This is the body scan meditation.
Finding a comfortable seat,
Alert yet relaxed.
Closing your eyes or lowering your gaze.
And taking a deeper than normal in-breath with an audible exhale.
To mark the transition into formal practice.
And allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Bringing attention to the whole body sitting.
Kindly,
Curiously,
Noticing what's present.
Now shifting your awareness to your feet.
Experiencing the raw sensory data entering awareness from the feet.
Moving to your lower legs.
And sliding attention up to the knees.
Noticing any tightness or any ease.
Now attending to your upper legs.
And if you find yourself lost in thoughts about the legs,
Or anything else for that matter,
Gently redirecting your attention back to the sensations present in the legs.
Shifting the spotlight of attention to the pelvis.
Noticing what's present.
Noticing what's present.
Moving to the low back.
Noticing and welcoming any discomfort.
Without immediately trying to change it.
Bringing awareness to sensations in your upper back.
And wrapping around to the abdomen.
Noticing the movement of the breath.
Perhaps digestion,
Hunger,
Whatever else might be present now.
And up to your chest.
Shifting your attention to your hands.
Forearms.
And elbows.
Moving to your upper arms.
And the shoulders and neck.
Noticing any tension.
Without immediately trying to change it.
Bringing awareness to the face.
And shifting to the back of the head.
Noticing any sensations present there.
And the top of the head.
Resting attention broadly on the body as a whole.
Noticing whatever is present.
And taking one deeper than normal in-breath.
And with an audible exhale.
Opening the eyes.
Raising the gaze.
And orienting to the room around you.
Taking a moment to thank yourself for making the time to practice.
Nice work.
See you back here tomorrow.
