Today we're going to do a body scan,
And begin by making yourself comfortable.
If you're sitting in a chair,
Allow your back to be straight but not stiff,
With your feet firmly on the ground.
If you lie down,
You may wish to have your head supported.
Your hands can be resting gently in your lap or at your side.
Allow your eyes to close,
Or to remain open with a soft gaze.
Take several long,
Slow,
Deep breaths,
Breathing in fully,
And exhaling slowly.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose or mouth.
Feel your stomach expand on an inhale,
And relax and let go as you exhale.
Begin to let go of noises around you.
Shift your attention from the outside to the inside of yourself.
If you're distracted by sounds in the room,
Simply notice,
And bring your focus back to your breathing.
Now bring your attention to your feet.
Begin observing sensations in your feet.
You may wish to wiggle your toes a little.
Feel your toes against your socks or shoes or the ground.
Just notice,
No judgment.
Your hands can be resting gently in your lap or at your side.
Allow your eyes to close,
Or to remain open with a soft gaze.
Take several long,
Slow,
Deep breaths,
Breathing in fully,
And exhaling slowly.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose or mouth.
Feel your stomach expand on an inhale,
And relax and let go as you exhale.
Begin to let go of noises around you.
Shift your attention from the outside to the inside of yourself.
If you're distracted by sounds in the room,
Simply notice,
And bring your focus back to your breathing.
Now bring your attention to your feet.
Begin observing sensations in your feet.
You may wish to wiggle your toes a little.
Feel your toes against your socks or shoes or the ground.
Just notice,
No judgment.
You might imagine sending a breath down to your feet,
As if the breath is traveling through the nose to the lungs,
Through the stomach,
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's fine.
Just allow yourself to feel the sensation of not feeling anything.
When you're ready,
Allow your feet to dissolve in your mind's eye,
And move your attention up to your ankles,
Your calves,
Your knees,
Your thighs.
Observe the sensations you are experiencing throughout your legs.
Breathe in and breathe out of the legs.
If your mind begins to wander,
Gently notice without judgment,
And bring your mind back to noticing the sensations in your legs.
If you notice any discomfort,
Pain,
Or stiffness,
Don't judge.
Just simply notice.
Observe how all sensations rise and fall,
Shift and change,
Moment to moment.
And 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,
And 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,
The temperature,
Or the points of contact with the furniture or the bed or the ground.
With each out-breath,
You may let go of tension you are carrying.
And then,
Very gently,
Shift your focus to your stomach and all the internal organs here.
Perhaps you notice the feeling of the clothing,
The process of digestion,
Or the belly rising or falling with each breath.
If you notice opinions arising about these areas,
Gently let them go,
And return to noticing the sensations.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring your awareness to the chest and the heart,
And notice your 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 were breathing into and out from your hands.
If your mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to the sensations in your hand.
And then,
Shift your focus and bring your awareness up into your arms.
Observe the sensations or lack of sensations that may be occurring.
You may notice a difference between the left arm and the right arm.
No need to judge.
As you exhale,
Experience the arms soften,
And release the tension.
Continue to breathe,
And shift the focus to the neck,
The shoulder,
And the throat.
This is an area where we often have tension,
And be with the sensations here.
It could be a tightness,
A rigidity,
Or holding.
You may notice the shoulders moving along with the breath.
Let go of any thoughts or stories you were telling about this area.
As you breathe,
You may feel tension rolling off your shoulders.
Now,
In the next out breath,
Shift your focus and direct your attention to the scalp,
The head,
And the face.
Observe the sensations occurring.
Notice the movement of the air as you breathe into or out of the nostrils or the mouth.
As you exhale,
You might notice the softening of any tension you may be holding.
Now let your attention to expand out to include the entire body as a whole.
Bring your awareness to the top of your head down to the bottom of your toes.
Feel the gentle rhythm of the breath as it moves through the body.
As you come to the end of this practice,
Take a full deep breath,
And taking in all of the energy of this practice,
Exhale fully.
And,
When you're ready,
Open your eyes and return your attention to the present moment.
