring awareness to this part of your body.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Moving your awareness to your pelvis.

To include your pelvic girdle,

The systems of elimination and reproduction.

In all the sensations that you find here.

And again,

Perhaps no sensation.

Whatever you find here is what's here right now.

Taking time to breathe into this area of your body.

Feeling the heaviness,

Perhaps the fullness of this area.

Perhaps noticing any emotions or thoughts that arise as you focus on this area.

And in bringing awareness to those thoughts and emotions,

Just noticing and coming back to focus on your body.

And on your breath as you experience it in this part of your body.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Moving your awareness to your lower back.

A place where many of us carry tension and strain.

Taking time to breathe into this area and examine with curiosity what you find here.

Just examine what is here right now.

Without trying to rationalize or add a story.

Just noticing,

Oh tension,

Oh soreness.

Just noticing.

And when you're ready,

Allowing your awareness to move up to your middle back,

Up your spine,

To your middle back.

Perhaps noticing the expansion of your ribs as you breathe in and out.

Without trying to change anything you find,

Just noticing,

Bringing awareness to your middle back.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Allowing your awareness to travel up your spine to your shoulders,

To your upper back.

Again an area that so carries our tension for many of us.

Just noticing what you experience here.

What is here?

Trying to breathe fully and completely into this area.

And perhaps if you feel comfortable with allowing your shoulders and your upper back to release just a bit more as you breathe into this area.

And when your mind wanders,

As it will,

Bring it back to breathing,

To your focus in your upper back and your shoulders.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Allowing your awareness to move down your shoulders,

Down both arms,

All the way down your arms to the fingertips on both hands.

Breathing into this area.

Just noticing what is here.

Noticing your fingertips,

The sensations,

Perhaps tingling,

Perhaps heat,

Perhaps nothing.

Having a curiosity to what is right here,

Right now.

Then expanding your awareness to include your hands as a whole.

The palms of your hands,

The backs of your hands,

The thumbs,

All the bits and pieces that make up your hands.

Breathing into this area.

And perhaps pausing for a moment to acknowledge the hard work,

What our hands do for us every day,

Day in and day out.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Bringing your awareness to your wrists.

Really experiencing these connectors,

Connecting the hands to our forearms.

Noticing on what you find in the wrists.

Now expanding your awareness to include your forearm,

The front,

The back.

Increasing your awareness to include your elbows.

Again,

A very important structure of our bodies.

Breathing into this area.

Really being curious about the structures of our elbows.

And when you're ready,

Expanding your awareness to focus on your upper arms,

Your biceps,

Your triceps.

Experiencing these upper arms as they are right now.

Noticing any sensations,

Either deep inside or perhaps on the outside.

Noticing any air,

Any clothing touching your upper arms.

Bringing your focus to your upper arms.

And when you're ready,

Allowing your awareness to move up to your shoulders and to your neck,

The base of your neck,

Noticing if there's any tingling or tightness or tension.

Just being aware of what you find here.

Just bringing awareness to this part of you.

Now focusing on your throat.

Expanding awareness to your jaw,

To your lips.

Expanding your awareness to include your mouth,

Your tongue,

Your teeth,

Your upper and lower palate.

Really being curious.

Now expanding your awareness to include your nose,

Your nostrils.

How they react when you inhale.

How your nostrils feel when you exhale.

Expanding your awareness to your cheekbones.

Now bringing your awareness to your eyes.

Perhaps taking a moment to breathe into your eyes.

Perhaps just to soften,

Just a bit.

Allowing your eyes to experience your awareness.

Really experiencing your eyes.

And when you're ready,

Expanding your awareness to include your eyebrows and your forehead.

Perhaps noticing any tension in your forehead or your temples.

Breathing into these areas.

Now expanding your awareness to include your ears.

The incredible structure of the ear.

And when you're ready,

Expanding your awareness up to your scalp,

Feeling your scalp as it covers your head.

Breathing your hair and expanding your awareness to include your head as a whole.

Breathing into this area.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Allowing your awareness to travel down your head,

Down your throat,

Down your shoulders,

To your chest.

Perhaps experiencing the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe.

Perhaps bringing awareness to your heartbeat.

To the rise and fall of your belly.

Extending your awareness down to your belly as you breathe into this space and into this place.

And when you're ready,

And if you so choose,

Perhaps expanding your awareness to include your body as a whole.

Breathing from the top of your head all the way down through your neck,

Through your shoulders,

Through your arms,

Through your chest,

And your belly,

And your hips,

And your legs.

And allowing your breath to escape out through the soles of your feet.

And then breathing in from your feet all the way up through your body.

All the way up,

And allowing the breath to escape from the top of your head.

Experiencing however you experience your body.

This one unique body,

The only body you will ever have.

Breathing it fully and completely.

And as you go throughout the rest of your day,

Know that you can always come back to the present moment by reconnecting with your body through the breath.

Because the breath is always in the present moment,

Is always here,

And is always now.

Reviews

Excellent body scan. Very calming voice and just enough time spent on particular body point.

I loved it! Thank you!

So nice thank you

Really enjoyed this. Love the calm voice and rhythm of moving from one area to the next.

Excellent body scan with nice pacing . Thank you!

Listened to by my sister while undergoing her 1st chemotherapy treatment. I think it helped.

Excellent pace. Calm voice. A good guided body scan for daily practice.