Welcome to the 10-minute body scan.
The body scan is one of the most common mindfulness practices.
It is a great practice for developing awareness of your body and deepening your concentration.
You can practice the body scan in any posture,
Either sitting or lying down.
As long as you're relaxed without being rigid,
At ease without collapsing or falling asleep.
So you may want to have your eyes closed or slightly open,
Gazing softly in front of you.
If you like,
You can start by taking three slow,
Deep breaths to allow yourself to arrive gently in this present moment.
As you breathe out,
Allow yourself to experience some relaxation in your body.
Check your frame of mind.
There is nothing special you need to do here.
Nothing you need to accomplish or achieve.
It is enough that you are here and present with your body,
Relaxed,
And your natural presence is very important.
During the rest of this guided practice,
I will be inviting you to move your attention to various parts of your body,
Starting from your head down to your feet.
With each part of your body,
I will invite you to feel any sensations that may be there.
So let's begin.
Start by placing your attention at the top of your head.
Notice any sensations that you might feel there.
It might be in relation to the temperature,
Tingling,
Or some subtle feeling of the contact of your scalp.
Or perhaps you may not feel any sensations,
Just a blankness.
And that is just fine.
Just notice that.
Feel your ears and the sides of your head.
Feel your forehead and eyebrows.
Noticing any sensations there.
Not trying to feel anything special.
Just feeling what is at present.
If it is a blank or neutral feeling,
Just be aware of that.
Feel your temples.
And now bring your attention to your eyes.
Maybe you feel some slight weight of your eyelids,
Some warmth,
Or burning if you're tired.
Some moisture.
What do you notice as you rest your attention on your eyes?
Moving to your cheeks and cheekbones.
Notice whatever you feel,
Pleasant or unpleasant.
Bring your attention to your lips.
Are they touching?
Can you feel your tongue resting inside your mouth?
Its gentle weight,
Moisture,
Or dryness?
Next,
Feel your jaw.
Notice any sensations there.
You might find as you bring attention to your mouth,
Your jaw opens slightly.
And now shifting your attention to your neck and your shoulders.
What do you notice there?
Many of us tend to hold some tension in this region.
Is there any heaviness,
Tightness,
Or soreness?
Can you relax or soften the area,
Letting your shoulders drop slightly,
And noticing any sensations there?
We are not looking for anything special or particular.
We are just feeling or noticing whatever is present,
And noticing what happens when we feel or bring awareness to the area.
Now work your way down your arms,
Feeling any sensations in the upper arms,
The elbows,
And down the forearms.
Next,
Feeling your wrists,
And now your hands,
Right down to the tips of your fingers,
Feeling any sensations of warmth or tingling,
Heaviness,
Or just whatever it is that you might notice.
Next,
We will move our attention down the back.
Remember,
It is common for there to be blank or numb areas in our body.
Notice if there is a lack of sensation too,
Feeling how your back may be the part of your body that contacts the chair or the floor.
Just notice how that might feel.
Bring your attention back to the top of your chest,
Noticing the sensations around your waist and in your belly,
Down your abdomen to your hips and your pelvis.
Shifting your attention now to your legs,
Moving down the thighs to the knees,
Feeling your calves,
Your ankles,
Down to your feet.
Notice the soles of your feet and any sensations present in your feet.
Lastly,
Let's take a few moments to feel the entire body,
Noticing any sensations that are naturally present,
And if there are areas of tightness or contraction,
To see if they soften or relax,
Just from you being aware of it.
This completes our 10-minute practice of the body scan.
If you want to continue,
You can start from your feet and move back up your body to your head.
Passing your attention to the body up and down,
Being aware of sensations or neutral areas,
You can go more slowly,
Taking your time in certain areas of your body.
In the future,
You can do your body scan at your own pace,
Carefully,
Not straining or striving,
Taking care not to rush.
Thank you for joining us,
And good luck with your practice.
