Gratitude body scan.
For this practice it's really nice to lie down in a way that feels really comfortable.
So you can do this lying down on the floor with a mat and a cushion and a blanket to stay warm.
Or you can even do it on your bed,
Lying on the bed,
Maybe on top of the covers so you don't get too hot or sleepy.
It might be nice to do this with someone else in your family if you want to.
So once you get settled down to start the practice,
If it feels comfortable you can let your eyes close.
And this can really help to keep our attention just with what we sense in the body or feelings in the body.
And what we're going to try to grow in this practice is our gratitude for this amazing body that allows us to experience the world,
To experience the present moment and everything unfolding.
So we just start by letting the eyes close,
Letting the feet flop apart,
The arms either rest by the side of the body or with the hands on the tummy.
And just begin by becoming aware of the whole body lying here,
So maybe feeling the weight of the body against the ground or whatever surface you're lying on.
The back of the head,
The backs of the legs.
And if you pay really close attention right now you might find the movement of life in the body,
The breath.
So where can you hear that?
Where can you feel that?
Where can you sense that?
Sometimes it might seem like the breath is quite boring,
It's not really anything very special.
But when we pay attention to this rhythm of breathing in,
Breathing out,
We can feel the whole body move.
And when we pay attention to the breath we can become aware of it,
How amazing it is,
How it keeps us alive,
Every cell in the body.
So just noticing that rhythm of breathing in,
Breathing out,
Wherever you feel it most strongly right now.
And seeing if it's possible just to be so grateful for this breath,
For the fact that we're alive and that makes all other things possible.
And then we can drop our attention all the way down through the body and just become aware of the feet right now.
So maybe if we pay very close attention the feet might actually communicate to us,
Give us some information.
Maybe it's tingling or warmth or coldness or maybe it's just a really strong urge to move.
So we pay attention to the feet,
Kind of like they're our old friends.
They're always with us,
Taking us from place to place.
So as we breathe in we become aware of these amazing feet and as we breathe out we can smile just ever so slightly,
Softening the muscles of the face but really smiling in the heart,
Smiling to the feet.
Allowing ourselves just to for a few moments bring to mind all of the amazing things that we are able to do in life because of these feet.
Run,
Play with our friends,
Dance,
Walk.
Breathing in aware of my feet.
Breathing out so grateful to my feet.
And then bringing the attention now up into the hands.
What can you feel in the hands right now?
Maybe there's a tingling or buzzing sensation inside the hands.
Maybe the hands are making contact with each other or with the material of our clothes.
The hands are so amazing.
Just for a few moments bring to mind all of the amazing things we do every day just because we have hands.
Drawing and writing.
Eating our food.
Communicating with the people that we love.
All of the things big and small.
Even though the hands right now are very still and aren't doing anything at all,
We can grow our gratitude for everything they do for us day after day.
Breathing in awareness,
Filling up the hands with our awareness.
Breathing out almost like a sigh of sheer joy that we have these hands that are so incredible,
Do so much.
Breathing in aware of my hands,
Breathing out smiling to my hands.
And then allowing your attention to move away from the hands and up into the eyes.
So even though the eyes may be closed right now,
We might still be able to see shapes or colours through the eyelids.
What else can be noticed about the eyes?
Maybe noticing whether they are sleepy.
Maybe noticing whether they are relaxed.
Maybe the eyelids are all scrunched up or maybe the eyelids are very smooth.
Now bringing to mind all of the amazing things that we experience every day because we have this amazing gift of having eyes that can see.
Colours.
The faces of people we love.
All of our favourite things.
Even the ability of the eyes to smile.
To communicate our feelings.
So breathing in,
I'm aware of my eyes breathing out.
I'm so grateful to these eyes.
And then again feeling the whole body lying here.
From the top of the head right down through the arms to the hands.
Right down the body into the legs,
The feet.
This whole body is so amazing.
Bringing your attention.
To the whole body as it lies here.
Just breathing,
Resting.
Still working hard for us.
And maybe inviting a little smile to soften the face.
It's so wonderful to grow our gratitude together.
Thank you.
