Body Scan: Release The Worries Of The Day, Relax And Let Go

Taking your time to find a comfortable position knowing it's important that you're comfortable.

Perhaps lying down maybe with the feet outstretched or perhaps with the feet flat on the ground and the knees up.

And you may like to take this opportunity to gather things around you to make you comfortable,

To allow the body to release,

Relax,

Let go.

You may like to place a cushion under the knees,

Perhaps a thin cushion behind the head.

Is there anything you could do to be five or ten percent more comfortable?

Taking a deep breath in where you are and as you breathe out releasing and melting into your new posture.

Asking yourself is there anything else you could do to be more comfortable?

We'll take another deep breath in expanding the lungs you draw air into the body.

Breathing out with a sigh.

With the next out breath letting go a little more.

And once more taking a long slow breath in.

Pausing and breathing out with a long releasing sigh.

Letting the body release what it's holding,

Letting the body melt into the unconditional support of the earth.

This body that works so hard to hold us up can let go now.

Can trust in the earth to catch us,

Can trust in the air to hold,

To support.

And guiding your awareness now to those parts of the body which are resting on the earth.

Sensing into those points of contact,

Those points of pressure.

As gravity pulls the body to the earth.

Moving awareness now to the breath.

This gentle movement of the body,

These waves of movement through the body as the body breathes.

And we're going to take a couple of deep soothing breaths here.

Finding a soothing breath rhythm.

You may like to notice the nose as you do this.

Perhaps the chest,

The abdomen.

And taking a breath in now feeling the chest expand.

Pausing and taking a long slow soothing breath out.

Once more breathing in long and slow as the body draws energy in.

Pausing and breathing out so the body lets go of what it no longer needs.

You may like to take a few of these breaths in your own time.

You may like to explore bringing in counting.

Perhaps counting to four as you breathe in.

Pausing for five.

Breathing out for six.

Allowing the whole body to release and let go with the out breath.

Allowing the mind to to follow the breath.

Release and let go with the out breath.

Releasing this soothing breath rhythm now.

Allowing the breath to return to its natural rate and rhythm.

We're going to gently bring awareness to the body now.

Noticing what experiences are here,

What sensations are present.

Knowing that there's no right way to feel.

Simply noticing whatever's here right now.

Starting by noticing the right side of the body.

Gently bringing this awareness across the body from the right side,

Middle,

Through to the left side of the body.

Taking this wave of awareness now from the left side of the body.

Across the body,

Sensing through the body to the right hand side.

Not the idea of the body,

Not the idea of the sense of the body but the felt sense in this moment.

Bringing awareness now to the back of the body.

These parts of the body that rest on the earth.

Gently guiding your awareness up through the body.

Sensing,

Experiencing this body to the top of the body.

Guiding awareness now to the top of the head and gently guiding your awareness down from the head,

Face,

Shoulders,

The arms,

Chest,

The abdomen,

The hips,

Legs and feet.

Allowing that wave of awareness to flow up the body now from the feet,

Legs,

Hips,

Abdomen,

Chest,

Arms,

Shoulders and head.

Holding the whole of this body in awareness.

Gently guiding your awareness now down,

Down to the toes.

Noticing the big toes.

Perhaps noticing the touch of fabric on skin,

Temperature maybe tingling.

Perhaps there's a numbness,

Knowing that this too is an experience.

There's no right way to feel noticing whatever's here.

Releasing awareness of the big toes and moving your awareness now to the little toes.

Seeing if it's possible to bring your interest,

Your curiosity to noticing how the little toes feel right now.

Maybe there's an inclination to move the toes.

Don't worry if that happens.

Noticing whatever's present.

Releasing awareness of the little toes and noticing the middle three toes on both feet.

Perhaps you're able to notice the space between the toes.

Noticing if you can notice each toe or perhaps they come as a set.

What do these toes feel like right now?

Releasing awareness of the toes,

Guiding awareness to the soles of the feet.

Starting with the balls of the feet,

The arch,

Heel.

Noticing these feet right now.

Letting go of the base of the feet and noticing the top of both feet,

Skin across the feet.

Perhaps the sense of a breeze or maybe noticing touch of a sock.

Moving now to notice the insides of the feet.

How do the insides of the feet feel?

And expanding your awareness to take in the whole of both feet.

Sensing into the feet.

If you'd like to,

You might like to bring in some imaginative breathing now.

Perhaps imagining you could breathe into the feet with each in-breath.

Breathe out from the feet with each out-breath.

Noticing the feet as you breathe.

And if imaginative breathing doesn't work for you,

Simply noticing the feet.

However they are.

Releasing awareness of the feet now and guiding your awareness to the ankles.

Moving your awareness slowly up the body to the shins,

Calves.

Noticing what experience is present here.

Perhaps a tingling.

A sense of temperature.

Noticing whatever's here right now.

What's the sense of the lower legs in this moment?

If you notice the mind's wandered away knowing nothing's gone wrong.

Celebrating this noticing.

This is the moment of mindfulness.

This noticing.

Our minds will wander off.

Nothing's gone wrong.

Perhaps noting to yourself where the mind's gone and when you're ready gently guiding your awareness back to this moment.

Back to this body.

Releasing awareness of the lower legs and noticing the knees.

The angle of the knees.

Bent.

Sensing the front of the knees.

And the back.

Releasing the knees.

Guiding your awareness up to the thighs.

The large muscles of the thighs.

Noticing if there's any holding.

If there's any tightness here.

We often hold tightness in this part of the body.

That's the case.

Perhaps offering a soothing,

Opening,

Letting go as you breathe out.

And expanding your awareness now.

Taking in the whole of both legs.

Sensing into the legs.

And if imaginative breathing works for you,

You might like to bring this in here.

Imagining you could breathe all the way down to the tips of the toes.

And back out up through the legs.

Sensing into the legs with each breath.

And when you're ready starting to release awareness of the legs.

Letting go.

Bringing your awareness to the hips.

The points where the legs meet the body.

And to the pelvis.

The whole basin of the pelvis.

Releasing awareness of the pelvis and guiding your awareness to the lower back.

Bottom of the back.

And slowly moving your awareness up the back.

One vertebra at a time.

The lower back.

The mid-back.

Noticing the gentle curves of the spine.

The upper back.

The shoulders.

And if you come across any point of discomfort or pain,

Perhaps you notice your attention's being drawn over and over again to a place of discomfort or challenge.

Perhaps taking a moment to notice this place of discomfort.

Perhaps breathing in and out of this point.

It's already here.

You may as well notice.

And as you breathe out,

Perhaps offering to yourself an opening,

A softening,

A letting go.

Perhaps allowing the muscles around this point of pain or of challenge to relax.

And you may notice that your awareness isn't drawn so much to this point and you can return to noticing where we are in the body scan.

Or perhaps you'd like to hold a gentle awareness of this point.

Bring this warm,

Kindly noticing to this place that perhaps is calling for a little tenderness.

It's allowing this to be held gently in your awareness.

Move back to the body scan.

Now,

Noticing the shoulders.

Gently moving your awareness to the abdomen.

Gentle rise and fall of the breath.

Noticing the subtle movement of the abdomen with the breath.

Noticing whatever is present here.

Perhaps a sense of hunger or maybe fullness.

Or perhaps this is where you notice emotions.

Bring your awareness to whatever's here.

And releasing awareness now of the abdomen.

And releasing awareness now of the abdomen.

Gently moving your awareness to the chest.

To the gentle rise and fall as the body breathes.

Perhaps sensing how the chest expands and lifts with the in-breath.

And releases and lets go with the out-breath.

And releasing awareness now of the chest.

And bringing your awareness to the shoulders,

Top of the arms.

Guiding your awareness to the upper arms.

Sensing into the elbows.

Noticing what sensations are present in the lower arms.

Were you able to notice,

To sense here?

And releasing awareness of the arms and noticing the hands.

The position of the hands.

The energy here.

Sense of the palms,

The fingers,

The fingertips.

And releasing awareness of the hands.

And gently guiding your awareness to the throat.

Perhaps noticing the breath here.

Perhaps noticing emotions here.

Moving awareness to the back of the neck.

And now gently guiding your focus to the scalp.

And if you notice the mind's wandered away,

Knowing nothing's gone wrong.

This is the nature of the mind.

Many times as the mind wanders off,

Gently guiding your focus to the scalp.

And guiding the awareness again and again,

Back to this moment,

To this body,

To this breath.

Sensing now the scalp.

And moving your awareness now to the top of the face,

The forehead.

Noticing if there's any tightness,

Any holding here.

Perhaps allowing this to release a little as you breathe out.

Noticing the eyebrows,

Space between the eyebrows.

The eyes.

The temples.

Allowing a releasing for each point you rest your awareness.

The cheeks.

The nose.

The lips.

The jaw.

Letting the jaw be loose.

Perhaps taking a deep breath in.

And as you breathe out,

Allowing the face to let go,

To release.

And gently expanding your awareness now to take in the whole of this body.

The whole of this resting body.

Sensing into every part.

Those parts that you sense strongly as well as those places that perhaps feel numb.

You may like to bring in imaginative breathing once more.

And letting go.

You may like to bring in imaginative breathing once more.

Imagining you could breathe into the whole of this body.

Sensing the whole body with each breath down to the tips of the fingers,

The tips of the toes.

And as you breathe out,

Breathing out in the whole of the body.

And if imaginative breathing doesn't work for you,

Gently bringing awareness to the body in whichever way does.

You may like to imagine a golden light shining on the body.

Perhaps that with each breath you're breathing a golden light into the body.

It's filling the whole of the body.

And just going out with the out breath.

With each in breath,

Filling the body with golden light and releasing it with the out breath.

However you like to notice the body.

Taking a short while now to breathe,

To rest,

To notice the whole of this body.

Sensing the whole of this body.

Sensing into the whole of this being.

And as we come towards the end of this practice,

Gently expanding your awareness now to notice the space around you.

Perhaps noticing sounds.

And as you breathe out,

Releasing this awareness,

Letting go of this awareness of the body,

Space around you.

And noticing once more these parts of the body that rest on the earth.

These points of contact,

Of connection.

And if you're moving towards ending your practice here,

You may like to take a deep breath in and out.

Beginning to move the fingers and the toes.

Noticing what the body needs.

Beginning to stretch and relax.

Beginning to stretch and move.

Taking your time to roll to one side.

Slowly push through the hands and move back into your day.

However you may like to rest on here.

Supported by the air.

Held by the unconditional support of the earth.

Whichever you choose,

Go well.