Scan sensations, release tension

This guided body scan moves attention slowly through the muscles in your body, inviting areas of tightness to soften. You’ll practice noticing sensations without judgment. A grounding practice for relaxation and presence.

Why this helps? Body awareness helps release physical stress and settle the mind.

Transcript

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Body scan. The body scan is an exercise that guides you to bring your awareness to your body.

What A Body Scan Is

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In this meditation, you will bring your attention to different parts of the body, moving your attention through your whole body from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. As you scan through each part of the body, you will invite your body to relax and release any tension it is holding. This is a great practice to help you cultivate calm, focused awareness. You can practice the body scan lying

When And How To Practice

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down on your bed right before you fall asleep, or sitting up in a chair, or even standing up while you're waiting for the bus. You're paying attention to the sensations in your body, noticing feelings, and like a scientist of your experience, accepting whatever is there, just as it is. Let's explore what being with the whole body in a kind, non-judgmental way is like. If you want to skip forward at any time, if you feel you want to pay attention to another place and skip the area of the body being described, that's fine. Feel free to go at your own pace, observing and moving gently through the sensations you're aware of. For this meditation, you can lie down on your back

Safety, Choice, And Pacing

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with your hands resting along your sides, or you can sit in a chair with your back straight and relaxed. Your hands can rest on your thighs. You can also practice standing up straight, while at the same time allowing your body to be easy while standing.

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Decide which posture is best for you today.

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Beginning this body scan by taking a deep breath in and out, just to be present in your body in this present moment.

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Allow your eyes to gently close if that feels comfortable.

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If at any moment you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed, please know it's okay to take a break. You can do this by just opening your eyes and looking around the room, naming objects you see as you scan your eyes around.

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So taking a few deep breaths, connecting with your body, and relaxing your whole body on the exhale.

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Feeling your whole body in whatever position it is in. Just noticing what it's like to bring your attention to your whole body right now, in the present moment. Now move your attention to the top of your head. Notice whatever is present for you.

Head And Face Relaxation

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Can you feel your hair or any sensations at the top of your head? There's no right or wrong. Just bring your awareness to whatever physical sensations you're noticing. Moving down into your forehead. Notice any sensation you can.

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Gently observe whatever is present.

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You may notice a softness or ease, or maybe a slight furrowing of the brow, or maybe some relaxation. Whatever you notice, simply be with it. Dropping down into your eyes, allowing the eyes to relax here, letting the muscles of your eyes soften and release any strain.

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Dropping down into the cheekbones, and the nose, and the jaw.

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Noticing any sensations in your jaw and allowing your jaw to loosen just a little. Release any clenching that might be there.

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Moving into the mouth and the lips. And notice what that feels like. Shifting now to the tops of the shoulders and into the shoulder blades. Noticing any sensations here.

Shoulders To Hands Awareness

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Noticing if there's any tension or tightness. Just reminding your muscles that they can let go right now. Helping them release a little.

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Inviting some relaxation here if it's possible. And if it's not, that's okay too.

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Dropping into the upper arms. And elbows. And lower arms. Noticing whatever is present in your experience. Feeling your arms from the inside out.

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Continuing down into your wrists and hands and the fingers. Noticing sensations in your hands from the inside.

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Feeling into the hands. Are they warm or cool? Are they resting on a surface?

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Now shifting your attention to your chest and your rib cage.

Chest, Back, And Belly Breath

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Noticing whatever is available here.

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Moving on to your back and your spine. Your whole torso. Aware of any movement you may be noticing with the body breathing.

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Moving down now into the belly. Maybe noticing the sensations of your body breathing here. Noticing any feelings or sensations in your belly, and allowing the belly muscles to soften. Resting with whatever sensations you notice as you pay attention to movement and feelings in your body. Dropping down into the hips now, in your lower body. Feeling any contact your body is making with the chair if you're

Hips And Legs Sensations

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sitting, or the bed if you're lying down. Letting your attention move into your legs, the long muscles and heavy bones of your thighs, your knees, lower legs, and ankles Can you feel your clothes resting on your legs?

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Noticing any sensations present right now. Or maybe you notice blankness.

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And if you don't feel anything in particular, that's okay too. Whatever you notice is fine. If you notice your mind is wandered, gently guide it back to the sensations and feelings in the part of your body that you're focusing on.

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Just bring your attention home to the body.

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Finally moving into the feet. Feeling the contact your feet are making with the ground.

Feet And Whole-Body Rest

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Or if you're lying down in your bed, feel the contact of your heel on the surface you're lying on. Just feeling into your feet all your toes, the tops of your feet, sensations of coolness or warmth, softness or hardness of the points of contact. Now at the end of this practice, widening your attention to taking your whole body from head to toe. Just allowing your attention to rest in a relaxed way with the sensations of the whole body resting. Perhaps taking a moment to appreciate your body and send it some gratitude for all it does for you moment to moment. Just taking a relaxing breath, tend this practice. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes. Or if you are ready for bed, you can allow yourself to fall asleep.