Body Scan Meditation

In this body scan meditation, you will be guided to bring a receptive awareness throughout the body starting in the feet, making your way up through the top of your head, and finally resting in a whole body awareness.

Transcript

All right,

So the body scan is traditionally done lying down,

So if you have the space on the floor or the bed to do this,

Go ahead and find that position.

If you don't have the space or it's too uncomfortable for you,

You can sit in a chair or on a cushion.

As you come into your position,

You might shift and move a little to find the most comfortable place for your body,

Just eventually settling into stillness.

You can close down your eyes if that feels right to you,

Or you can keep them open with a soft,

Unfocused gaze.

Through the practice,

Just note that the intention is not to feel any different,

To relax or to be calm,

Rather it's to bring awareness to any sensations or experiences that show up.

So to start the practice,

Gently bringing the awareness to what the body feels like sitting or lying here in this moment.

Noticing the felt sense of the body in the space.

Providing the awareness to the sensations where the body makes contact with the supports.

Maybe the heels of the feet,

Back of the legs,

The buttocks,

Lower and upper back,

The back of the head.

Just noticing what it feels like in these areas.

You might notice any tension in the body.

As best you can,

Letting go,

Releasing the tension.

Feeling the breath in the body.

Noticing what it feels like in the body as it fills with air on the in-breath and empties with the out-breath.

Perhaps sinking even deeper into the floor or the supports with each out-breath.

When you're ready,

Bringing a kind,

Curious attention down through the body and into the toes of the left foot.

Just noticing any sensations here.

You might sense what it feels like where the toes touch one another.

What the air,

Socks or shoes feel like against the toes.

You may notice that your mind wants to think or put words to the experience.

Just noticing this tendency of the mind because that's what our minds do.

See if it's possible to just feel your toes.

Then inviting that warm attention up to the rest of your left foot.

Noticing sensations in the top of the foot,

In the bottom of the foot,

Into the inside of the foot.

You might notice sensations of twitching or tickling,

Pulsing,

Tingling.

Perhaps there's no sensations at all and that's okay.

Just being aware of the lack of sensation and what this is like.

Now moving the attention to the left ankle and lower leg.

Noticing sensations on the surface of these areas,

Perhaps where the clothing makes contact with the skin,

The pressure of your supports.

You might feel into the inside of the lower leg and ankle.

Into the inside of the lower leg and ankle.

Noticing what the joints and muscles feel like.

Bringing the awareness to the left knee and upper leg.

Feeling the kneecap through the sides of the knees and the back of the knees.

Inside the knee.

Up into the upper leg.

In the front of the leg.

Moving around to the back of the leg.

You might notice the quality of any sensations that you're experiencing.

If it becomes more intense,

Fades or remains constant.

By now your mind's probably wandered and that's to be expected.

Your minds are thinking machines and it's not realistic to think that they won't show up in a practice like this.

When they do,

Just notice that your mind's wandered.

Kindly guide that attention back to the felt sense of the left knee and upper leg.

You'll likely do this over and over.

That's how we cultivate this mindfulness.

Just coming back over and over and over.

Now allowing the warm awareness to come back down to the toes of the right foot.

The sensations or lack of sensations here.

You might notice your attention being pulled to a strong sensation,

A thought or a sound.

Just noticing this and then with kindness,

Bringing the attention back to the toes of the right foot.

If the strong experience continues to come back to you,

You might notice that your attention is being pulled back to the toes of the right foot.

If the strong experience continues to pull for your attention,

You may also make a choice to bring the kind curiosity to that experience for a moment.

Exploring the qualities of it for a bit.

Then bringing the attention back to the toes of the right foot.

Now shifting the awareness to the sensations in the rest of the right foot.

Bottom of the foot,

Sides of the foot,

The top of the foot.

Down into the inside of the foot.

Seeing if you can sense the bones and the joints.

Now inviting the awareness up to the right ankle and lower leg.

Noticing whatever is here right now.

It may be helpful to see this as receiving sensations that are showing up rather than an active searching them out.

Moving up into the right knee and upper leg.

Knee and upper leg.

You notice a sensation.

You might note what the feeling tone of the sensation is.

If it's pleasant or unpleasant or neutral sensation.

Just noticing how you relate to it.

We often try to push away or resist unpleasant.

Hold on to pleasant.

Ignore or overlook neutral.

With awareness of the feeling tone,

You can let go of the habitual ways of relating and the stories that the mind creates.

Instead,

Bringing a warm curiosity to whatever is here in the right knee and the upper leg.

Bringing awareness into both the hips,

The buttocks and pelvis area.

Feeling the sensations on the skin in this area.

Feeling the inside into the joints of the hips.

Into the joints of the hips.

Perhaps feeling sensations of the internal organs in this area.

Allowing that kind attention to come into the abdomen.

You might notice the movement of the belly with the breath.

Perhaps noticing sensations of digestion.

Feelings in the stomach if there are sensations of hunger or fullness.

Really getting curious about the experience.

What are the qualities and sensations of what we call hunger or fullness?

Moving around to the lower back.

You might feel the sensations where the lower back makes contact with the supports.

Any shifting or change of sensations with the movement of the breath.

The lower back is a common place for breathing.

The lower back is a common place for pain and discomfort to show up.

If that's the case for you,

Get curious about those sensations.

We often experience a sensation as only something we like or dislike.

This is an invitation to really be open and curious about the experience.

Explore the qualities of a sensation with a warmth and kindness.

And to notice what kind of emotions or thoughts show up with these experiences.

Inviting the awareness to move up to the upper back.

Noticing the felt sense of the back of the ribcage.

The upper spine.

Maybe even into the lungs.

When you notice that your mind has wandered,

Putting a light label on it.

Thinking or planning.

Worrying.

Gently coming back to the upper back and the sensations here.

Moving around to the sensations of the chest.

You might notice what the expansion and contraction of the lungs and ribcage feel like.

You might see if you can sense your heart beating.

Now guiding the attention down to both hands.

Sensing into each of the fingers.

The palms of the hands.

Back of the hands.

You might shift from one hand to the other.

Feeling each hand separately.

You might try to hold the sensations of both hands and awareness at once.

Moving into both the wrists and lower arms.

Continuing to scan up into the elbows and upper arms.

Into the shoulders.

If you notice there's some tension in the shoulders,

You might invite the body to let go of that tension.

To soften.

Shifting awareness into the neck and throat.

Feeling the shape of the neck.

Sensations on the skin of the neck.

Sensing into the throat.

Feeling what the breath feels like here or what swallowing feels like in the throat.

Bringing the awareness to the face and head.

Starting with the sensations in the chin.

Feeling the jaw and lips.

Perhaps noticing any tension here and as best you can letting go of it.

Feeling into the mouth.

You might see if you can sense what the teeth feel like in the gums.

Or how the tongue feels against the top or bottom of the mouth.

Noticing the insides of the cheeks.

And then the outside of the cheeks.

Feeling into the inside and outside of the nose.

Feeling into the eyes.

Noticing what they feel like in the eye sockets.

What the eyelids feel like against the eyes.

Sensing the forehead.

Coming around to the ears.

Noticing the sensations on the outside of the ears and into the inside.

Moving the awareness to the sensations of the back of the head.

Feeling the pressure of the head against the support.

And then up to the top of the head.

Feeling sensations here.

Expanding the awareness to the body as a whole.

Seeing if you can hold all the sensations of the body and awareness at one time.

Just resting in this whole body awareness.

And if you notice any strong sensations pulling for your attention.

You might get curious about those.

Just explore the qualities of those.

And then coming back to the awareness of the body as a whole.

As we bring this practice to an end,

You might sense what the body needs.

You need to shift or stretch.

Just allowing the body to do what feels good.

While noticing the changing sensations as you do it.

And then when you're ready,

You can open the eyes.

Reorient to the space around you.

And move into the rest of your day with this awareness.

Maybe a different way of relating to the body.