The Body Scan - Deep Rest

Welcome to this mindfulness practice,

A deep deep relaxation process where we scan the body for any glitches that inhibit us from relaxing beautifully and we calm the mind and spirit through the flow of the breath and the guidance of my voice.

Lie down on the floor on your back somewhere quiet,

Warm and secluded.

Cover yourself in a light wrap or blanket developing your own sanctuary.

Your feet are separated about hip-width distance apart,

Your legs are long and loose and the little toes are gently falling outwards.

Your arms are nestled beside you and your palms are facing upwards in an attitude of receiving and releasing.

Let go of behaviors,

Habits,

Beliefs and thoughts that are no longer useful to you.

Let them die away.

Your eyes are softly closed,

Drop the jaw and again and again.

Feel all tension leave your face.

Roll the head from side to side with full awareness,

Relaxing the back of the neck,

The throat and the shoulders.

With your eyes closed,

Imagine you are drawing a semicircle across the ceiling,

From one ear to the other.

Do this a few times.

Now allow your head to be still and your forehead parallel to the ceiling.

Feel as though your shoulders are spread broadly across the surface of the floor.

Release any strain or tension in your lower back.

It is though the whole body is melting into the earth that supports you,

The quiet earth.

Inhale and fill the body with breath.

Exhale and release all tension,

All fatigue.

Release your chatty mind into the ether.

Through letting go we transform,

We grow.

Feel the gentle rhythm of the heart.

Move the breath through your body.

Move the breath through your mind.

Move the breath through your whole being.

Bring your attention to your toes.

See all of your toes in your mind's eye.

Gently relax all the toes at the same time.

Tops of the toes,

The tips of the toes,

Beneath the toes.

Notice the sensitive soles of the feet.

You may sense a slight tingling or warmth or cool at the soles of the feet.

Our feet not only support us but they ensure we travel safely and comfortably.

Our feet deserve our attention,

Much more than we give them.

Over 7,

000 nerve endings in each foot.

As you breathe out,

Exhale all tension from the feet.

In your imagination,

Breathe in through the soles of the feet.

Breathe out through the soles of the feet.

You are not just thinking about your feet,

You are really feeling your feet.

Running your attention over every tiny part of the soles of both your feet.

Be aware of the ankles,

Calves and shins.

Drawing your awareness up through your legs,

Sense the spaces behind the knees.

Yes,

You can sense space.

Relax the back of the thighs,

The front of the thighs.

Release through the buttocks.

Release all tension.

It's as though the weight of the muscles are drawing you into the deeper earth,

Falling deeper and deeper into the earth,

Falling,

Falling.

Sense the back and allow it to soften into the earth.

Imagine you are relaxing the muscles that surround the spine,

Surrounding layers of 140 overlapping muscles that provide strength and support to the back.

Imagine you are relaxing them as you journey up through the vertebrae into the crown of the head.

Rest your hands.

Soften your fingers one by one.

Let them uncurl,

Unfurl.

Sense a gentle pulsing in the palms of your hands.

You may sense a tingling or pulsing or warmth or cool.

It's as though you are holding your heart in your hands.

Relax the wrists and notice the energy flowing around the wrists.

The lower arms to the upper arms to the shoulders,

Relax the shoulders.

The front of the shoulders,

The sides of the shoulders and around the shoulder blades.

Let go of all burdens.

Let go of all worries.

Let go of all thoughts.

Drop your concerns,

The weight of the world,

Come into the moment.

Pause.

Release all that binds you.

Release from the heart.

Release from the mind.

Notice the breath.

Do not let any breath escape your attention.

Soften the throat.

The center of communication and expression.

Relax the back of the head and feel the relaxation behind the ears and up through the hairline to the crown of the head.

You may sense a tingling sensation or a warmth or a cool at the crown of the head.

And now the face.

Up the jaw,

Again and again and again.

Enter the mouth and feel the inside of the cheeks,

The tongue.

Relax the root of the tongue.

Be aware of the root of the mouth,

The teeth,

Upper and lower.

The inside of the lips,

How they part a little.

Relax the wings of the nose,

The side of the nose,

The bridge of the nose.

In beneath the eyes and deep,

Deep within the eyes.

Go there now.

Can you sense behind the eyes?

Can you imagine looking out from behind the eyes?

Release the inner ears to the back of the skull.

But still be aware of the sound of the breath.

Relax the forehead and imagine you are ironing out all worry lines and frowns from the forehead.

From the center of the forehead to the temples.

And when you relax the temples,

Notice what happens to the jaw.

And when you soften the jaw,

Notice what happens to the temples.

And bring your awareness to the back of your head and around behind the ears.

Up the hairline to the crown of the head.

And softness,

Calm and harmony at the crown of the head.

Now relax the breath.

Slow right down.

And visage the breath as a white light permeating your whole being,

Lighting your heart.

Allow the breath to draw you inwards,

Go within,

Deep within.

To that place of safety,

Peace,

Comfort and ease.

That place of pauses.

That place of pure rest.

And now for a little while just remain calm and silent and soft.

And free from all thoughts.

Rest.

Just be.

Feel that luxurious drifting of the body and mind.

You may sense a heaviness or a lightness.

Just be.

Let go.

Rest.

Breathe.

Enjoy.

Relax the breath.

Again and again.

The calm,

Quiet,

Flowing.

The gentle breath which restores and refreshes.

Become aware of the fact that you are breathing.

Allow your attention to rest on your breath,

To float on your breath.

Notice the way it flows in and out effortlessly.

The beginning of the breath as it enters the nostrils.

The breath filling your whole being.

Drawing in energy to every part of your body.

Soothing the mind.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Small pause.

Inhale.

Bring your awareness to this detail of the breath for the breath breathes you.

There is no need to question how you are breathing.

Simply notice it.

Do not let one breath escape your attention.

And remember,

Sometimes the most important things in a day are the pauses between your breath and the spaces between your thoughts.

It is said when you own your breath,

No one can steal your peace.

Allow the breath to soothe you.

May the sun bring you new energy by day.

May the moon softly restore you by night.

May the rain wash away your worries.

May the breeze blow new strength into your being.

May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om.

Peace,

Peace,

Peace.