Heart-Centred Body Scan

In times of great uncertainty, connection with ourselves and what’s important can be severed. This often causes us to lose any sense of stability and grounding we once had. This practice will bring you back in touch with your centre, with the tangible sense of your heartbeat, breath and sensations in different parts of your body as we scan slowly from feet to head.

Transcript

In today's meditation we will scan the whole body with a warm nurturing attention.

A quality of attention that is kind and gentle.

The same kind of loving attention you give to your child or your best friend.

In times of great uncertainty,

Connection with ourselves and what's important can be severed.

This often causes us to lose any sense of stability and grounding we once had.

This meditation will bring you back in touch with your centre.

With that tangible sense of your heartbeat and your breath and sensations in different parts of your body as we scan slowly from feet to head.

Your mind may become distracted through this process,

Especially if life is stressful right now.

That's okay.

When you notice your mind has wandered,

Gently bring your attention back to the body part I'm speaking about and continue directing warm loving attention to all parts of you.

Now let's begin.

Take your mind's eye to the centre of your chest.

What do you sense here?

Take a deep breath into your chest.

Feel the breath fill the space around your heart.

You might feel strong sensations or very subtle sensations of tingling or vibration or warmth.

You might feel heaviness or pressure or a sense of restriction.

You might not feel much at all.

Try not to relate your experience to feeling good or bad or right or wrong.

Just notice what's there.

With loving attention,

Focus on your chest and the area around your heart.

Take a full deep breath into the centre of your chest.

Keep your warm nurturing attention at your heart as you breathe a few more calm natural breaths.

Now bring your mind's eye to your right big toe.

Notice sensation,

Temperature,

The texture of your socks or blanket.

Draw your gentle attention to your second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Pinky toe.

Take your warm attention to the ball of your right foot.

Scan down the arch of your foot to the right heel,

Around your ankle,

To the top of your right foot.

Take in the whole right foot with loving awareness.

Take your loving attention to your right ankle.

Notice any sensation or feeling there.

Slowly,

Carefully.

Let your attention slide up your lower leg like a wave rolling up shin and calf.

Eventually,

You land at your knee.

Feel any tingling or pulsation in your lower leg.

Now take in your kneecap and the back of your knee with gentle attention.

Slowly let your attention move up your thigh and hamstrings like a wave rolling across your upper right leg,

Front and back.

Eventually,

You land at your right hip.

Feel any vibration or energy in your upper leg.

Now take in your whole right leg from toes to hip with kind,

Careful attention.

Now bring your nurturing attention back to your heart.

Take a full breath into your heart and notice what's here.

We are cultivating kindness and love just by paying attention to ourselves.

Trust in your capacity to expand this feeling of kindness.

Now bring your mind's eye to your left big toe.

Notice sensation,

Temperature,

The texture of your socks or blanket.

Draw your gentle attention to your second toe.

Third toe.

Fourth toe.

Pinky toe.

Take your warm attention to the ball of your left foot.

Scan down the arch of your foot to the left heel.

Around your ankle to the top of your left foot.

Take in the whole left foot with loving awareness.

Take your attention to your left ankle.

Notice any sensation or feeling.

Carefully let your attention slide up your lower left leg like a wave rolling up your shin and calf.

Eventually,

You land at your knee.

Feel any tingling or pulsation in your lower leg.

Now take in your kneecap and the back of your knee with warm attention.

Slowly let your awareness move up your thigh and hamstrings.

Upper left leg,

Front and back.

Eventually,

You land at your left hip.

Feel any vibration or energy in your upper leg.

Now take in your whole left leg from toes to hip with kind attention.

Now bring your attention back to your heart.

Take a full breath into your heart and notice what's here.

We are cultivating kindness and love just by paying attention to ourselves.

Trust in your capacity to expand this feeling of love.

Now bring your mind's eye to your right thumb.

Notice sensation,

Temperature,

Any feelings present in your right thumb.

Draw your gentle awareness to your index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger.

Take your warm attention to the knuckles at the back of your right hand.

Gently scan around the base of your thumb to the palm of your right hand.

Take in the whole right hand with loving awareness.

Draw your attention to your right wrist.

Notice any sensation or feeling here.

Slowly let your attention slide up your right forearm like a wave rolling up the inside and the outside of your arm.

Eventually,

You land at your elbow.

Feel any tingling or pulsation in your forearm.

Now take in your elbow with warm attention and the inner elbow.

Slowly let your awareness slide across your upper right arm like a wave rolling right up your inner and outer arm.

Eventually,

You land at your right shoulder.

Feel any vibration or energy in your upper arm.

Now take in your whole right arm from fingertips to shoulder with kind,

Nurturing attention.

Now bring your attention back to your heart.

Take a full breath into your heart and notice what's here.

We are allowing self-compassion to grow with ease through this process.

Rest in your capacity to expand this feeling effortlessly.

Bring your mind's eye to your left thumb.

Notice sensation,

Temperature,

Any feelings present in your left thumb.

Draw your gentle attention to your index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Pinky finger.

Take your warm attention to the knuckles at the back of your left hand.

Gently scan around to the base of your thumb,

To your palm,

And then take in your whole left hand with loving awareness.

Take your attention to your left wrist.

Notice any sensation or feeling.

Slowly,

Carefully.

Let your attention slide up your forearm like a wave,

Rolling up the inside and the outside of your arm.

Eventually you land at your elbow.

Now take in your left elbow with warm attention and the inner elbow.

Feel any tingling or pulsation in your forearm.

Slowly let your awareness slide across your upper left arm like a wave rolling up the inside of the left arm and the outside of the left arm.

Eventually you land at your left shoulder.

Feel any vibration or energy in your upper arm.

Now take in your whole left arm from fingertips to shoulder with nurturing attention.

Bring your soft attention back to your heart.

Take a full breath into your heart and notice what's here.

We are cultivating warmth and care just by paying attention.

Trust in your capacity to expand this feeling of warmth.

Now bring your mind's eye to the front of your pelvis.

Notice any sensation or feeling.

Scan your attention from pubic bone to right hip and then to left hip.

Eventually sense any feeling in the pit of your belly.

Let your soft belly fill with easy breath as you start to move your awareness up your abdomen,

Waistline,

Belly button,

Stomach,

Low ribs,

Side of rib cage,

Chest,

Upper ribs,

Clavicle,

Throat.

Take in the whole front side of your torso from pelvis to neck with care and gentle consideration.

Now bring your mind's eye to the back of your pelvis.

Notice any sensation or feeling.

Scan your awareness from tailbone to sacrum,

Right buttocks,

Left buttocks.

Eventually sense any feeling in your lower back and side waist.

Let your stable back fill with warm breath as you start to move your awareness up your spine,

Low ribs,

Side of rib cage,

Mid back,

Shoulder blades,

Upper back,

Top of right shoulder,

Top of left shoulder,

Back of neck.

Take in the whole backside torso from pelvis to neck with a gentle awareness and love.

Now bring your attention back to your heart.

Take a full breath into your heart and notice what's here.

Notice the feeling of expansion in your ribs front and back and sides as you breathe.

Trust this expanding space within you.

With kindness draw your attention to your neck like a wave rolling up your neck.

Feel any sensation front,

Back and sides of neck.

Gently take in your right side jaw,

Left side jaw,

Back of skull,

Right ear,

Left ear,

Left cheek,

Left cheek,

Nose,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right temple and eyebrow,

Left temple and eyebrow,

Forehead,

Hairline,

Crown of head.

Now take in your whole head,

Neck and face with kind awareness.

Broadly scanning your body,

Right foot,

Left foot,

Right leg,

Left leg,

Right hand,

Left hand,

Right arm,

Left arm,

Front of torso,

Back of torso.

Take in the whole self with warm,

Loving attention.

Bring your attention back to your heart.

Take a full breath into your heart and notice what's here.

We are cultivating warmth and care just by paying attention.

Trust in your capacity to expand this feeling of self-care.

Take a deep breath into your belly.

Let it fill your chest.

Hold for a moment at the top and then release.

Make some small movement,

Fingertips,

Toe tips.

Continue to breathe a little more deeply as you gently awaken.

Reviews

Lovely voice and meditation Wallis!🥰

Very straightforward body scan. The ending was a little sudden, but no biggie

A beautiful loving meditation to connect back to self through body awareness. Feel so much more in balance and at ease. Thank you Wallis!

A great body awareness meditation❤️

That was wonderful,. Beautifully paced and soothing. thank you. Loved the way you kept coming back to the heart space.

This meditation was very good! Her voice was very soothing and I felt extremely relaxed after the practice. Thank you 🙏🏻

Just wonderful! Smooth even tempo, soft gentle voice, a scan that flows. Felt like a gentle wave washing over me back and forth, ever so slowly!