Body Scan Practice - 20 Minutes

Hello and welcome to this body scan practice today.

Well done for putting this time aside to tune in and connect with your internal state.

We spend so much of our time being busy moving from one thing to the next often in a fairly unconscious way.

This body scan practice allows us to pause,

To tune in,

To be mindful and to be present,

Connecting with our current reality.

As this practice unfolds at times you might find yourself getting carried away by thoughts that arise or you might also experience challenging feelings or feelings of boredom or frustration.

Please know that to experience these thoughts and feelings is completely normal.

In fact it is expected.

The objective of this practice is to simply sit with whatever thoughts,

Feelings and sensations arise and to notice the experience in its entirety because that is your current experience and being present to it and noticing it as it arises.

With no judgment,

Not aiming to achieve anything in particular is the practice of mindfulness.

So when you're ready you're invited to come to rest in a position that will be comfortable for you for the next 20 minutes.

Whether that be lying down on the floor,

A bed or a couch or sitting in a chair that allows your back to be upright and your feet planted firmly and securely on the ground.

Just settling into a comfortable position here.

This is your time,

This is your practice.

Make yourself comfortable.

If lying,

Arms are by your side,

Palms facing upwards,

Feet gently falling away from each other.

Or if sitting,

Legs and feet hip distance apart,

Hands on knees,

Palms once again facing upwards.

The body scan practice is an invitation to become fully aware and fully awake in the present moment.

If feelings of drowsiness arise,

Maybe take the opportunity to complete some or all of the practice with your eyes gently open,

Gaze diverted downwards.

This is your practice,

Listen to your body and what it is telling you that it needs.

There is nowhere else you need to be than right here,

Right now.

Your mind might tell you that it's got things to do,

That there's places to be,

Things to tick off your to-do list,

But those things can wait.

This is your time to be present,

To just be noticing without judgment,

Accepting what you're experiencing in each moment.

There is no right way or wrong way,

Just allow things to be exactly as they are.

So let's begin by noticing and connecting to the whole body right now as you lie or sit here.

Feeling the sensations of the contact that your body makes with the surface in which it is connected.

Feeling the clothes against your skin or maybe feeling a blanket or a sheet or a pillow behind your head.

Noticing the temperature of the room and its relationship with your body,

Creating a sense of cool or warmth on the skin.

Notice your breath,

The rhythm of your breath as it enters and exits the body.

The sensation of the breath as it enters your nose,

Fills your body and then exits through your mouth.

Can you notice that feeling of the body?

And then exits through your mouth.

Can you notice that feeling of the breath on the nose as you inhale?

Notice the breath in your belly as it expands and reaches its destination and on your lips as you exhale.

Just pausing here for a couple of slow deep breaths.

As we go through this practice,

Notice the times when you are carried away by your thoughts.

When this happens,

As it most certainly will,

Notice the thoughts and then gently draw your focus back to your breath or to the area of the body that we are focusing on at the time.

And now drawing your attention to the area of your feet.

To the area of your feet.

Becoming fully aware of the sensations and the feelings in the feet.

The feeling of the heels or the soles of the feet as they rest on the surface upon which you sit or lie.

Noticing the outside of the feet,

The skin.

Is it cold or warm?

What's the feeling against the shoes or socks or carpet,

Wood or blankets that it's connected with?

And then taking your awareness internal.

Can you notice the muscles,

The bones,

The blood,

The sensations arising now in the feet?

You might be able to notice specific sensations or there might be a feeling of tingling or numbness.

And as we go through this practice,

You might notice in some regions of the body,

No sensations at all.

And that is absolutely fine because that is your experience.

Now moving to the ankles and the calves.

Taking time to tune in to notice the sensations that can be felt in the body.

Notice the sensations that can be found here.

Is there any tightness,

Achiness,

Pain,

Tingling,

Numbness?

Whatever is here right now,

Just noticing it without casting judgment.

Moving our attention to the knees.

Scanning the knees,

The front of the knees,

The sides of the knees,

The back of the knee.

What is experienced here?

If there has been some injury to the knees in the past,

Notice if focusing in on this area of the body is more difficult for you.

Feelings might be very strong here,

But at the same time,

If you feel nothing at all,

That is the experience that it presents itself right here,

Right now for you.

Gently shifting your focus from this region of the body towards the thighs,

The glutes and the hips.

Often areas of the body where we store tension.

Noticing the sensations in these areas of the body.

Scanning the outside,

The skin.

Scanning the outside,

The skin.

And then scanning the inside.

The muscles,

The bones,

The ligaments.

And in noticing,

Be aware of what feelings or sensations you might be experiencing right now.

What might you be experiencing as pleasant or unpleasant sensations?

Letting go of this region now and moving to the torso.

Tuning into the sensations experienced in the groin,

The stomach and the lower back.

Taking a deep breath into this area.

And then letting it go,

Letting it soften.

Notice the sensations here.

Feelings of boredom,

Frustration,

Discomfort,

Agitation,

Maybe experiencing a little bit of anxiety.

Feelings of boredom,

Frustration,

Discomfort,

Agitation,

Maybe experience throughout this practice.

Remembering that if those feelings arise that this is normal.

And if and when they arise just noticing them.

Noticing the feelings and the thoughts that may be associated with them with no judgment,

Just awareness.

Taking the time now to check in with the diaphragm,

The chest,

The heart,

Lungs and rib cage.

The upper region of the torso and the areas of the body largely involved with the breath.

Is there a feeling of openness,

Expansion or tightness and contraction here?

Can you notice your heart?

The steady beating of this area of the body.

How does your heart feel right now?

And just taking a moment to breathe here.

Filling this area of the body with air and letting go.

Filling this area of the body with air and letting go.

Filling again and letting go.

Resting here in full awareness.

Notice any thoughts or emotions that may be arising for you right now.

And when you're ready now shifting your attention to the hands.

What do you notice here?

Feeling the sensations of your fingers,

Thumbs,

Palms and the back of the hands.

Is there a feeling of warmth or coolness?

Dryness or moisture?

Dryness or moisture?

Moving to the wrists,

The forearms,

The elbows and upper arms.

Noticing what is here.

And now moving your attention to the shoulders,

Neck and throat.

This is another area in which tension may be carried.

Is that present here or is there softness?

Noticing any emotions or feelings that might be experienced here.

And breathing into this area of the body.

And now moving to the final region of our body.

The face and the head.

Becoming aware of what is present in the jaw,

Tongue,

Nose,

Ears,

Eyes and forehead.

Noticing what is here.

Noticing what is here.

Noticing the front of the head,

The back and the top.

And taking a deep breath here,

Focusing in on the whole body.

From the tips of the toes to the top of the head.

And just resting here in this full awareness.

Congratulate yourself for taking the time and space to tune into your internal being.

Your whole self.

And just breathing here.

Noticing the wave of the breath in your body.

Breathing in through your nose,

Right down to the toes and back out again.

And as this practice draws to a close,

Checking in with your current state of awareness.

Notice any thoughts or feelings you are experiencing.

And in taking one last deep breath,

Slowly open your eyes,

Bringing your awareness into the present moment.

Notice what is around you,

What you can see and what you can hear.

And progress with your day with an increased connection to yourself and awareness of the present moment.

Now that you have done the self learning,

You may now take a deep breath and dairy break.

Gradually slowly and quietly let go.

Finally don't feel physicians orientation score you even just a little bit,