Glenda

Brooklyn, NY, USA

Scan your body from head to toe to cultivate presence and observe sensations without judgment.

Secular

Body Scan

Acceptance

Health & Happiness

Concentration

Secular Mindfulness

English

In this full-body scan meditation, the focus is to simply be present with yourself, in the moment just as it is, connecting the mind with the body and focusing awareness. Feelings, thoughts, and sensations will be acknowledged just as they are without judgement. Take some time to be where you are, in your body without any other place to go, or anything else to do except to be present.

Connecting Mind & Body

 Welcome to this body scan meditation. In this meditation, the focus is simply to be present with yourself in this moment, just as it is. Connecting mind with the body and focusing your awareness. Take some time to be where you are in your body without any other place to go or anything else to do except be present in this moment. Take a few moments to settle yourself in a comfortable position. This could be lying on your back, on the bed, on the floor, on a mat, cushion. If that doesn't feel right for you, you can do this body scan sitting on a cushion on the floor or in a chair. Whatever you choose, just taking a few moments to settle in. Notice any clothing that may be binding and doing what you can to be comfortable. Removing your shoes if you're wearing any, perhaps taking off glasses or jewelry. And allowing your eyes to close gently or simply soften your gaze. Take a few moments getting in touch with the movement of your breath. Noticing your breathing in and out. Cooler as the breath comes in the nose and perhaps slightly warmer when exhaling out. It's not about breathing in any particular way, but simply about noticing the process of breathing itself. Recognizing that along the way, we may feel somewhat relaxed on occasion, but that may not be the point of being present in this body scan. Noticing what it is if we are anxious or uncomfortable or agitated in some way or wanting it to be different. Noticing that as well. If relaxation is present, noticing what that feels like in the body. And when you are ready, allowing your attention to rest on the body as a whole. Notice the points of contact your body has with the bed or the floor, your mat or chair. Notice your body being supported by the floor or the chair. Just beginning to have a sense of the body as it is. Now cultivating a sense of your body as a whole from the top of the head down to the tips of the toes. Letting your awareness encompass the entire body. And as you are ready, allowing your attention to narrow and move deliberately down your body. Down your left leg and into your left foot. And out to the toes of the left foot. Now noticing the left toes and nothing else. Bringing attention to just this one small area of the body and taking note of what you find. Are you aware of sensations? The touch of clothing? Warmth or coolness? Numbness? Tingling? Even lack of sensation? Just noticing that. And if you notice other things in the body or passing sounds, gently bring the attention back to this one point. Taking in what you are aware of right here, right now. No need to push to become aware of anything in particular. Only noting what is here. And as you are ready, beginning to move your attention to the rest of the left foot. The ball of the foot. The arch. The sole. The heel. The ankles. The top of the foot. Just taking it in as it is in this moment. Along the way, attention may wander to some passing sound or thought or desire or emotion. Simply bring the attention back to the left foot. Not pushing your thoughts away, but simply choosing to focus on the left foot. And as you are ready, moving the attention to the lower left leg, the calf, the shin, and holding this part of the body in awareness just as it is. You may notice a sense of touch where your left leg touches the mat or the chair. Perhaps a sense of movement of air, temperature, warmness, coolness. Perhaps tension or relaxation. If tension is what you notice, not having to do anything about it if you choose not to, letting this experience be just what it is without it having to be any different from what it is. Simply taking note of it as it is right now. Now, allowing the attention to move to the left knee. Once again, seeing if you can be aware of it in isolation from the rest of the body. Taking note of whatever you discover here. Recognizing that there are parts of the body that may hold memories or emotions. And so along the way, it's not unusual to encounter certain memories, emotions, or thoughts associated with particular parts of the body. If these memories or thoughts or emotions arise, simply allowing them to wash over us like waves that come in and then recede. Acknowledging they are just thoughts or emotions or memories. And now moving awareness to the left thigh. This can be a common area to hold tension. If that's your experience, simply acknowledging it. Noticing what you feel, where you feel, what's here just now. Letting go of any need to change. Gathering the attention now and moving it across the hips to the right side and down the right leg, all the way down to the right foot and into the toes. Perhaps noticing if they are different from the toes of the left foot. Moving the attention now from those toes to the rest of the right foot, the ball of the foot, the arch, the heel, the ankle, the top of the foot. Taking in the right foot as a whole. Not trying to have any particular feeling, but just seeing what's here. Adopting an attitude perhaps of curiosity within the body. What will we find here? Exploring this body as we would anything new, thing that we encounter, even though this is not new at all. Slowly moving the attention to the lower right leg area, the calf, the shin, and holding it in awareness, noticing whatever sensation is here. And moving the attention to the right knee, noticing what you notice. Moving attention now to the right thigh, exploring little by little. Perhaps noticing our attention wandering to our thoughts of other things, other times, other places. Each time we are aware the mind has wandered, simply guiding it back to the place where we are, in this case, the right thigh. Choosing now to move the attention from the right thigh, the hips, willing to encounter whatever you find. If what you find is no sensation, that's fine too. Simply taking it in. And now moving attention to the lower back, a common area of discomfort in the body for many. Whether you experience discomfort or tightness or relaxation or no particular sensation at all, just choosing to attend here, seeing if we can be fully present with the sensation of what we find in the lower back right now. As you're ready, allowing your attention to move to the abdomen, the belly, and noticing the movement of the breath. Moving up the torso, into the rib cage, the chest, and the upper back. Being aware perhaps of the work of the heart and lungs inside the body, doing what they do, breathing and moving oxygen into the entire body. The subtle changes that happen in the upper back and shoulders as your breath unfolds, inhaling and exhaling. Now drawing attention to the left arm, past the elbow to the left hand, settling into awareness of each of the fingers of the left hand. Now the palm of the left hand, the back of the hand, any points of contact between the hand and any surface on which it rests. Aware of the left wrist and moving now to the left forearm and seeing what we find here. Even if what we find is no particular sensation, simply noting that. And now the left upper arm, experiencing the left arm, just the left arm as a whole. Allowing attention to move up the shoulder, across the shoulders and down the right arm, past the right elbow to the right hand and the fingers of the right hand. Tuning into what you find in the fingers of the right hand as it is just now. Into the right hand itself, the back of the hand, the palm of the hand. Bringing awareness to the right wrist and the right forearm. And noticing the right elbow and the right upper arm. Just taking it in, noticing what's here and broadening your awareness to include the right arm as a whole. And then all the way up to the shoulder. Bringing attention now to the neck. Whatever arises in this complex area of the body, allowing it to arise and being present for it. Aware of the breath moving through, we may hold tension in the neck, seeing in this moment we can simply be aware of it without the need to do anything. Without the need to change it in any way. Just allowing it to be here because it is. Bringing your attention up into the head, the jaw and chin, the mouth and lips, your tongue, teeth. Taking these all in. Aware of your cheeks, nose, area around the eyes, eyes themselves, your brows, forehead. Awareness of the sides of your head, ears, back of your head. Just noticing the sensation of the back of the head resting on the pillow or the floor if that's the position that you've chosen. And now awareness of the top of the head. Very slowly but deliberately broadening that awareness, allowing it to encompass the rest of the head, the neck, the shoulders, the arms, the torso, the hips, the thighs, the lower legs, the feet and the tips of the toes. Becoming aware again of this entire body. This whole body breathing in this moment, functioning in this moment, thinking, feeling, imagining, remembering, but still present and still here, breathing. In these last few moments, take this opportunity to feel some gratitude towards yourself for having taken this time to be present with yourself without any other place to go, without having to make it any different and without having to do anything other than to be present, to be aware. When it feels right for you, beginning perhaps moving your fingers and toes, stretching arms and legs. If you're lying down, turning gently to one side and pausing before pushing yourself back up to a seating position. And if your eyes are closed, gently opening them and allowing your awareness to include the room and the environment around you and noticing if you feel or sense anything different since the beginning. I hope you enjoyed this body scan meditation. Be well friend and have a wonderful rest of your day.