5 Minute Somatic Body Scan Meditation

Welcome to this powerful 5-minute meditation, which forms part of the 30-day meditation

challenge.

I hope you take part as it's been shown to reduce anxiety, stress, blood pressure, inflammation

and increase your resilience, sleep quality and cognitive function.

The science behind this was recently discussed by neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman on Huberman

Lab's podcast.

I'll put the link below in the show notes.

Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down and let your body settle or by itself.

Close your eyes and begin to focus on the breath.

Just notice how it begins to slow down and become lower and deeper or by itself.

Now for the next 5 minutes, your only task is to simply feel, not to relax, not to achieve,

but to simply notice what is already here.

Bring your attention to the crown of your head.

Notice what is there, temperature, tingling, the weight of the scalp, a subtle aliveness

or hum.

Don't analyze, just allow yourself to feel it.

Let your awareness move down into your face, smoothing out the lines in your forehead,

smoothing the space behind your eyes, unclench in your jaw, being aware of any sensations

you can feel within your face.

Notice there are warmth, pressure, an electrical aliveness.

Simply rest with whatever you find.

Time move your attention to your neck and shoulders.

Feel the weight, is there a temperature?

Is there a vibration running through the muscles, a low hum beneath the surface?

Feel your awareness moving down into your chest, feeling the rise and fall of your body,

and some of you will be able to detect your heartbeat, a knock, a pulse, a quiet drum

from inside.

Moving down to your belly, can you feel a warmth at its core, a deep interior heat, a slow

rise and fall of the breath, moving through it, and feeling your back.

It's weight, pressure, if it's being supported, is there a hum at a

liveness deep inside?

Feeling your arms, the weight, heavy and passive, down into your hands, let the palms open

slightly, and notice what arrives, tingling warmth, a pulse in the fingertips, maybe a buzzing

in the center of the palm.

Feeling your awareness to your hips, your pelvis, feel them drop, let your body surrender

completely, into your thighs, the density, the mass, down into your calves and shins.

How do they feel, what are you noticing?

And finally your feet, making contact with the ground or the surface beneath them, pressure,

temperature, the hum, a tingling a pulse that travels through your feet to your toes.

And I feel your whole body, one continuous field of sensations arising and falling with

each breath.

And then when you're ready, open your eyes, come back to your surroundings, give yourself

a wonderful smile, and for grateful that you've taken the time to give yourself the gift

of this practice today.

Most people won't, but yet here you are, thank you.