Body Scan Guided Meditation

Welcome.

Lie down or sit back,

whichever your body wants right now.

We're going to go looking for stress...

the kind that hides in muscles and just stays there.

You don't need to force anything out.

Noticing it is most of the work.

Take a slow breath in...

And a long, loose breath out...

like a sigh.

Start with your feet.

Feel the heels, the soles.

Are the toes curled?

Let them spread out a little.

Move up into the calves...

the knees...

the thighs.

If you find tightness, breathe in toward it...

And as you breathe out, let the muscle go a bit softer.

Now the hips.

A lot of us hold stress here without knowing.

Let your hips get heavy.

Let the floor or the chair take all that weight.

You've been holding yourself up all day.

You can stop for a bit.

Bring your attention to your belly.

Is it pulled in?

You can let it go.

Nobody's watching.

Breathe into the belly, so it rises...

And let it fall as you breathe out.

Move up to the chest.

Notice if it feels tight or small.

Place a hand there if you like.

Feel it move.

Some stress sits here as a kind of buzzing.

Just say hello to it.

Now the The back.

lower back...

the space between the shoulder blades.

Picture warm water spreading across it, slowly, like sinking into a bath.

Now your shoulders.

These usually carry the most.

Lift them up toward your ears on the next breath in...

And drop them as you breathe out.

Let them fall.

Let the neck lengthen.

Maybe roll your head a tiny bit, side to side.

And your jaw...

let it hang a bit.

Teeth apart.

Tongue resting.

Soften the little muscles around your eyes, too.

If your mind wanders to you something have to do later, that's fine.

Just come back to the body.

Wherever you left off.

Now feel your whole body at once.

From the top of your head down to your toes.

Scan for anywhere that still feels held.

On the next breath in, gather all of that tension together...

And breathe it out.

A long, slow exhale.

Let the whole body go.

Once more.

In...

And out.

My body can let go now.

It's safe to soften.

Rest here.

Feel how the body feels now, compared to when you started.

Heavier, maybe.

Or a little lighter.

Start to move gently.

Press your feet down.

Stretch your fingers wide.

Take that softer body back into your day.

You can check in with your shoulders any time.

When you're ready,

open your eyes.