Welcome to this body scan.
You can call this a meditation or a practice,
A beautiful one to do when you're feeling a little bit out of your body,
Out of your own self.
It's also a perfect invitation before a visualisation meditation to become a little bit more centred inwards to help yourself practice being more introspective and more aware of anything happening within you,
Your body,
Your sensations,
As well as your thoughts,
Your breath.
So let's begin by making yourself comfortable,
Sitting in a chair and allowing your back to be straight,
But not stiff with your feet on the ground.
You can also do this practice standing,
Or if you prefer,
You can lie down and have your head supported,
Or sitting on your bolster,
Your cushion or your sofa.
Your hands could be resting gently in your lap or at your side,
And allow your eyes to close or simply remaining open with a very soft gaze.
Take three slow deep breaths,
Breathing in fully and exhaling slowly.
Breathing in through your nose and out through your nose or your mouth if you feel the need to release some tension and release some pressure.
Taking an inhale and feeling your stomach expand.
And now relax and let go as you exhale.
Begin to let go of noises around you.
Begin to shift your attention from outside to inside yourself.
Taking a moment to observe and listen to any sound that you can hear coming from you.
The breath,
The heartbeat.
If at any point you get distracted,
Or right now distracted by sounds in the room or outside of you,
Simply notice this.
Just observe that distraction happening and bring your focus back to your breathing.
Now slowly bring your attention down to your feet.
Begin observing sensations in your feet.
You might want to wiggle your toes little feeling your toes against your socks or against the surface that they're under.
Just notice without judgement,
You might imagine sending your breath down to your feet as if the breath is travelling through the nose,
To the lungs,
Through the belly,
All the way down to your feet.
And then back up again out through your nose and lungs.
Perhaps you don't feel anything at all.
That is fine too.
Just allow yourself to feel the sensations of not feeling anything.
When you are ready,
Allow your feet to dissolve in your mind's eye and move your attention up to your ankles,
Calves,
Knees and thighs.
Observe the sensations you are experiencing throughout your legs.
Breathe into and breathe out of the legs.
If your mind begins to wander during this practice,
Gently notice this without judgement and bring your mind back to noticing the sensations in your legs.
If you notice any discomfort,
Pain or stiffness,
Don't judge this.
Just simply notice it.
Observe how all sensations rise and fall,
Shift and change moment to moment.
Notice how no sensation is permanent.
Just observe and allow the sensations to be in the moment,
Just as they are.
Breathe into and out from the legs.
Then on the next out breath,
Allow the legs to dissolve in your mind and move to the sensations in your lower back and pelvis,
Softening and releasing as you breathe in and out.
Slowly move your attention up to your mid back and upper back.
Become curious about the sensations here.
You may become aware of sensations in the muscle,
Temperature or points of contact with the furniture or the bed.
With each out breath,
You may let go of tension you are carrying.
Then very gently shift your focus to your stomach and all the internal organs here.
Notice the feeling of clothing,
The process of digestion or the belly rising and falling with each breath.
If you notice opinions arising about these areas,
Gently let these go and return to just noticing sensations.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring your awareness to the chest and heart region and notice your beautiful heartbeat.
Observe how the chest rises during the inhale and how the chest falls during the exhale.
Let go of any judgments that may arise.
On the next out breath,
Shift the focus to your hands and fingertips.
See if you can channel your breathing into and out of this area as if you are breathing into and out from your hands.
If your mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to the sensations in your hands.
And then on the next out breath,
Shift the focus and bring your awareness up into your arms.
Observe the sensations or lack of sensations that may be occurring there.
You may notice some difference between the left arm and the right arm.
No need to judge this.
As you exhale,
You may experience the arms soften and release tensions.
Continue to breathe.
And shift your focus to the neck,
Shoulder and throat region.
This is an area where we often have tension.
Be with the sensations there.
It could be tightness,
Rigidity or holding.
You may notice the shoulders moving along with the breath.
Let go of any thoughts or stories you are telling about this area.
And as you breathe,
You may feel tension rolling off your shoulders.
On the next out breath,
Shift your focus and direct your attention to the scalp,
Head and face.
Observe all of the sensations occurring there.
Notice the movement of the air as you breathe into or out of the nostrils or mouth.
As you exhale,
You might notice the softening of any tension you may be holding.
Now let your attention expand.
Expand out to include the entire body as a whole.
Bring into your awareness the top of your head down to the bottom of your toes.
Feel the gentle rhythm of the breath as you come to the end of this practice.
Take a full deep breath,
Taking in all the energy of this practice.
Exhale fully.
Taking it nice and slow,
Nice and easy.
And only when you are ready,
When you are ready,
Then you can open your eyes and return your attention to the present moment.
As you become fully alert and awake,
Consider setting the intention that this practice of building awareness will benefit everyone you come in contact with today.
Take your time,
Do whatever you feel you need the most right now.
Thank you for meditating with me,
Thank you for practicing with me,
For the trust you gave me to lead you on this journey,
The trust,
The courage,
The strength that it took you to make it happen here in this practice.
Thank you.
