Gina LoCascio

Scan your body from head to toe to release tension and cultivate deep relaxation for a restful sleep.

English

This variation of my popular Deep Relaxation Body Scan offers an unhurried scan of the body, which slowly fades out at the end to promote peaceful sleep.  With soft rain, airy wind chimes, and a Tanpura playing lightly in the background, come ease into deep rest and let both body and mind feel settled and rejuvenated.

Relaxing Body Scan For Sleep

Welcome to this deep relaxation meditation. Find a comfortable position. Make any adjustments that make you feel more comfortable, more at ease. On your own timing, take two or three deep, relaxing breaths, nice and slow. Notice your body rise and expand on your inhales. Notice the quality of release on your exhales. Let your breath now settle into a comfortable rhythm. Close your eyes and allow your body to grow calm and quiet. For this meditation, let your attention rest lightly with the physical sensations of your body. Let the feeling of relaxation be your mental anchor. And when other thoughts, judgments, feelings borrow your attention, which they will, just gently guide your awareness back to the feeling of your body relaxing. Let's begin. Scanning through your body, start at the top of your head. Bring your awareness to your scalp. Feel its warmth, its protective hug around your skull. Then invite the scalp to soften, letting it rest so lightly on your head. Attend to the stage of your face, which performs all day long. It's now time to let the whole face relax. Can you feel it softening? Surrendering? Become aware of your eyes. Perhaps thank them for their loyal service. And then relax them into the bones of your face, as if tucking your eyes into bed. Breathe into the muscles all around your eyes and your cheeks. Bring your focus to your mouth. Feel the interior of your mouth now. Feel your tongue become heavy. Let the whole mouth rest quietly. It's only job now is to relax. Move your awareness down your jaw to your neck. Relax your throat, letting air move freely through it. Feel your entire head, face and neck relaxing together. Feel all the muscles there attended to and appreciated. Now let your focus rest with your shoulders. Enfold a sense of lightness, a sense of care around both shoulders. Slowly relax down the length of both arms, allowing them to feel peacefully heavy. Bring your attention to your hands. Such busy workers. Such faithful friends. Feel the back of your hands. And feel into your palms. Can you bring all of your attention to the sensations in your palms? Become aware of your hands and arms together. So good at carrying. So good at holding. It's now time for them to place their burdens down. Let your arms and hands feel so light. So free. Draw your attention to the top of your chest. Slowly feeling your way downward. Feel into your ribcage the volume of your lungs. Feel the place your precious heart rests and beats. All for you. All for your benefit. Soften your belly. Let it take up space. Maybe offer a whisper of gratitude to all the organs that reside there in your belly. Digesting. Purifying. Healing your body. Now feel the top of your spine pouring down out of the base of your skull. Slowly travel your attention down your spine. Relax your shoulder blades. Your mid back. Your lower back. Follow your spine down to your tailbone. Notice if there's tension around the hips or in the seat muscles. Imagine it's easy to let that tension go. Become aware of the whole torso along with the arms, hands, neck and head. All resting together. All practicing peace together. Slowly relax down the length of both legs. The front, sides and back of your legs. Breathe into them with tenderness. Sense your feet. The precious tools that move you around this beautiful earth. Feel into the tops of your feet. And the soles of your feet. Give them permission to rest. Feel from the feet. Up into the legs. Up the torso. Feel into your arms. Shoulders. Neck. And head. Whole body. One body. As soft as a feather floating on a summer's breeze. As grounded as a stone resting at the bottom of a creek. Whole body wrapped in awareness. Whole body in peace.