Hello this is Wendy Dixon and welcome to your body scan meditation.
I'd like you to begin by finding a comfortable and quiet space where you can sit or lie down without being disturbed.
Close your eyes gently and begin by taking a few deep breaths,
Inhaling into your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
A second deep breath,
Inhaling into the nose,
Down into the lungs and gently exhaling through your mouth.
And a third deep breath,
Taking that breath into the nose and down into the lungs and gently releasing as you exhale through the mouth.
Allow the breath to bring you into this present moment.
And now bring your attention down to your toes.
Feel the sensation in your toes as you gently wriggle them.
Notice any warmth,
Tingling or tension and just take a moment to fully connect with sensations in each and every one of your toes.
Now slowly move your attention up to the soles of your feet.
Feel the weight of your feet pressing into the ground or the surface beneath you.
Notice any areas of tension or relaxation.
And as you continue with that breath,
Just allow yourself to release any tension that might be being held in the soles of your feet or in your feet.
Letting go of that tension,
Releasing and relaxing.
Now shift your awareness to your ankles and feel the subtle movements as you breathe.
Allow any tightness or discomfort to soften with each breath.
Moving your awareness up to your calves and noticing the muscles and any sensations that are present there.
Feel any tension that you might feel within your calves and with the next breath,
Just allow yourself to release all of that tension.
Moving the attention now up to the knees now up to the knees and being aware of any sensations in this area.
If you notice any tension,
Breathe into it and then let it release with each exhale.
Bringing your awareness now up to your thighs and feeling the support that they provide you.
Again,
Feeling if there's any tension within the thighs.
These are such large muscles that we have here.
Allow yourself just to let that tension go.
Releasing and relaxing.
Releasing and relaxing.
Releasing and relaxing.
Continue to scan your body,
Moving up to your hips and pelvis and feel the connection between your body and the surface beneath you.
Notice any sensations that you have without any judgment and just simply observe.
Focusing next on your lower back and abdomen and feel the rise and fall of your breath in this area.
If there's any tightness,
Just allow it to melt away with each breath.
Allow it to melt away to leave your body in a state of complete relaxation.
Shift your attention now to your chest and upper back and feel the expansion and contraction with each breath.
Notice the rhythm of your breath as it flows in and out naturally.
Perhaps you can notice the beat of your heart.
Just allowing yourself to let go of any tension.
Just allow yourself to relax into that feeling,
Recognizing the beat and life source that your heart gives.
Bring your awareness now to your hands.
Feel any sensations within your fingers,
Palms and the back of your hands and just allow them to release and soften.
And as you soften,
Feel that relaxation come into each of your hands.
Moving your attention now to the wrists and forearms.
Notice any tension or warmth and breathe into this area,
Just letting go of any tightness.
Focusing next on the elbows and upper arms,
Feeling the weight of your arms and with each breath,
Releasing any tension.
Next,
Shift your attention to your shoulders and this is often an area where we carry tension.
Allow your shoulders to drop and relax.
And as you do so,
Release any tightness,
Letting it melt away with your breath.
Feeling your shoulders as they relax more and more.
And as you do so,
Allow your shoulders to drop and relax.
Feeling your shoulders as they relax more and more.
Moving the awareness to the neck and throat and notice any sensations in this area as you breathe and let go of any tension.
Now bring your attention to your face and just allow your jaw to soften and relax.
Allow yourself to release all of that tension that may be in that area of the jaw.
Soften your eyes and let go of any tightness in your forehead.
Allow your entire face to become smooth and relaxed.
Bring your awareness now to the top of the head.
Feel the sensations on your scalp.
Perhaps you can imagine a warm,
Soothing light enveloping your head and releasing any remaining tensions.
Now bring your attention to the top of your head,
Right down to the tips of your toes.
Feel that awareness of the entire body.
Feel the awareness of the entire body as it's supported by the bed or seat beneath you.
And as you do so,
As you have that awareness of your entire body,
Just take a few moments to breathe deeply.
Just take a few moments to breathe deeply,
Feeling your entire body in a wonderful state of relaxation.
Just take those moments to continue being aware of the breath,
But feeling your body in that beautiful,
Wonderful state of relaxation.
Very gently,
Become aware once more of the whole of the physical body,
The whole of the body in this wonderful state of relaxation.
And as you bring the awareness back in,
Allow yourself to start to perhaps move your fingers and toes.
And gently,
When you're ready,
Open your eyes and return to the present moment,
Carrying this wonderful sense of calmness and awareness with you.
Thank you and have a wonderful day.
