Finding a comfortable position to spend a bit of time in.
You might be sitting or lying down.
Whatever feels most comfortable for you right now.
Closing your eyes if that's comfortable for you.
Or lowering and softening your gaze.
So you're not focused on anything in particular.
And letting your arms be comfortable and relaxed.
And this is time for you.
Taking this time to check in with yourself.
Whilst being gentle with yourself.
We will be resting awareness on parts of the body in turn.
And noticing any sensations that are here right now.
Not trying to change anything.
Just noticing with kindness.
And if there are parts of your body that you feel discomfort or pain in.
Or no sensations.
Just acknowledging this.
Trying not to make judgments.
Or trying to resist or ignore it.
But perhaps just noticing with curiosity.
What the experience is actually like.
Your experience will be unique to you.
Remembering to modify any prompts from me.
So that you're comfortable.
Start by just noticing the weight of your body.
How it feels against the chair or the surface beneath you.
Each time you exhale.
Imagine yourself sinking a little deeper into a really comfortable state.
Begin to notice your breathing.
Not trying to change the breath in any way.
Taking a moment to notice.
Where you can feel your breath most clearly in your body.
Perhaps it's in your nostrils.
Your chest.
Or your stomach.
You might choose to place a hand on your stomach or your chest.
Noticing the expanding and contracting as you breathe in and out.
Just following each breath for a moment.
In and out.
Starting to move your awareness away from your breathing.
And into your toes.
Not thinking about the toes.
But almost imagining your attention can be pointed like a spotlight.
And shining it on your toes.
And then noticing with curiosity what sensations are here.
What sensations are in your toes.
Around your toes.
Perhaps warmth.
Or numbness.
Maybe they're cold.
Whatever your experience is,
Is okay.
See if it's possible to allow the sensations to be just as they are.
Perhaps becoming aware of your breathing again.
And imagine your breath travelling right down your body and into your toes.
When you breathe out,
Imagine your breath travelling back up your leg.
And up your body.
Until it leaves your nose.
And letting your awareness now move into the bottom of your feet.
The balls of your feet.
The arches.
The heels.
The tops of your feet.
The ankles.
And now both feet.
All at once.
Perhaps breathing right down into both of your feet.
And then right out again.
Extending that gentle curiosity into the lower legs.
Your knees.
The tops of your legs.
Noticing any sensations.
Not trying to change anything.
Now breathing right down into your legs.
Slowly bringing your awareness up to your pelvis.
And your hips.
Just noticing.
And once again breathing down into that area.
It's absolutely normal for your attention to wander away from your breath and your body occasionally.
So when this happens,
Don't worry.
It's just what the mind does.
You can just notice where your attention has gone.
And lead your awareness gently and kindly back to your body scan.
And now moving your awareness up to your stomach.
And into your lower back.
Aware of your stomach rising as you breathe in.
And contracting as you breathe out.
Noticing any sensations.
And breathing into that area.
Moving your awareness up into your chest.
And your upper back.
Noticing the movement of your breath in your chest.
Can you notice your heartbeat?
And bringing your awareness to your shoulders.
And letting them relax if they're tense.
Your upper arms.
Your elbows.
Your forearms.
The backs of your hands.
The palms.
The fingers.
The thumbs.
The fingertips.
Noticing what sensations are here.
Not judging.
Just noticing.
Once again,
Breathing right down to the fingertips of each arm.
And back up the arms again.
And now slowly bringing your awareness into the neck.
The jaw.
Noticing any tension in your jaw.
The mouth.
The lips.
The nose.
The ears.
The eyes.
The eyebrows.
The forehead.
The top of your head.
You might choose to imagine that you can breathe in from the very top of your head.
Let your breath flow right down your body to the tips of your toes.
And then right back up.
And out the very top of your head.
Allow that to happen a few times.
Perhaps with a feeling of being refreshed and recharged by the breath.
And then remaining in awareness of your body for a few moments.
Reflecting on how you feel right now.
And then bringing your awareness to yourself in the chair again.
On the surface beneath you.
Noticing sensations of your feet against the floor.
Noticing any sounds around you.
And having a stretch and a wiggle.
And gently opening your eyes when you're ready.
