Body Scan

Welcome to this 10-minute body scan meditation.

The body scan is a practice that can help you cultivate mindful awareness,

Connect you with your body,

And find a sense of calm and presence.

As you engage in this practice,

You'll discover benefits such as reduced stress,

Increased relaxation,

And a deeper connection to yourself in the present moment.

Before we begin,

Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit or lie down.

If you're sitting down,

Use a cushion to support the sit bones.

Make sure the knees fall below the hips,

Let your hands rest on your lap,

And make sure the spine stays straight for the whole exercise by imagining a string lifting you up from the crown of your head as you sink into the seat.

And for beginners,

It may be easier to lie down.

If you choose to do so,

Let the hands rest by the sides with the palms facing up.

Make any final adjustments to ensure that you can completely relax and let go today.

If you feel comfortable doing so,

Let the eyes close,

And if you choose to keep the eyes open,

Rest your attention on a space two feet in front of you.

Let your gaze soften.

Do not try to focus on any point,

But rather see if you can extend your vision to the corners of your eyes.

Remember,

You are in control of this experience.

If you feel distressed at any point,

Please allow yourself to pause the practice,

Take a few deep breaths,

Move around,

Or do anything else that would be supportive to you.

Let's begin.

Start by bringing your attention to your breath.

Begin to slow and deepen the breath.

Take a few deep breaths in through your nose,

Allowing your lungs to fill with air,

And exhale slowly through your mouth.

With each breath,

Feel the body releasing tension as you melt into the earth.

Feel yourself supported by gravity,

And imagine the string at the tip of your head pulling you up towards the sky.

As you're slowing down the breath,

On the next out breath,

Let go of any control of breathing.

Let the body find its own natural rhythm.

Let the body begin to breathe itself.

Now begin to shift your awareness to the body.

Feel the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.

Allow yourself to relax into this space,

Letting go of any need to be anywhere else.

With each moment,

Feel yourself gently sinking into the seat below you.

As we move through the body scan,

Remember the mindfulness qualities that we are cultivating.

Non-judgment,

Openness,

Patience,

Stillness,

Non-striving,

And acceptance.

Approach this practice and all experiences,

Both pleasant and unpleasant,

With curiosity and kindness.

Now begin to direct your attention to your toes.

Notice any sensations in your toes.

Tingling,

Warmth,

Or perhaps even stillness.

Whatever it is,

There's no need to change anything.

Simply observe.

Now gradually move your attention to the soles of the feet,

The top of the feet.

Begin to circle your awareness around the ankles and moving up into the shins,

The calves.

Be aware of any sensations you encounter,

Letting them unfold naturally.

Let yourself be curious,

As if you have never experienced these sensations before.

Now bring your attention to your knees,

Seeing if you can feel into the knee joint,

And then guiding your attention up into the backs of the thighs,

Noticing the points of contact.

Gently moving your awareness up into the upper thighs.

Notice any areas of tension or relaxation.

Allow your breath to flow naturally as you observe each sensation.

See if you can meet this moment and these sensations exactly as they are,

Without any need to control.

You're just observing and becoming aware.

Now move your awareness up into your hips and pelvis,

Bringing an attitude of gentle curiosity to whatever you notice.

Imagining the hip joint as a ball and socket.

See if you can feel deeply into this area.

Now continuing to scan through your lower back,

The abdomen,

The chest.

Breathe into any areas that feel tight or tense,

As you're offering them your compassionate attention.

See if you can feel the rising and the falling of the abdominal cavity,

And let whatever arise,

Come and go.

Now gradually shift your focus to the hands,

The palms,

The back of the hands,

And into each finger.

The pinky,

The ring,

The middle,

The pointer finger,

And the thumb.

Moving the awareness into the wrists,

The forearms,

The elbow,

The elbow joint,

The biceps,

The triceps,

And all the way into the shoulders.

Let go of any judgments that arise,

And simply witness the sensations.

It is not your job to control or change any sensation.

You're simply observing and watching.

As if you have never experienced these sensations before,

Become curious.

As you direct your attention from the shoulders to the neck,

The head,

Notice any sensations.

Perhaps the weight of your head,

The movement of your breath,

Or any subtle shifts occurring within.

Move your attention into the jaw as you place your awareness here,

Seeing if you can feel the jaw releasing and dropping just a bit.

Place your attention on the chin,

The lips.

Feel inside the mouth,

The inner cheeks,

The teeth.

Move your attention to the nose.

Pause to feel the breath gently drawing in and out of the nostrils.

Allow your breath to anchor you in the present moment as you explore each of these areas.

Move your attention into the cheekbones,

The eyes,

The eyebrow,

The forehead.

Finally,

Move your attention to the crown of your head,

And imagine a wave washing over you from the crown of your head all the way to the tips of your toes.

As you hold your whole body in awareness,

Let your attention dance around the body as you move from observing sensation to sensation,

Moment to moment.

Remember that distractions are a natural part of the practice.

When your mind wanders,

Gently guide your focus back to the part of the body you are scanning.

If you encounter unpleasant sensations,

Approach them with acceptance,

Compassion,

Acknowledging them,

But without trying to control them or change them.

Remember it is not your job to control.

You are simply observing and holding this present moment just as it is.

As we conclude this body scan meditation,

Begin to gently wiggle the fingers,

Toes,

Reawakening the body.

Take a deep breath in,

And as you exhale,

Gently blink the eyes open.

Take a moment to look around the space around you.

Take a moment to notice any sounds in this environment,

And be sure to thank yourself for taking this time to connect with your body and to cultivate mindful awareness.

Carry the qualities of non-judgment,

Openness,

Patience,

Stillness,

Non-striving,

And acceptance with you as you continue your journey.

Intend to carry these qualities into your life beyond the cushion,

Beyond the mat.

Intend to let each moment arise,

And rather than react,

Simply observe.

Can you challenge yourself to meet each moment exactly how it is?

And as always,

May you be well,

May you be at ease,

And may you be free from suffering.