The body scan.
This exercise is called the body scan and takes about 15 minutes.
Firstly,
Stop what you're doing and allow yourself time to do this exercise well.
See if you can put everything out of your mind and focus on the exercise.
You need to forget about practical things and also let go of any worries that may be in your head.
Sit down or lie down and close your eyes.
Take a few seconds to get yourself into this position.
Feel how you are sitting or lying and focus internally for the next few minutes.
Take your time to get rid of everything that has happened during your day.
These next few minutes are all about for you.
This is your chance to take yourself on a journey through your body and to see what you encounter.
This is not an exercise of doing but more of being.
Take your time to look inside and be aware of your entire body.
Be aware of what you feel.
Notice all your troubles and feelings but leave them as they are.
Now we will shift attention from your body to your breathing.
Be aware of how the air slowly goes in through your nose,
Fills your lungs and then slowly leaves.
Feel how you breathe in and out.
Also feel where the air goes,
Maybe into your chest or maybe lower to your midriff or maybe even around your stomach.
Just give your breathing slight attention.
See how it comes and goes.
This is not a breathing exercise so you do not need to change your breathing.
Just be aware of it and observe it,
How it comes and how it goes.
Maybe you notice that it is even or uneven.
It can be calm or restless.
Do not change anything about it and don't judge it.
The idea is not to change anything.
Just let it be without doing anything.
Look at what happens by itself.
Now I want you to shift attention from your breathing to your feet and see what you feel here.
Try to only focus on your feet and feel them.
Feel your soles,
Your heels,
Your toes,
The top of your feet and your ankles.
It is possible that you feel nothing.
That is not a problem at all.
Then you should recognise that and try to focus your thoughts on your feet.
Now take your attention away from your feet and as you breathe in,
Bring your attention a bit higher to your lower legs.
Feel your lower legs as you breathe.
Can you feel your calves,
Your shins,
Your knees?
Can you feel something?
Do you notice something?
Notice it and just leave it as it is.
Now take your attention away from your lower legs when you breathe out.
For a moment just sit or lie down,
Doing nothing.
Change your attention again when you breathe in to your upper legs.
Focus on your upper legs.
How do they feel?
Do you notice something?
Is there a difference between them?
You don't have to change how they feel.
Just be aware of them and label them in your head.
When you breathe in,
Shift your attention to your pelvis.
Feel this part of your body.
Give it calm,
Non-judgmental attention.
What do you feel in your pelvis?
Notice it and label it in your head.
Focus all your attention on your pelvis.
When you breathe out,
Shift your attention away from your pelvis and focus on your breathing again.
Feel how you breathe in and feel how you breathe out again.
When you breathe in,
Shift your attention to your stomach and your middle.
How does it feel?
Maybe you feel your breathing peak or do you notice other things?
Do you feel your stomach rumbling?
Do you feel a little cramp?
Again,
You don't need to change anything.
It's all about being aware and just leaving it how it is.
When you breathe out again,
Leave your stomach and middle as they are.
Shift your attention to your chest.
How does it feel there?
Does it feel free and open or does it feel tight and closed?
Can you breathe in and out freely?
Do you notice other things?
Just notice it and leave it as it is.
You don't need to do anything at this moment.
Just label it in your head.
When you breathe out again,
Shift your attention away from your chest.
Now you are just sitting or lying down,
Simply breathing.
Furthermore,
You are not doing anything.
When you breathe in again,
Shift your attention to your back.
Can you feel your spine from top to bottom?
Feel your shoulders,
Then your lower back,
Then go up between your shoulder blades all the way up to your neck.
Is your back relaxed or not?
Are there areas in your back that are not relaxed?
Does it matter what it is?
Just let it go.
When you breathe out,
Let go of your back and shift your attention from your shoulders to your neck.
How does it feel there?
Are your shoulders low or are they pulled up?
How does your neck feel?
Notice it all but leave it as it is.
Breathe in that direction.
When you breathe out,
Focus on your breathing again.
Feel how your breath comes and goes.
When you breathe in,
Focus on your arms and your hands.
Leave your arms where they are and try to let your breath stream through your arms to your hands and feel it.
When you think of your hands,
What do you feel?
Can you feel little vibrations in your hand or on your skin?
When you breathe in,
Shift your attention to your head and be aware of how it feels.
Slowly shift your thoughts from the back of your neck to the top of your head.
Feel the back of your head,
The top of your head,
Your forehead and your face.
Can you feel your eyes?
Can you feel the edges of your nose and your jaw?
Notice everything you feel with open,
Calm attention.
Do not change anything and do not judge anything.
When you breathe out,
Shift your attention away from your head.
Calmly take your attention back to your whole body.
Continue to breathe calmly.
Don't judge and give yourself a moment to come all the way back to your body.
Finally,
Focus on everything around you.
Hear the noises around you.
Feel the space around you.
Get some energy back into your body.
Breathe deeply in and out.
Move your feet slowly.
Move your hands,
Your arms and your shoulders and stretch.
Now open your eyes and enjoy the silence within you.
