The body scan.
First,
Become aware of your body as a whole.
From the head to the toes.
Feel its weight against the chair or the mat or the floor beneath you.
Have a sense of the whole of your body.
Its weight,
Its temperature,
How it feels.
Then,
Become aware of the breath.
Feel it entering and leaving the body.
Feel the chest and the stomach rising and falling as the breath comes in and goes out.
You may notice other parts of the body moving slightly with the breath.
You may notice the back,
The shoulders,
Even your arms or legs.
Now,
Take your attention to each part of the body.
Letting your awareness rest in each part for a while.
Starting at the crown of your head.
Feel your scalp.
Your forehead.
Space between your hairline and your eyebrows.
Your cheeks.
Your eyes.
Your nose.
And your jaw.
We often hold tension in our jaw.
You don't need to make a face.
You can just let go.
Let go any tension.
Be aware of your lips.
Your tongue.
Your ears.
What are you noticing?
Bringing in your attention to your shoulders.
Can you feel the temperature there?
Can you feel the fabric of your clothes?
On your skin?
Your upper arms.
Your wrist.
And each finger.
On one side or both sides together.
Noticing the sensations.
And feel the chest and the stomach rising and falling as the breath comes in and goes out.
You may notice other parts of the body moving slightly with the breath.
Noticing your chest,
Your abdomen,
And down to your pelvis.
Take your attention there.
Resting on your hips.
Your upper legs.
Can you feel the weight of your legs or the temperature or sensation?
Your knees.
Bring your attention to your ankles.
The soles of your feet.
The heels.
Your big toe.
It's hard to feel the toes.
Just bring awareness there to each toe right down to your little toe.
Just becoming aware of each area.
And see if you can accept whatever sensations are present.
Some parts may feel relaxed and warm and comfortable.
While others may feel tense,
Uncomfortable,
Or even painful.
Some other parts may even feel numb,
There is no sensation at all.
The practice is just to feel whatever sensations are there,
Just as they are.
And if the sensations are pleasant,
See if you can experience them without trying to hold on to them.
If they are unpleasant,
As best you can accept them without trying to push them away.
Breathing into them.
Softening around them.
Once you've moved through the whole body in this way,
Broaden your awareness to include your whole body once again.
Sit or lie for a few moments,
Doing nothing at all.
And very gently and mindfully bring yourself back to the sounds.
To wherever you are.
And see if you can take this awareness into the rest of your day.
