Welcome to this short meditation.
I'd like to invite you to just take a moment and become as comfortable as you possibly can in this moment.
Perhaps you're sitting,
Laying down on a yoga mat,
On a recliner,
In bed,
Covered up with pillows or an animal.
And allow sound to just come to the ears.
Just lay there and sit there and allow sound to be projected onto you.
And allow the temperature of the room to be projected on to who and what you are.
Sensing the temperature all around you,
Surrounding the skin.
Maybe a little warmer around the blankets or clothes.
Or the skin's exposed,
Maybe a little cooler.
Notice what is touched and the sensation of touching from head to toe.
As you breathe,
Allow scent to come into the nostrils and the breath to expand and deflate the belly,
Ribs,
Chest.
And allow taste to dance on the taste buds.
And bring attention to the breath again.
Just watch the breath.
Bring attention from the brain and like an elevator,
Bring it down to the lungs.
And allow the breath to fill up the torso,
The back,
The sides,
The energy of life.
Allow the exhale to go just a little bit longer than that inhale.
And observe the pauses between inhale and exhale,
Exhale and inhale.
Know what it's like to observe and be with the breath.
Not the thoughts,
Not the minds,
But with the breath.
Cool air coming into the nostrils,
Down the esophagus.
Body expanding and deflating as a balloon does.
And bring attention all the way down to the feet and to the big toes.
Maybe we start with the right big toe.
Get to know it a little bit.
Do a little scan around the big toe.
Get to know it.
The touch as it touches the floor mat or blanket or temperature or sock.
And once you have introduced yourself to it for a while,
Mosey on over to the left toe,
Left big toe,
And do a little scan around there.
Then come back to the right side and go to each individual toe,
Getting to know each individual toe one at a time on the right side.
And as you're ready,
Come back over to the left side and get to know each individual toe there.
Say hello,
Hello toes.
When I was a baby,
I was curious about my toes.
Now I don't pay much attention.
I get to know the rest of the foot,
The top,
The heel,
Around the ankles,
And then the soles of the feet.
Just really getting to know the feet.
Checking every nook and cranny of the foot,
Inside out,
The experience the foot is having.
Bring it up the ankles.
Up the shins and calves.
Get to know that lower leg.
Inside,
Outside.
Every nook and cranny.
Leave no space unobserved.
Coming up the knees.
Doing a little scan around the knees.
Coming up to the upper legs,
The thighs.
Hello.
And then just sense into the whole lower body,
From the legs down to the feet.
And come up around the buttocks.
So as get to know that area a little bit.
Every nook and cranny.
Saying hello.
And up the abdomen,
Hips.
Around the digestive system.
Common scanning around the side and the back.
Then the other side.
Get to know the body.
Around the chest,
Upper back.
Around the heart and the ribs,
The clavicle.
Say hello.
Down the right arm.
Around the upper arm,
Elbows.
Forearm all the way around.
Around the wrist.
The hands,
The palms.
Each individual finger and thumb.
Noticing the heartbeat in the right palm.
Coming back up and around to the left upper arm.
Around the elbow.
And up and down the forearm.
Saying hello.
Inside out,
Bone,
Muscle,
And skin.
Around the wrists.
Each individual finger and thumb.
Sensing the pulse in the left palm.
Perhaps down the fingertips.
Coming up,
Back up the arm,
Around the neck and shoulders.
Bringing softness.
Getting to know it.
Saying hi.
And coming up around the jaw.
And up in the hinges of the jaw.
Smooth,
Light.
Soft.
Around the lips.
And gums.
Around the tongue.
Around the mouth and jaw.
Up around the ears.
Coming around the nose and nostrils.
And around the eyes and eyelids and eyeballs.
Saying hello.
Coming up around the eyebrows.
Temples.
Up around the forehead.
And really sensing into the scalp,
The hair follicles,
Strands of hair.
Then sensing the whole body.
From the crown of the head down to the soles of the feet,
Out the fingertips.
Noticing every which way.
The sensations come,
Whether it be touch of the skin,
Taste,
Smell,
Sound,
Sight,
Light in the eyes.
Just sensing everything,
Allowing everything to be sensed,
Sound to come to the ears.
Inside out,
Just exploring the body,
The brain,
The skull.
Every organ,
Every muscle,
Bone,
Blood,
Skin,
All the way out.
Really just discovering,
Sensing,
Getting to know each of these parts at the same time.
And then go ahead and bring it back,
Coming back together.
Coming back to the breath.
Slow,
Deep,
Soft,
Gentle,
Nurturing,
Loving,
Just like you need,
Just like the body needs.
Knowing that the breath and the body is available at any time.
Saying hello to something as simple as the big toe.
Thank you for practicing with me.
Om Shanti.
Namaste.
