Hello and welcome to the Stillpoint meditation.
Today the technique we're beginning our meeting with is a mindful body scan.
This practice is wonderfully relaxing,
Calming and highly effective for drawing us out of the chaos of the busy thinking mind and helping us to reconnect with ourselves and the present moment.
In a body scan meditation we let our awareness gently rotate throughout the body and as we pause in each area we simply notice what arises for us in each moment as a result of our quiet inner attention.
We're not trying to shape the experience,
Create it or change it in any way,
We simply observe and allow anything that is taking place.
We might notice how much tension and worry we're holding in the body or sensations like tingling,
Heat,
Even fleeting discomfort and pain might arise.
Thoughts,
Memories or dreamlike visions may also surface,
Yet in some areas of the body none of these things may be present at all.
Instead we're invited to simply notice the nothingness,
The absence of thought,
Feeling or sensation.
There is absolutely no wrong way to do this practice.
This is a journey of discovery of what is taking place for you right now and all you need to do is sit back,
Relax and observe.
Let's begin.
Start by getting comfortable in your seat.
We want to take a relaxed but upright posture with the spine nicely supported and both feet resting comfortably on the floor.
Let the eyes close now and just take a moment to notice what it feels like to sit,
To be still,
To not be rushing or doing,
To let go of the to-do list.
All of the responsibilities and concerns we direct our considerable skills and energy to each day.
Just set that to the side and give yourself a few moments to simply rest,
To recharge,
To begin to connect back with body,
With yourself.
Now take a really nice deep breath in,
Really try and fill up the belly,
The back body,
The ribs and the lungs expand.
Hold that breath.
Now open the mouth and let it go on a softening sighing breath out.
Breathing in once again fully deeply,
Fill up right to your very edges.
Hold it and then let it go on another sigh,
Feeling the body relaxing,
Letting go just a little more.
One more time,
Breathe in just like we did.
Hold it at the top and then side out,
Feeling any final areas of tension in the body effortlessly melt away.
Now I'd like you to take your attention to the very base of you.
Let your awareness wander all the way down to your feet.
Start by just noticing the sensation of the ground beneath your feet,
Then the gentle pressure,
The feeling of shoes.
Now take the attention to the feet themselves.
Start with the toes,
Awareness in the toes and with a relaxed open curiosity,
What do you notice when you place your attention in your toes?
Now the soles of the feet,
Now the back of the calves,
What if anything do you experience when you rest your inner gaze and the back of the lower legs?
Now the upper legs,
Allow everything,
Change nothing.
Let the awareness drift to the back of the pelvis now to your glutes.
Now the lower back,
Any sensation,
Thoughts,
Welcome at all.
Now the middle back,
The upper back,
Bring awareness to the shoulders now,
To the back of the neck,
To the back of the head,
To the top of the head,
Attention now in the forehead,
Awareness resting gently at the forehead,
The eyes,
The cheeks,
The nose,
Bring your soft attention to the mouth now,
To the jaw,
To the throat,
To the upper arms,
Awareness in the upper arms,
And what do you notice in the lower arms,
Attention in the forearms now,
Let that awareness drift down into the hands,
To the fingers,
Now let the awareness drift to the front of the chest,
Now into the belly,
Simply observing,
To the front of the pelvis,
To the front of the thighs,
Awareness to your shins now,
To the top of your feet,
And now back to your toes once again,
Now slowly let go of that and begin to bring your awareness back into the space that you're in,
Feel free to start to move,
To stretch,
To bring yourself back to wakefulness,
Preparing to slowly blink up in the eyes in a moment or two,
But before you do so just take a moment to notice the deep sense of connection to your body,
To yourself that your practice has cultivated,
And once you open your eyes see if you can bring that same state of relaxed attentiveness,
That curiosity and allowing of what is taking place moment to moment to permeate your interactions in the coming meeting.
