Hello and welcome to the Stillpoint Meditation.
My name is Deb and today the technique we're opening our meeting with is a mindful body scan.
This practice is beautifully relaxing,
Calming and highly effective for drawing us out of the chaos of the busy thinking mind,
Reconnecting us with ourselves and with the present moment.
Let's begin shall we?
Start by getting comfortable in your seat.
We want to take a relaxed but upright posture with the spine nicely supported and both feet resting comfortably.
Now let the eyes close and just take a moment to notice what it feels like to sit,
To not be rushing or doing,
To let go of the to-do list,
All of the responsibilities and concerns that we direct our considerable skills and energy to each and every day.
Set that to the side just for now and give yourself these moments to rest,
To recharge,
Connect back with body,
With yourself.
Now I'd like you to take your attention to the very base of you,
To your feet.
Starting with the toes,
Awareness in the toes now and with a relaxed open curiosity what do you notice when you place your attention in your toes?
Now in the soles of the feet.
Now the back of the lower legs,
Sensation,
Thoughts or nothingness,
Welcome at all,
Not trying to change anything.
Now let your awareness drift to the back of the upper legs,
The back of the pelvis,
The lower back.
With the open curiosity let the awareness drift to the middle back now and then the upper back.
That inner gaze now in the shoulders,
What if anything do you notice?
Now the back of the head and attention to the top of the head,
To the forehead and let that gentle curiosity wash down into the face.
What do you experience with your awareness in the face,
The throat,
The upper arms,
The arms,
That inner gaze washing down to the lower arms now,
The hands.
Now let the awareness drift back up to the front of the chest,
Relaxed,
Noticing to the belly and down into the front of the pelvis,
The front of the thighs,
The front of the lower legs,
Awareness in the tops of the feet and returning once more to the toes and now letting go of the awareness in the body.
I'd like you to start to draw yourself back into the space.
Feel free to move,
To bring yourself slowly back to wakefulness but just take a moment as you're drawing yourself back to notice the deep sense of connection to your body,
To yourself and to the present that your short practice has cultivated and once you open your eyes see if you can bring that same state of relaxed attentiveness,
That curiosity and allowing of what is taking place moment to moment to permeate your interactions in the coming meeting.
