Foundations Of Mindfulness - Body In Parts

The second practice in a series exploring the foundations of mindfulness, inspired by the Buddha’s teachings in the Satipatthana Sutta.

This meditation guides us gently through a contemplation of the body as a collection of parts - skin, flesh, and bones - helping us relate to the body with greater balance, clarity, and non-attachment. Through calm awareness of the body’s changing nature, the practice supports freedom from habitual grasping and a deeper understanding of impermanence.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice on mindfulness of body. This practice is inspired by Buddhist teachings in the Satipatthana Sutta, His guidance on establishing mindfulness. And here we're not using the body to establish mindfulness, But instead using mindfulness to help us see more clearly the true nature of the body. So we start by finding somewhere quiet for our practice and taking our seats. That can be any posture, Where we're receptive, Open, Present. We're not forcing or straining anything. But instead it's a sort of soft alertness. We then establish mindfulness in front of us. So first setting our intention for this practice. Just checking in with ourselves while we're here. And then focusing our attention in front on the breath, Maybe the nostrils, The belly, The chest. Or maybe there's some other place where you can follow your breath. Where you can feel it strongly in the body. So whatever works for you, Just placing your attention there. And being mindful of the breath. Knowing when you're breathing in. Knowing when you're breathing out. It doesn't matter if the breath is long or short. Doesn't need to be any particular way. Just noticing the breathing. Anytime the mind wanders away from the breath, Just bring it back with gentleness, With patience, Starting again. Being curious, It's easy to stay with the breath of the minds wandering away. If there is a bit of drifting and maybe putting a closer focus on the breath, Watching the whole body of breath. From the moment it arises all the way through to the moment it passes away. Doing this for both inhalation and exhalation. If you're feeling quite present, Maybe just having this mindfulness of the breath in the whole physical body. Just watching the breath come and go with a softer, Looser focus. Maybe noticing as you're breathing in and out with this awareness. Let's say there's some calmness in the body. Or if you feel there's quite a bit of tension and tightness, Maybe you could actively use the breath to send calmness to these parts of the body so they can just soften and release. So today we're practicing a contemplation of the different parts of the body. Not to judge it, Not to reject it. Is simply to help us see it more clearly, Its true nature. Seeing it as a collection of parts. Processes. Things that are constantly changing, Coming and going. So we move through the body in three ways. First, We focus mostly on the skin. Than the flesh. And then the bone. It's not so much a body scan where we really need to feel into the sensations of each of these, But simply knowing that they're there, That they're present, Is enough. So we begin with the skin and we start our scan of the body, This time from the head. So bring your attention to the top of the head. Aware, Knowing that skin is there. Moving to the forehead, Knowing skin is there. Around the eyes, The cheeks, Skin. The jaw, The neck. Knowing that skin is there. And shoulders. The upper arm's skin. Lower arms, Skin. Hands and fingers, Skin. Aware of the skin on the chest. The afternoon. The back, The hips. Aware of the skin on the upper legs the lower legs. The feet. The whole body covered in skin. Including the hair. And the nails too. So it is snowing. Skin. So we do this with the attitude as if we're looking at a bag filled with grains, With rice, Beans, Millet. We're simply looking and recognizing what's there. Nothing to cling to, Nothing to reject. Simply noticing. Skin. I'm taking a moment also to reflect on the changing nature of skin. Every minute of our lives, Thousands of skin cells fall away from the body. What we call dust in our homes is often our own dead skin. It was part of what we once called me. Or maybe part of one of our friends. And we simply sweep it away. In the same way a hair that might have been very desirable on someone we know loses its desire when we find it floating in our soup. So seeing how the mind adds attraction, Adds story, But underneath it's just skin, Just hair, Just nails. Just the changing body arising and passing away. So next we move our attention to the flesh of the body. And this time we start the scan with our feet. So moving our awareness to the feet, Aware that flesh is here. Lower legs, Flesh. Upper legs. Flesh. Hips, Flesh. Aware of the flesh of the abdomen. The chest and inside the body, The muscles, The organs, The heart The liver. The kidneys, The stomach. The intestines, Even the contents of the stomach. Knowing there is flesh. Aware of the flesh on the back of the body. Aware of the flesh, The hands, The fingers. And the arms. The shoulders. Aware of the flesh in the neck. The face. The head. The whole body is flesh and tissue and muscle. Just knowing. There is flesh here So again, We keep this attitude, Just like looking into this bag of grains. It's not beautiful. It's not ugly. Simply recognizing what is present. Flesh. Muscle. Organs. All these bodily processes. And aware again of the changing nature of the flesh. Our muscles, Sometimes strong, Sometimes weaker. The organs change, The cells die and renew. Food enters the body and it leaves again. The whole body in process. Arising. And passing away. And now we bring attention to the bones. Again, Simply knowing that bones are here is enough. And we start this time at the head. So aware of the bones in the skull. Good job. Aware of the bones in the neck. The shoulders. Wherever the bones in the upper arms. The lower arms, The hands, The fingers. Wear of the ribcage, The spine The pelvis. Aware of the bones in the upper leg. The lower leg. The feet. And the toes. Aware of the whole skeletal structure, Bones, Bone marrow. All of this quietly supporting the body. Just knowing the bones are there in the body. Once more having this attitude, Like recognizing the grains in the sack. Just knowing bones are there. And being aware that even the bones in our body are changing. The bone tissue continually dissolves and renews itself. Nothing's fixed. Nothing's permanent. The whole body arising and passing away. You're now sensing the whole body together. Skin. Flash. Bones. Recognizing the body. It's being made of many parts. Many processes. It's not something solid or fixed or permanent. It's continually changing. I'm being curious if there's any sense of a little more freedom in this clearer seeing of the body's true nature. A little less grasping onto the need for beauty. A little less confusion and simply knowing the body. His body. Sitting with this sense of the body as a skeleton It's flesh. Enclosed by skin. It's constantly changing. In many, Many ways. Just mindful there is a body. Mindful of its nature. And then starting to let go of this awareness of the body, Letting it soften and just coming back to the breath. Noticing the body breathing. Maybe taking some deeper breaths if that's comfortable for you. Being aware of the body, However it's supported, However it's held by the ground, Just feeling that support. And then making any movements in your fingers, Your toes, Or any stretches your body needs. Slowly, Gently. Transitioning out of this practice This mindfulness of body practice. It's now complete.