Before we start this body scan meditation,
Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down where you will have the least amount of distractions.
Pause here if you need a moment to get settled.
Over the next several minutes,
You will focus on the physical sensations throughout your body.
These sensations might be the feeling of clothes on your skin,
Tension within your muscles,
The temperature of the air,
Or anything else you can feel.
Sometimes you might not notice any sensation at all.
Your job is simply to observe these sensations.
You do not need to change how your body feels or do anything else.
To begin,
Sit back or lie down in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes if you're comfortable doing so,
Or let your gaze soften.
Take a few slow,
Deep breaths.
Notice the feelings all throughout your feet,
Including your sole,
Heel,
Toes,
And top of the foot.
Notice the sensation of the ground,
Your shoes or socks,
And anything else you can detect.
Travel up your body,
Noticing the sensations in your ankles,
Shins,
And calves.
Notice sensations both deep in the muscles and on the surface of your skin.
Continue to notice your breath as you observe these sensations.
Continue noticing the feelings in your legs as you move up to your knees and thighs.
Notice how your clothing feels against your skin.
Continue moving up your body,
Taking note of the feelings in your hips and pelvis.
Simply notice the feelings without any need to change them.
Pay attention to the feelings in your lower back and abdomen.
Notice how your body feels against the surface on which you are sitting or lying down.
For a few moments,
Pay attention to your breathing.
Notice how your abdomen rises when you breathe in deeply and falls when you exhale.
Take a few slow,
Deep breaths to notice this.
Experience the sensations in your upper back and chest.
Notice the feeling of clothing on your body.
Now notice the feelings in your hands,
Fingers,
And wrists.
Notice the sensations in your forearms,
Upper arms,
And shoulders.
Pay attention to the feelings in your neck and throat.
Notice the feelings in your face and head.
Slowly attend to each feature in your face,
One by one.
Slowly scan your entire body now,
Noticing all the sensations from your toes to the top of your head.
Take a few slow,
Deep breaths and notice the sensation of the air moving in and out.
As this practice comes to a close,
Start to invite some gentle movement to the body to come back to the space where you are.
Wiggle your toes and fingers,
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Take a deep breath in and out.
Let's journal to reflect on that practice.
You can respond to any or all of these questions.
So,
First question is,
What sensations did you notice?
Were you able to refrain from judging each sensation as good and bad?
How did you feel emotionally during the body scan?
How do you feel emotionally right now?
This practice is here whenever you need it,
And you can come back to it when you need some grounding or you want to be more aware of your body.
