Body Scan Meditation For Stress Relief And Better Sleep

Lying down on your back,

It could be on a yoga mat,

A rug,

Or just being comfortable on your bed.

You can use a light pillow or towel underneath your head,

Take strain off your cervical spine.

Finding a posture that works for you.

You could lie down in classic savasana with the legs out long in a V shape with the feet relaxed and spread out to the sides.

If you tend to have back issues,

You could put a cushion or a bolster underneath your knees.

Or even putting the feet flat and the knees up,

Knees gently touching.

And just finding the most restful spot to ease into this practice.

So coming into your body,

Just relaxing with the breath.

Bring your awareness to your lower abdomen.

And just feel the rising and falling of the lower belly as you breathe in and out.

Now we're going to take a bit of a journey through the body,

What's traditionally called the body scan.

We're going to be using the breath as our anchor,

A guide as we move throughout.

We're going to be going through different body parts.

On the inhale,

Just be with felt sensation on that body part.

As you exhale,

Relax and release.

Just keeping your mind awake and aware.

But if you start to drift off,

That's fine as well.

Just let your body tell you what it needs.

So we're going to start off with the feet.

We're going to do both sides at the same time.

So bringing your awareness to the soles of your feet,

The bottoms of the feet.

We breathe in,

Feeling the bottoms of the feet.

As if you're breathing in directly to the feet.

And exhale,

This feeling of just softening,

Relaxing,

Any bit of tension whatsoever.

And again.

Inhale and feel.

Exhale,

Just relax,

Release and let go.

Coming into the arches of the feet.

Just feeling the arches of the feet from the back of the big toes all the way down back to the heel.

Just tracing your awareness.

Feeling on the inhale.

Just letting go as you breathe out.

Coming into the tops of the feet.

The outside.

Saturating the body with awareness.

Feeling as you breathe in,

Letting go as you breathe out.

Coming into the big toes.

Feeling to the tips of the big toes.

Bottoms.

Top.

Feel underneath the nail.

Breathe in.

Bringing in that breath directly into the big toes.

And just soften and release as you breathe out.

We're going to do the rest of the toes together.

So bringing your awareness to the second toes.

The third toes.

Fourth toes and pinky toes.

Breathing in now to all toes.

As you breathe out,

Release.

Coming into the heels.

The ankles,

The Achilles tendon.

Coming up just very slowly with all awareness.

Into the lower legs.

Going to do the back of the lower legs,

The calf muscles first.

First bring the awareness just on surface level.

Feeling the skin.

And then let that awareness run deeper into the muscle.

Deep into the leg here.

So breathe in and feel.

You can almost bring in a slight feeling of tension.

And then completely softening.

Releasing.

Relaxing on the exhales.

Every exhale just dropping a bit deeper into relaxation.

Coming into the front of the lower legs,

The shin bones.

Feeling into the shin bones.

And as you exhale,

This feeling of softening.

Coming up to the knees.

The kneecaps.

The inside and the outside of the knees and the back of the knees.

Just feeling all around.

Once again,

We're not visualizing.

Using our intellect.

Just being with felt sensation.

And using that exhale to drop deeper into relaxation on every out breath.

Deep into the upper legs.

I'm going to start off with the front of the upper legs.

Once again,

Start just on the outside.

Feeling the skin.

Running your awareness all the way from the top of the knees.

To the top of the upper legs.

Breathe in and feel.

Soften on the exhale.

Now go deeper.

Saturate the body with awareness.

Go deep into the muscles.

Feel the muscles.

Tissues.

Everything just softens and relaxes.

Every exhale a little bit deeper into relaxation.

Deep into the back of the upper legs.

Once again,

Starting on the outside.

Connecting with any feeling.

And then when you're ready,

Go inside.

Feeling all deep and through the upper legs.

Even bring a slight bit of tension.

As you breathe out,

Let go.

Now taking the whole lower body as one.

As if you're breathing in directly through the soles of the feet.

And the breath runs up through the feet.

Through the lower legs and the knees all the way up.

Through the upper legs.

Just before the pelvic region.

On the inhale.

On the exhale as if water just runs back down.

From the upper leg down through the soles of the feet.

So on the inhale,

Bringing the breath up.

Feeling the soles of the feet up to the upper leg.

And on the exhale,

Just let it go.

One more.

Coming up to the pelvic region.

Feeling into the hip bones.

The groin.

The left and right buttocks.

Coming up to the fingers and the hands.

At any time you start to feel that it's time to nod off and go to sleep.

Just follow your body.

Go with what your body needs.

Stay in this lying on your back position.

Or you could roll onto your side.

A very healthy sleeping position.

The fetal position.

Just stay with this practice.

Dropping into this very restful,

Peaceful state.

Feeling into the fingers.

Feel your thumbs.

The first fingers.

The middle fingers.

Third fingers and pinkies.

Now breathing into all ten fingers.

And just let it soften on the exhale.

Coming into the palms of the hands.

Feeling the back of the hands.

Feeling the inhales if you're breathing directly into the palms.

As you exhale,

Soften and release.

Feeling into the wrists and the forearms.

Up to the elbows.

The biceps and triceps.

Now as if you're saturating the body with awareness like a towel absorbing liquid.

Breathing in through the fingers all the way up the upper arms.

Just feeling on the inhale.

Let it go.

As you exhale.

And again.

Bringing your attention to the lower abdomen.

The obliques,

The lower back.

As you breathe in,

Feel the lower belly swell.

And as you breathe out,

Feel as if the lower back just sinks and melts into the bed or the mat.

Softening,

Descending.

And again,

Belly swells.

And as you exhale,

The lower back just sinks and melts.

Softening.

Now coming up the torso.

Just like an ocean wave,

Belly swells.

Now feel that swelling rise up to the mid-torso.

Feel the ribs expanding a bit horizontally.

They expand sideways as you exhale.

Mid-back sinks and melts.

Lower back relaxes.

As if it just melts down into the floor.

And again.

Coming up the torso,

Feel the lower belly swell.

The ribs of the mid-torso,

The upper chest.

And then as you exhale,

The upper back sinks and melts.

Mid-back,

Lower back.

Just letting that whole back relax and release any bit of tightness or tension on every exhale.

Feel the swelling.

And inhale.

Complete letting go on the exhale.

Two more breaths like this.

Coming into the shoulders.

Front of the shoulders and the top of the shoulders.

The back of the shoulders.

Breathing in,

Just feel.

Very commonplace,

People hold tightness and tension.

On the exhale,

You let it drop.

Sink and relax.

Coming up to the throat and neck.

Breathing in,

Feeling the breath move.

Let the exhale,

The neck,

Soften.

Ease and calm.

Now coming into the face.

Feeling into the jaw and mouth.

Cheeks.

Feeling the nose.

Ears.

Forehead,

Temples.

Finally,

The eyes.

Soften the eyes.

As you inhale,

Just feeling the whole face.

And as you exhale,

This feeling of the face melting.

Dissolving the self-image.

Releasing any bit of tightness in the mouth.

Letting the eyes go soft.

Gaze internal.

Now bring your awareness to your skull and brain.

Taking a breath as if you're breathing directly inside.

Pores have opened.

Just soften.

Softening the skull.

Releasing.

Letting go of any stress,

Anxiety.

Letting go of any worries,

Expectations.

Just letting go.

Every exhale,

Dropping into a bit deeper relaxation.

Now taking the whole body as one.

All the way from the tips of the toes to the top of the head.

And have a feeling as if the pores have opened up.

And you're breathing in directly into the body.

So on the inhale,

You breathe directly in through all your pores.

Oxygenating the blood.

Oxygenating all the way to the cellular level.

And as you exhale,

The back of the body just completely descends through the mat or the bed.

The body needs to be completely relaxed now.

Inhale through the pores.

Oxygenating.

Bringing in this healing energy of the breath.

Now on the exhale,

Just this feeling of dissolving with the out-breath.

Just feeling as you breathe in through the pores.

Oxygenating down to the cellular level.

Optimizing the health of the heart,

The lungs,

The blood.

And as you exhale,

Just dissolving.

Triggering that relaxation response.

Dropping in.

Letting go.

Experiencing this very restful state.

Thoughts have slowed.

Nervous system is balanced and relaxed.

And just ride this breath for as long as you need.

This whole body breathing.

Surfing the breath.

Just take this as long as you need.

Just let go.

Fall into deep rest or sleep.