Body Scan - De-Stress & Focus

Welcome to the body scan.

Lying on your back in a comfortable position.

Your arms and legs are lying long.

Adjusting your position if you need to,

Making it as comfortable as you can.

Perhaps a cushion or blanket under your head or your knees.

Perhaps a blanket over your body to keep you warm and comfortable for the next 30 minutes.

Beginning to notice the body as it touches the ground of this earth.

Noticing what the body is connecting to.

And also noticing the touch of the clothing to your body.

Perhaps also the air,

The sensations of the air touching your skin,

Perhaps your face and hands.

Beginning to bring your attention now to your breath.

Noticing the sensations that the breathing makes.

The sensations of movement.

Perhaps movement of the belly,

Chest as the breath comes in.

And the movement of the body as the breath leaves your body.

Noticing the breath where it's easy.

Noticing the breath as easy.

Easy to sense and feel.

And also where it's more subtle,

Not as easy to notice.

Being here,

Noticing the breath as it comes and goes.

As it enters the body and as the breath leaves the body.

You may like to bring the hands to the belly to more easily notice the movement,

The sensations of movement of the belly.

Perhaps the belly expands as you breathe in.

And as you breathe out,

Noticing the belly softening.

Notice this expanding of the belly on the inhale and the softening and falling away on the exhale of the belly.

As you stay with this breathing,

Noticing the incoming and the outgoing breath,

The movement of the belly and perhaps also the movement of the hands on the belly.

You may also begin to notice a softening,

A relaxing and perhaps releasing beginning to happen.

Taking a few deeper,

Fuller breaths.

As we begin to direct our attention to different parts of the body in this body scan.

And the intention is to notice the sensations in each of the parts of the body.

To be with that,

To be with those sensations as best we can.

Allowing things to be as they are with no particular goal,

No special state or there's no right way for the body to feel.

Being as best you can with the experience that arises,

The sensations that arise in the body as we move part to part throughout the body.

We'll focus in on certain parts of the body and then broaden,

Broaden out to wider parts of the body.

Beginning now to bring your attention all the way down your left leg.

All the way down to your left foot,

Your left heel.

Noticing any sensations,

The left heel and sole of the foot.

Including the arch of the foot,

The ball of the left foot and the toes,

The big toe,

The little toe and all the toes in between.

Noticing the space between the toes.

And now to the top of the foot and the sides of the left foot.

What is here to notice in this left foot?

Broadening your attention to the whole of the left foot.

What can you experience here?

And now bring your attention to the left ankle,

The lower left leg,

The shin and calf.

Exploring the lower part of the left leg.

Noticing any sensations or perhaps no sensations at all.

And now to the left knee,

The kneecap,

The back of the knee,

The sides of the knee.

And now to the left thigh.

Noticing any sensations or sensations in the left thigh.

And now beginning to broaden your focus to the whole of the left leg.

Breathing in and breathing out.

And comparing the sensations between this left leg and also the right leg.

And now making your way down the right leg all the way down to the foot.

And now you can move your head to the right heel and the sole of the foot including the arch,

The ball of the foot,

The big right toe,

The little toe and all the toes in between.

What is here to notice in the sole of the right foot?

Noticing any sensations like temperature,

Hot or cold,

Heaviness or lightness.

Maybe you can feel some tingling or numbness.

Perhaps there is some aching or throbbing.

Noticing what sensations are here as you begin to also explore the top of the right foot and the sides of the right foot.

And expanding now to notice the whole of the right foot.

Moving into the right ankle and the right lower leg,

The shin and the calf.

What is there here to experience in the lower right leg?

The right knee,

The knee cap,

The back and the sides of the right knee.

And if you notice that your mind has wandered off,

Gently bringing it back,

Acknowledging that your mind has gone away from the body scan and bringing it back gently and doing this over and over as often as you need to.

Now to the right thigh,

Noticing what there is to notice here.

And now to the left arm,

Bringing your attention all the way down the left arm to the hand,

To the fingers,

To the fingers and left thumb.

Are there any sensations to notice here?

Temperature,

Pressure,

Tingling,

Or maybe no sensations at all.

And there's no particular outcome that we're looking for.

There's no right way to do this body scan or to feel.

And now to the palm of the hand,

The back of the hand and the whole of the left hand,

The wrist to the forearm,

The left elbow and the left upper arm and all the way up to the left shoulder.

What is there here to notice?

And now the whole of the left arm,

A few deeper,

Fuller breaths.

And then letting go of this left arm and moving to the right arm all the way down to the right hand,

The right thumb and fingers,

The palm of the right hand,

The back of the hand.

And now the whole of the right hand.

What sensations are here,

If any at all?

The right wrist,

Moving up to the forearm,

The elbow,

The upper right arm and the right shoulder.

We're not trying to relax the body or relax any parts of the body.

We're simply being with the physical sensations,

Noticing what there is to notice moment to moment.

Noticing now the whole of the right arm.

Taking a few fuller and deeper breaths as you breathe in and out of the right arm and letting the right arm go.

Bring your attention now to your lower belly,

Perhaps noticing the movement of the belly as you breathe in and out.

To the internal organs,

The front ribs,

The chest and the front of the neck.

Noticing also the states of mind that might be arising,

Perhaps boredom,

Tiredness,

Irritation,

Impulses.

Noticing these as they arise and pass away.

And now to the back of the trunk,

The hips,

The tailbone,

The back of the tailbone,

The anus region,

The genital region and the pelvic bowl.

Your bottom,

The sacrum area,

Beginning to move up the spine.

Noticing what there is to feel,

Noticing the sensations as you move up the spine,

The lower back,

Middle back,

The back ribs,

The upper back and the shoulder blades.

What is there here to feel as you move up the back of your trunk to the shoulders,

The back of your neck and the sides of your neck?

And if you notice that your mind has wandered off,

Gently bring it back.

And now expanding,

Expanding your awareness to the whole of your trunk,

Front and the back and breathing in and breathing out more fully and deeply into the whole of your trunk and letting it go.

Moving now to the head and the face,

The back of the head.

What is there here to notice?

Perhaps pressure,

Tightness or nothing at all.

The front of your face,

Bring your attention to your chin,

The left and the right sides of your jaw,

Your mouth,

The teeth,

Tongue.

Notice where the tongue sits in your mouth.

What is there here to notice?

Cheeks,

Your nose,

Eyes,

The eye sockets,

Your eyeballs and perhaps even your eyelids.

Are the eyelids heavy or lightly touching each other?

The temples and forehead,

All the way to the crown of your head.

Expanding now and being aware of the whole of your face and head.

Taking a few fuller and deeper breaths breathing into the whole of your face and head.

And noticing also any sleepiness or discomfort and not seeing these as difficulties or a problem,

Seeing it as part of the practice.

And now broaden your focus to the whole of your body,

From the soles of your feet all the way up to the top of your head,

Opening to the sensations that arise if they do arise.

And returning your attention to the breath,

Slow,

Full,

Mindful breaths,

Noticing how the belly expands with the inhale and the belly softens and relaxes with the exhale.

Noticing any and all expectations,

Sensations and experiences that are here to notice or perhaps none at all.

Noticing the mental states as well.

You might notice subtle angles how often in our bodies our bodies wish to be seen but What is though here to notice the whole of the body?

Touch or heaviness,

Stillness or movement?

Being with these sensations throughout the body as best you can as well as the emotions and thoughts that arise.

Being present to the sensations,

Thoughts and emotions that are arising in this moment without judgement or criticism.

Being with what's arising as best you can.

And as you notice the inhale and the exhale expanding into the whole of the body.

Starting to transition now,

Making a little bit more movement with the body,

Perhaps starting with the fingers and toes.

Maybe stretching the body.

And feel free to slowly make your way to sitting up.

Thank you for your practice today.