Hi,
My name's Sarah.
I'm an RN and I'd like to share a body scan that has been useful for my patients.
First,
Lie yourself down.
Perhaps put a pillow behind your head and if you can,
Put a pillow under your knees.
Feel your body resting on the bed.
Feel the weight of your body just resting on the bed.
Take your awareness now to the top of your head,
Right at the crown of your head.
Notice your hair,
Your hairline.
Take your awareness now to your forehead.
Note the expanse of your forehead.
Notice your eyebrows.
Notice that space between your eyebrows.
Notice your eyelids,
The outer corners of your eyes,
The center of your eyes where your eyeballs are.
Notice the aliveness of your eyeballs.
Notice the inner corners of your eyes.
And from there,
Go to the bridge of your nose.
Trace the bridge of your nose down to the tip of your nose,
To your nostrils.
Notice your breathing.
Notice the air moving in and out of your nostrils.
There's nothing to fix,
Nothing to change right now.
You're just noticing.
Maybe the air is cool going in.
Maybe it's warm coming out.
Notice your cheeks,
The flesh of your cheeks.
Notice your temples.
Take your awareness to your ears,
The outer ear,
The inner ear,
Maybe the sounds of the day.
Notice them,
Maybe observe them and just let them go and come back to your ears.
Notice your jaw.
Trace your jaw down to your chin.
Notice your lips,
The texture of your lips.
Notice your mouth,
Your tongue,
The aliveness of your tongue.
Notice your teeth,
Your gums.
Notice your whole head just resting on the bed,
The weights of your head just resting on the bed.
Take your awareness to your neck,
The softness of the front of your neck,
The softness at the back of your neck.
Follow your neck to your shoulders.
Notice your shoulders,
The weight of your shoulders resting on the bed.
Notice your arms,
Your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Your forearms,
Your hands,
The palms of your hands,
The backs of your hands,
Your fingers,
Your fingertips.
Feel the aliveness in your fingertips even as you lie here resting on the bed.
Bring your awareness now back to your breath.
Again,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to change,
Just noticing.
Noticing how the breath moves your ribs,
How it lifts your chest.
Notice how the breath perhaps lifts your belly.
Notice the softness of your belly.
Notice the organs of digestion.
Notice the organs of the pelvis.
Take your awareness to your pelvis,
To your hips.
Feel the weight of your thighs resting on the bed.
Notice your knees.
Notice your shins,
Your calves,
Your ankles,
The tops of your feet,
The soles of your feet.
Notice your toes and again the aliveness at the tips of your toes even as you lie here giving yourself this time to just feel your whole body just resting on the bed.
