The Body Scan Meditation

Sometimes called ‘A Journey Through The Body’, this starts with both feet, moving up through the legs, up through the torso to the shoulders, then both hands and up the arms, then to the neck and hands. We finish by opening awareness to your entire body. This is also a great meditation for chronic pain and illness by isolating the problem only to the area it exists, it allows the remainder of your system to rest. This is good for Non-Striving one of the fundamental attitudes of mindfulness.

Transcript

The next practice is a mindfulness practice where we go through the entire body one area at a time.

We start with the feet and make our way up to the head.

If you like you can also lie down for the body scan.

We'll be practicing this for about 15 minutes.

If you decide to lie down it can be nice to put your legs up on the seat of a chair.

It's up to you if you want to close your eyes or just lower your gaze.

Now that you're comfortable put your focus on feeling into your body as it's seated or lying down.

Feel into the areas of contact in this moment.

Where your feet are,

Your legs,

Your back,

Your arms,

Your head.

Also noticing your breath entering and leaving your body.

Start with your feet,

Feeling both feet right now.

Feel the areas where your feet are touching the ground or the chair.

Wiggle your toes a little bit.

Maybe feel tingling or a change in temperature.

Now move your attention to your ankles and lower legs.

What is here to feel if anything at all?

The pressure of your calves against the mat.

Perhaps the fabric against your skin.

And if you notice your attention is suddenly somewhere else.

Just gently and without judging return it to your legs.

It's not a problem at all.

The mind likes to wander.

If you find it helpful you can imagine that you are breathing into your lower legs.

As if your attention could ride on your breath.

Or as if your attention would light up the area like it was a flashlight.

Now letting go of the lower legs and moving the attention to your knees and thighs.

What is here to feel?

Again,

Maybe pressure,

Temperature,

The position of your legs or nothing at all.

Numbness counts as a sensation in this practice.

Notice that thinking about an area.