Body Scan To Soothe And Soften

Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale completely.

Another deep breath in and then let the breath go.

We will now practice a body scan focused on loving acceptance and non-judgment.

Imagine your attention like a beautiful feather and bring the feather of attention down to the big toe on your left foot.

Simply notice any feelings that are there.

Could be temperature or texture,

Feelings of tension or relaxation.

Whatever you are feeling is perfectly fine.

No need to judge and then let the feather of attention move throughout all the toes of your left foot.

Feel whatever you are feeling.

What you feel is neither good nor bad.

It simply is what you are feeling.

Bring the feather of your attention to the top of your left foot and then the bottom of your left foot.

Feel all the bones,

Muscles,

And tendons throughout the whole left foot.

Let the feather of your attention circle around your left ankle.

Let yourself simply feel your whole left foot,

Ankle,

And toes.

Nothing to do,

Nothing to change.

Simply feeling what you are feeling.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and as you exhale bring the feather of your attention up to your left shin.

Feel the expanse of skin and bone and muscle underneath.

Feel your whole left calf.

Let yourself feel the feelings in your left knee.

Feel the top of your left thigh,

Your inner left thigh,

The back of your left thigh,

And your outer left thigh.

Let the feather of your attention rise through your left hip and into your left waist and as you breathe slowly and deeply feel the whole left lower side of your body held in open loving awareness.

Perfect just as it is.

No need to change.

Your body simply feeling,

Simply held in awareness and acceptance.

Let yourself take a deep breath in through your nose and as you exhale now bring the feather of your attention all the way down to your right big toe.

You may feel a difference here between the right and the left side.

Difference is neither better nor worse.

Simply different.

Let yourself feel the feelings in all the toes of your right foot.

Feel the top of your right foot,

The bottom of your right foot,

The bones,

Muscles,

And tendons throughout your whole right foot.

Then let the feather of your attention circle around the right ankle.

Your foot held in loving open acceptance.

Let the feather of attention move up to your right shin and throughout your right calf.

Let yourself feel your right knee,

Top of your right knee,

The back of your right knee.

Feel the back of your thigh,

Your inner thigh,

The top of your right thigh,

And the outer edge of your right thigh.

Let yourself feel the feelings in your right hip and into your right waist.

Now feel the whole lower half of your body held in open loving awareness.

Feeling whatever you are feeling,

Neither good nor bad,

Simply perfect as it is,

As you are.

Now let your attention move into your lower belly.

Feel how the belly rises and falls with the waves of your breath.

As we move into the belly area,

You may be feeling physical feelings accompanied by emotional feelings and simply bring the beautiful feather of your attention to these emotions without judgment,

Feeling whatever you are feeling,

Neither good nor bad,

Your feelings perfect as they are,

As you are.

Let your attention move throughout your abdomen.

You may feel motions of digestion or the energies of different parts of your belly.

Let your attention move up into your ribs and your lungs,

Your chest and your heart.

You may notice the feelings of your heartbeat and the emotions of your heart itself.

Let your attention sweep over them with the gentle loving awareness of that feather.

Take a deep breath in and as you exhale bring your attention down to your lower back and let the feather move gently and softly through the middle back into the upper back and like receiving a hug from behind,

Feel the attention moving up into the lower neck and out into the left shoulder and down the left arm.

Feel the feelings in your upper arm.

Feel whatever you are feeling in your elbow.

Feel the feelings of your forearm,

The lower arm,

The left wrist,

The left palm,

The back of the left hand,

The left thumb and all the fingers of the left hand.

Feel the whole body now on the left side from the neck down,

Held in open loving awareness,

Simply perfect as it is,

Feeling whatever it is feeling,

Simply perfect as you are.

Take a deep breath in and as you exhale bring the feather of your attention to the right side of your neck through the collarbone and into the right shoulder and down the right arm.

Feel what you're feeling in your upper arm,

In your elbow,

In the right forearm,

In the right wrist,

In the right palm,

In the back of the right hand,

In your right thumb,

And in all the fingers of your right hand.

Now simply hold your whole body from the neck down in open loving awareness,

Feeling whatever it is feeling,

Perfect as it is,

Nothing to change,

No need to judge,

Perfect as you are.

Take a deep breath in and feel your attention move into your throat.

Feel the feelings in your jaw,

In your chin,

In your left cheek,

And your right cheek.

Feel the feelings in your lower lip,

Your upper lip,

Your tongue,

Teeth,

Top of the mouth,

Back of the mouth.

Feel the feelings in your right cheek and your nose,

Your left eye and your right eye,

Your left temple and your right temple,

Your left ear and your right ear,

The whole expanse of your forehead,

Your left eyebrow,

The right eyebrow,

Your hairline,

Your scalp.

Feel your whole head,

The skull,

The brain beneath,

Feel the back of your head,

Feel your whole head and face held in open loving awareness,

Feeling what it is feeling,

Perfect as it is,

Feeling what you are feeling,

Perfect as you are.

Now imagine that your breath meets your awareness in that feather and feel the beautiful feather of your loving attention move up and down your body with your breath,

Breathing in as the feather moves from the top of your head to the tip of your toes,

Exhaling as the feather moves from your toes to your head,

Inhaling,

Sweeping down,

Exhaling,

Sweeping up and then imagine reversing the direction,

Inhale the feather from the tip of the toes to the top of the head and exhale down from the top of the head to the tip of the toes,

Inhale from the bottom to the top,

Exhale from the top to the bottom and then let your attention float away as the feather floats away and simply feel yourself in your body,

Your body here in this present moment,

Feeling everything it is feeling nothing to do,

Nothing to change,

No need to judge your body perfect as it is,

Breathing,

Alive,

Heart beating,

Blood pumping,

Feeling what it is feeling,

Perfect as it is,

Perfect as you are.

You can let yourself bring gentle movement to your fingers and toes now,

Beginning to come back into the room in the present moment,

Bringing gentle movement back to your body to integrate the experiences and feelings into your everyday life,

Knowing that you can return to this place and these feelings anytime you wish,

Simply by paying attention to your breath and using that feather of your own awareness to bring acceptance to yourself,

To your body and to who you are.