Body Scan and Release

March 30, 2021

Information

With Michele Grand, LMT

ID6355

To CiteDCA Citation Guide

00:00So once again, I'm Michelle Graham,
00:02licensed massage therapist
00:03at Smilow Cancer Hospital,
00:05and it's my honor and privilege
00:06to be with you today to lead you
00:09in a guided meditation session.
00:14Bring yourself into a comfortable position.
00:17Whatever is comfortable for you,
00:19you could be sitting on a chair with
00:22your path back flat against the back of
00:26the chair feet planted on the ground.
00:29You could be sitting cross legged
00:31position if that's comfortable,
00:33or you could even be laying
00:35down in a reclined position.
00:40Now let's begin by taking a deep
00:43breath and holding it for five seconds.
00:52Exhale. Anne relax.
00:59Now take another deep breath as
01:02deep as you can and hold it again
01:05for a count of five seconds.
01:13An as you exhale this time, imagine
01:16blowing out all of your stress.
01:24Take a third deep breath and hold it.
01:28An as you exhale. You blow out
01:31any stress you've been holding on
01:35to saying to yourself relax now.
01:43This is your new solution to stress.
01:47Whenever you become stressed
01:49in the future, you simply take
01:52three fully in and deep breaths.
01:56Holding it at the top of the
01:59inhalation for five seconds,
02:01and when you exhale,
02:02you blow out any stresses that you feel.
02:11On that third breath. As you exhale,
02:15you simply say to yourself. Relax now.
02:27Now allow your eyes.
02:28If they are not already closed to
02:31gently close and when you do this,
02:33you feel a wave of relaxation
02:37sweep over you. To begin.
02:39I'd like you to focus on the
02:42sensations at the top of your head.
02:45Just notice how the very
02:47top of your head feels.
02:53And now let your focus
02:56move down to your eyes.
02:58Just notice how your eyes feel.
03:02Just ask them to relax even more.
03:09The little movement in your eyes,
03:11it's called Rapid eye movement
03:13and it's completely normal.
03:15These small I movements
03:17allow you to feel calm.
03:22Now notice how the back of your head feels
03:25against the surface that it's touching.
03:27How heavy does your head feel right now?
03:36Now let your focus move to
03:39your nose and feel the slight
03:41sensations of the air moving
03:44in and out with your breath.
03:47When you breathe in.
03:50Imagine that you're being filled with
03:53calmness and when you breathe out.
03:56Imagine your body feels
03:58heavy and deeply relaxed.
04:03Very good. Now focus on your ears.
04:07Notice how they feel and
04:10what they hear around you.
04:14Just try to hear every single noise.
04:23When sound comes into your ears
04:25then it acts like little waves of
04:28relaxation, taking you even deeper.
04:36All other sounds passing only take you
04:39deeper into a state of relaxation.
04:45I'll focus on your mouth.
04:48How does it feel?
04:50What do you notice?
04:52Can you sense the flavor of
04:55something you recently tasted?
04:57Perhaps you could imagine biting
04:59into a fresh slice of lemon and
05:01notice how your mouth waters.
05:06Very good.
05:11Move your focus down now to your neck,
05:14and if there's any tension,
05:15just ask it to release a little bit more.
05:20Notice how your neck feels right now.
05:24Spell all the sensations
05:25going on in your neck.
05:32Focus on your shoulders.
05:35Move your attention slowly.
05:37From your shoulders going down each arm
05:40down all the way to each fingertip.
05:46What, if anything, are your
05:49fingertips touching and? What are
05:52the sensations on your fingertips?
05:57Ice. Allow your focus to go to
06:02your chest. Relax in this area
06:04as well as your upper back.
06:09If you notice any tension, just ask
06:12it nicely to release just a little.
06:19Now imagine you're focusing on your
06:22heart and feeling it beating strongly
06:25and supporting you. Relax your heart.
06:28And notice how good it feels to do so.
06:35Now focus on your lungs and
06:38feel them gently expanding and
06:40contracting with your breath.
06:42Delivering oxygen to your body.
06:48Allow your focus to move down your
06:52vital organs and digestive system.
06:55Notice. Your belly and how it feels.
07:00Servite working and digesting
07:02effortlessly for you.
07:08Now notice your lower back and how it may
07:11be pressing against the surface you're on.
07:14And if you feel any tension,
07:17just say please relax a little bit more.
07:24Now focus on your pelvis and hips and notice
07:27any sensations you may be having there.
07:32This takes you even deeper
07:34into a state of relaxation.
07:40Allowing your focus to move down each
07:44leg now slowly relaxing those as well.
07:48Your legs have been taking you
07:50so many places over the years
07:52and they deserve to fully relax.
08:00Notice this wonderful wave of relaxation
08:02moving down to your knees and down your
08:05lower legs all the way to your feet,
08:07and the very tip. Of each town.
08:15Good you're doing so well.
08:23You choose to be in control of
08:25all you do because your health
08:28is very important to you.
08:30Remember that it is natural for
08:33you to be healthy and happy,
08:36and it's unnatural to
08:37have sickness and misery.
08:43Now hear yourself saying.
08:47Every day in every way.
08:51I get better and better.
08:58In order to make change I challenge myself.
09:09Change is not comfortable.
09:11In fact, it is inconvenient.
09:13So if I feel comfortable with the
09:16change I am making, I am probably
09:19not extending myself enough.
09:25When I have a negative thought,
09:27I acknowledge that I feel this
09:29way and then I release it.
09:35When another negative thought arises,
09:38Eyecatcher quickly an I say with confidence
09:43I acknowledge that part of me feels this way.
09:48But this thought does not help me right now.
09:54Each day in every way.
09:58I get better and better.
10:04Whenever I am presented with feelings
10:06of stress, I know my breath is there to
10:10soothe me and guide me into relaxation.
10:17Every single day I become more aware
10:20of all the good things going on in my
10:23community and in the world around me.
10:30When I feel that darknesses surrounding me,
10:34I know that the way to see light
10:37is to take 3 deep breaths.
10:41Relaxing my mind and body by doing so.
10:49Each day in every way I
10:52get better and better.
11:00In order to make great change.
11:03I challenge my thoughts.
11:11From now on, I challenge
11:14every single negative,
11:16an unproductive thought that arises.
11:25This gives you the opportunity to
11:28start a new positive thought process.
11:37Farts are part of everyones human experience.
11:40You don't need to push them
11:44away in order to practice.
11:47Learning to bring your mind back
11:50from its thoughts is the practice.
11:53But how do you let go over the
11:55thoughts once they've pulled you in?
12:00Without pushing the thoughts
12:02away or denying their presence.
12:05You can be aware of the thinking
12:08mind while remaining an attached.
12:14You notice the energy in the mind and body.
12:18As you come into a period
12:21of mindfulness practice,
12:22you may notice the energy of your
12:26day resting in the mind and body.
12:30The mind may be active.
12:32The body may feel worked up.
12:35Or you might even notice a
12:38bit of lingering anxiety.
12:43At these moments,
12:45think of a shaken snow globe with
12:48all that energy swirling around.
12:51And as you West, the little
12:54snowflakes fall gently to the ground.
12:58Think of yourself as a snow globe
13:02an every snowflake as a thought.
13:06In this way, watch as each and
13:09every snowflake falls to the ground.
13:14Do not force yourself to be calm,
13:18just let it happen slowly. An organically?
13:35As you do so,
13:36bring your attention to the breath.
13:39In your body and choose one spot
13:43where the breath is felt easily.
13:46It may be the center of the chest,
13:49the abdomen, the shoulders,
13:51or the nostrils.
13:53But just observe the physical
13:55sensation of the body breathing.
14:01And as you do so, just stay with
14:05the snow globe visualization.
14:07As you're aware of your breath.
14:10Anna's thoughts begin to rise up.
14:13Just observe as they slowly settle back down.
14:25Whatever you may observe the
14:27mind doing, just let it be.
14:35Try not to encourage the thought,
14:37but don't push it away either.
14:40Allow it to be.
14:42And allow it to go on its own.
14:51See if you can watch the passing of
14:54the thought as it follows its natural
14:56trajectory and leaves the mind.
15:02At this point, we turn to the breath,
15:07patiently wait until another thought arises.
15:21Notice it? Watch the thought and
15:23come back to the breath again.
15:33Continue with mindfulness of
15:35the breath and the thoughts.
15:37And notice when you're lost
15:39in the thought or when the
15:42mind wanders for some time.
15:44If self judgment arises,
15:46notice that just as you
15:48would any other thought.
16:12And we're going to do
16:15one last visualization.
16:17Of watching our current thought.
16:21As if it's a snowflake in a
16:24snow globe that's being shaken.
16:27And that thought.
16:29Falls down to the ground.
16:35We're going to return to
16:37consciousness of the breath.
16:43A deep breath in through the nose.
16:47And out through the mouth.
16:50Again, in through the nose.
16:55Add out through the mouth.
16:59And for the third breath will open our eyes.
17:05Deep breath in.
17:10Exhale. Look around, feel yourself
17:13back in the room that you're in.
17:19Coming back into the present moment.
17:23Stretching out your arms to each side.
17:29Circles. In both directions.
17:35A deep breath in arms overhead.
17:41Adoline into purples.