As we transition to taking in a lot from the outside to a practice, a compassionate body scan,

that will be about 10 minutes, a couple of disclaimers because we're really going to be turning the attention towards the interior.

And in order to do that, we have to feel safe in our external environment.

So I invite you to just reorient your nervous system to what's around you, who you're with, the setting that you're in.

And if there's anything that you need to be a little more comfortable in your space, please grab that now.

And know that anything that I'm offering through this practice is an invitation, not an expectation.

So you remain in choice and in control throughout this whole practice. So if that means you want to open your eyes if they were closed or move in your body to get up or stop the practice, know that all of that is available to you.

And finally, I'm going to guide from my body, which I'm very grateful, has two arms, two hands, two legs, two feet. I know that is not true of all bodies.

So please make those adjustments as works in your body.

So with that, I'm going to close my eyes to lead this practice and invite you as well to slow down what's coming in through your visual field that may be closing your eyes or just casting a downward gaze.

And then take a moment to see if you can get any bit more comfortable in your body. That may be loosening around the jaw, softening the shoulders, feeling yourself being held in this seat in the earth.

And there's no need to do anything with the breath. But on your next natural exhale, I'm going to invite you to let the attention ride the coattails of that exhale and land on the soles of your feet.

So let the attention rest on your feet and then allow the attention to travel from your feet all the way up to the hips on both the right and left side.

So taking in the whole of the lower body and just being open to whatever sensations might be arising. You may feel some contact points, some tingling or sense of temperature.

And as your attention traverses this lower half of your body, it may get snagged on places where there is a little bit of discomfort or tension or maybe even pain.

This is what our attention does.

And for many people that may be the knees or the hips, common places to feel a little discomfort.

So see if you can rest just in the pure sensation that's coming from your body.

Not the story of the sensation. The mind will go to the story of it or the future functioning of this part of your body.

Just see if you can open up perhaps with a little curiosity just to what's here.

And then if there is a place of tightness or pain, I want you to invite your own internal sense of compassion,

sort of from your heart center to just come and cover that part of your body to just blanket it with a little bit of tenderness, a little bit of kindness.

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