A body scan is a mindfulness practice that will allow you some time to be in your body fully and to get to know how it's feeling right now via your attention and your awareness.
It offers a time to learn to effectively sit with your body sensations,
All of them,
Even discomfort and tension.
The focus of this practice is not to try to change anything about our experience.
Remember there is no right way to feel in the moment.
There is simply what you feel.
The key to this practice is actually to simply notice and accept whatever is present in the current moment.
As we go through this practice,
I will guide you to focus on various areas of the body,
Noticing whatever arises.
If you realize that your mind has become distracted and wandered off,
And it will,
Just tune back in to the sound of my voice and pick up with the practice.
That's right,
It's a practice.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position.
Allow your body to come to stillness.
When you're ready,
Gently close your eyes.
Take a moment to feel your body as a whole.
Bring your attention to the fact that you are breathing in this body.
Allow yourself to experience your breath in and your breath out.
We're not trying to change or deepen the breath in any way.
Just notice it.
You may notice it in your belly,
Rising and falling.
You may notice it in your chest,
Rising and falling.
Try following the full cycle of a breath,
The in breath and the out breath.
Relax into this natural rhythm and flow of your breath and allow it to bring you more deeply into this moment.
On your next out breath,
I'd like you to direct your attention and the breath down through your body,
Down through your left leg to the toes of your left foot,
Simply noticing any sensations that might arise.
Noticing the space between your toes,
Noticing any feelings of tension or tingling,
Perhaps noticing the temperature.
Now expand your awareness through your foot and to your ankle.
Notice the point of contact at the bottom of your foot.
Notice the surface and the structure of your foot and your ankle.
And now rest complete attention on your lower leg,
Again,
Simply being aware of all the sensations,
Just noticing.
There's no need to change anything about what you are experiencing.
And now noticing through your knee,
The underside of your knee,
Expanding your attention to include your thigh and up through your hip.
Again,
Simply noticing any sensations,
Perhaps you name it tingling,
Achiness,
Tension.
Perhaps you're noticing a sense of relaxation.
Lightly simply noticing the point of contact,
Perhaps the muscles,
Perhaps the tendons.
Opening your attention to your right shin and calf,
The whole lower leg,
Up through your right knee,
Through your right thigh,
And up through your hip.
Noticing any achiness or tension,
Any tingling,
Paying attention to the temperature.
As you attend deeply to your body,
You may notice sensations that feel strong or uncomfortable,
And you may not.
When you do,
Simply allow yourself to be open with this experience,
Breathe into the feeling of discomfort,
Simply noticing and allowing whatever it is you're experiencing in this moment.
Notice through your waist,
Through your abdomen,
Are you holding any tension?
Is it neutral?
Simply bringing your awareness to this area of your body.
As you're practicing,
Continue to have the breath be flowing in and out,
Just naturally,
Not trying to force any type of breathing.
Your breath is there always to support your body.
And now move up your body to focus on your lower back,
Noticing the position of your spine,
The muscles along your spine,
Noting the sensation of your rib cage as it rises and falls as you breathe.
And now bring your attention to your chest.
Are you aware of the sensation of your lungs expanding and contracting?
Are you aware of the beating of your heart?
Now focus your attention on your collarbones and on your shoulders.
Continue down your right arm through the elbow,
Through the wrist,
Through your fingertips,
And even the spaces between your fingers.
Breathe into those fingers.
Now come to the left side of your body,
From your shoulder down through your left arm,
Through your left elbow and wrist,
To your fingertips.
Bring attention and awareness to whatever sensations you are experiencing in this moment.
Perhaps through your jaw,
Your lips,
Your face continues through your nose,
Perhaps the right ear,
Crossing over to the left ear,
Your eyes,
Your forehead,
And all the way to the tippy top crown of your head.
Take this moment now to feel the body as a whole,
From the crown of your head down to the tips of your toes,
Scanning for any sensation that might pull your attention and trying to open up to that sensation,
Like it is.
The sensation is like that.
Continue to sit with the experience of your body as a whole,
Bringing your attention to your breathing.
Really noticing your breathing body awake,
Tuned in,
Relaxing into this rhythm and flow of your breath as it allows you to sit deeply in this moment,
Right here,
Right now.
This moment.
This moment.
And now as this practice comes to a close,
Take a moment to acknowledge the time that you've spent intentionally nourishing your body by resting in this awareness,
Right as it is.
Congratulate yourself for the energy and the effort that it took to stay aware in this practice.
Congratulate yourself for committing to yourself as a priority during this time.
The benefits will flow into your day,
Into your evening,
Or into your dreams.
And when you're ready,
You can begin wiggling your toes,
Wiggling your fingers.
Gently take a deep breath as you open your eyes softly.
And here you are in this moment.
As always,
It's an honor to practice with you.
Namaste.
