Welcome to this short practice of mindful body scan.
This meditation technique is simple and effective in helping you to calm and relax your body and mind.
Stress and anxiety in the mind could show up in your physical body,
Making it hard to relax and rest even at moments when you are exhausted.
In this meditation,
We will bring our awareness to the sensations of the body,
Exploring and paying attention to them without any judgement.
We will notice different sensations in different parts of the body and see if we can allow them to relax.
In the process,
You will find that the mind will naturally be guided into a state of calm and peace as well.
To prepare for this meditation,
Find a comfortable position for your body.
You may choose to be in a sitting position on your chair or seated on a cushion on the ground.
You may even choose to lie down on your bed or couch.
Gently close your eyes and bring your awareness inward.
Take a nice long inhalation.
Feel the expansion of the body.
Now slowly exhale,
Feel the softening of the body.
Inhale deeply,
Exhale slowly.
Notice all the sensations that accompany each breath in and each breath out.
Bring your awareness to your feet and your toes.
Notice the sensations there and notice the parts that are in contact with the ground.
Feel the subtle sensations of pressure,
Of tingling or buzzing around your feet and toes.
Notice your ankles,
Calf muscles,
Knees,
Thighs and hips.
Explore all the different sensations in your legs without any judgement or labelling.
Just notice them with the curiosity of an observer and see if you can allow them to become more relaxed.
Bring your awareness to your palms and fingers.
Notice the sensation on the fingertips,
The inside of your palm and the outside of your palm.
Feel the sensations of pressure,
Temperature or any other feelings you may notice there.
Notice your lower arms,
Elbows,
Upper arms,
Shoulders.
As you breathe,
Notice the sensations that come along with it.
As you inhale,
Feel the parts that are expanding.
As you exhale,
Feel the parts which are relaxing.
Notice your chest,
The belly,
Upper back,
Lower back.
There is no need to control the breath,
Just allow the process of breathing to happen on its own,
Bringing along different sensations in the body.
Bring your awareness to your neck and your face.
Notice if there are any areas of tension.
Unclench the jaw,
Soften the lips and allow the tongue to rest.
Your cheeks are soft,
So are your eyebrows and eyelids.
Notice the space between the eyebrows,
The forehead,
The temples,
Ears,
Sides of your head,
Back of your head and the top of your head.
Notice all the different sensations around your neck and the head.
Now feel all the sensations of the entire body at the same time.
Feel your body from head to toe.
You are fully aware of all the sensations in your body.
You are at home in your body.
As you breathe in,
Your body becomes lighter and more spacious.
As you breathe out,
Your body becomes softer and calmer.
For the next few moments,
Just enjoy this beautiful awareness of being at home and at ease in your body.
Begin to notice the position that your body is in.
The parts that are in contact with the chair or the floor.
Become aware of the space around you.
The presence of your body,
Your mind and your breath in this space.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale slowly.
Visualize yourself in this calm and restful state meditating in this room.
Gently bring your palms together,
Rubbing them to create some warmth.
Cup the palms over your eyes.
Enjoy the darkness and warmth around your eyes.
Inhale deeply here and exhale very slowly.
With a few gentle blinks,
Open your eyes and lower your palms.
The mindful body scan meditation is now complete.
