Pocket Practice: Body Scan

Pocket Practices are a series of short mindfulness practices, each lasting less than five minutes, designed to fit into everyday life.
Whether you have a spare moment or simply need to pause, each practice offers a gentle way to reconnect with the present moment. They may be particularly helpful if you've completed an eight week Mindfulness for Life course and are looking for simple ways to keep your practice alive, while remaining accessible and beneficial for anyone curious about bringing a little more mindfulness into their day.

This short body scan practice invites you to gently reconnect with the body and the present moment. Moving attention gradually through different areas of the body, you’ll be encouraged to notice sensations with openness, friendliness and curiosity, without needing to change anything or achieve a particular state.
A simple five-minute practice for pausing, grounding and coming back into contact with your experience, just as it is.

Transcript

The body scan. So just giving yourself some time now to settle into a position that feels supportive and comfortable for you. Allowing the eyes to close if that feels okay, Or perhaps just simply softening your gaze. And as we start this short practice, Knowing there's nothing in particular we're trying to achieve. No need to necessarily relax or become calm or even quieten the mind. Simply bringing a friendly attention to this body, Just as it is, In just this moment. And just starting by getting a sense of the whole body. The space that it takes up. You might like to imagine your attention now as a flashlight or a torch that you can move through the body. Beginning by allowing a tension, Or perhaps the beam of the torch. To move downwards to take in the legs and the feet. Just noticing whatever sensations are here. You might notice warmth, Coolness, Tingling. Pressure. Maybe contact with clothing or the floor. There may be very little sensation. Or no particular sensation at all. And knowing that this too is something that we can notice. There's no need to search for anything, Just experiencing what's already here. You might find it helpful now to zoom into the ankles, The lower legs. The knees, Or perhaps the thighs. And just bringing an open and friendly attention to whatever you find. Expanding your attention now to include the lower back and the tummy. Perhaps noticing areas that are moving as a result of breathing. Noticing the chest. The upper back and the shoulders. And bringing the same friendly interest to whatever you find here. And expanding your attention again now, This time including both arms and hands. Maybe noticing the fingers, The weight of the hands. Perhaps any contact points at the elbows. And if you notice that the mines wandered. Knowing this is perfectly normal. And simply noticing where it's gone. And really gently guiding your attention back to the body. Knowing that this noticing and returning is very much a part of the practice. Continuing now to expand the attention further. To include the neck. And then the face and the head. Maybe noticing the jaw and the mouth. The forehead, The ears. The back and the top of the head. Maybe noticing any tightness or holding. Whilst also allowing things to be just as they are. Holding the whole body in awareness now, This whole landscape of sensations. From the top of the head, Through the arms and the torso, All the way down through the legs and the feet. Aware of this body breathing and aware of sensations appearing, Changing. And passing away. And as we bring this practice to a close now, Perhaps starting to bring a little bit of movement back into the body. Really gently opening the eyes if they've been closed. Inviting you, As much as you're able to, To carry this sense of connection with your body in the present moment. Into whatever comes next for you