Hi there,
Dr Adele Stewart here.
This meditation is about befriending the body.
It's really understandable when we're in pain to feel like our body's the enemy and this can add to the pain experience in a negative way.
So this meditation cultivates kindness and even appreciation towards our body in a systematic fashion.
Might be helpful to think of this practice as like planting seeds.
You might not instantly feel kind or friendly towards your body but simply having the intention to do so can be enough.
Eventually we may even have a sense of appreciation that at all times our body really is doing its best for us and none of this needs to mean letting go of a search for further healing of pain relief.
Actually befriending the body is really likely to help this too.
So finding yourself a comfortable position now,
You might like to to lie on your back on a mat.
You might like to have a cushion under your head and a big cushion under your knees perhaps.
It's fine to sit as well if that's easier for you.
Just allowing a little movement into the body,
Shifting subtly so that you feel as comfortable as you can right now.
I'd even like to have three deeper breaths with a sense of a little bit of letting go of tension on each breath.
Those bits of tension that aren't easily released,
That's fine,
They can stay.
For some it might be helpful to put a nice supportive soothing hand somewhere in the body,
Maybe over the heart as a gentle reminder to us that we're here to give kindness.
Gently bringing the attention into your feet,
Simply noticing whatever you can notice right now.
Perhaps the contact with the floor,
Might notice dampness or dryness,
Might be able to feel the toes touching each other.
There might be feelings of tingling or vibration or throbbing,
Might be nothing much,
You might be drawing a blank,
That's fine as well.
Just noticing what can you feel in your feet.
And now can you offer your feet some kind wishes,
Something like,
May my feet be happy and at ease.
You might even feel that you can offer appreciation to these feet.
When they're walking they take a whole weight on their tiny surface area.
They do so much for us,
Our feet.
Moving your awareness to your ankles and lower legs and knees.
Noticing any sensations,
Maybe sending a little appreciation to the lower legs,
The knees and ankles,
These amazing joints.
And again,
Maybe a well wish,
May my knees and lower legs and ankles be happy and at ease.
Moving on to the upper legs and hips now.
Upper legs have got these really heavy leg bones,
Big muscles,
Help us stand up from sitting,
Perhaps sending them some appreciation and some well wishes.
May my upper legs and hips be happy and at ease.
You might like to open your awareness to include the entire legs,
From the toes right up to the hips,
Knowing what it's like to have legs,
Sending some compassion if there's difficulty there,
Pain,
And wishing those legs to be happy and at ease.
Moving your attention now to the lower triceps,
Wishing now to the lower trunk,
Pelvis,
The buttocks,
The lower belly.
Noticing any sensations or the absence of sensations,
Perhaps even numbness,
Just noticing.
Perhaps you're able to send some appreciation to those buttocks and pelvis,
The lower belly,
Wishing each of these body parts to be well,
To be at ease.
Moving the awareness up to the whole of the belly,
Noticing all the important organs that are inside.
Perhaps you can notice sensations in the skin of the belly or the expanding and contracting with the breath.
To send appreciation to this important area.
You can be given such a hard time in the belly,
And offering friendliness and well wishes.
May my belly be happy and at ease.
Letting go of the belly now and moving the awareness to the spine.
Perhaps noticing the spine going all the way from the tailbone up to the base of the skull.
Perhaps sending some appreciation for its hard work.
Noticing any sensations throughout the spine,
That spine doing its best.
Can you send a wish for ease,
For happiness to the spine?
And moving on now to the chest,
The ribcage.
Heart and lungs inside the chest,
Perhaps feeling the movement of the breath in the chest,
The rise and fall,
Perhaps you might even feel the heart beating,
Or other sensations in the chest and ribs.
Perhaps you can appreciate the amazingness of the heart and lungs that keep on going and going and going.
The ribcage protecting,
And can you send some well wishes to the chest and heart and lungs?
May they be happy and at ease.
Moving your awareness now from the shoulders down to the tips of the fingers,
The whole of the arms.
Perhaps spending a moment appreciating the amazingness of having arms and hands,
Having opposable thumbs.
Being able to pick things up and manipulate things,
Hug loved ones,
Pat beloved pets.
Noticing any sensations in the whole of the arms and hands.
Can you let those sensations just be as they are,
Just for now?
Can you send some well wishes?
May my arms and hands be happy and at ease.
Moving up to the neck now,
And the throat,
Noticing sensations,
Perhaps appreciating the neck and the load it holds with the head.
All the important tubes that go up and down it.
Sending it some well wishes,
May my neck and throat be happy and at ease.
Moving up to the head now,
Noticing the scalp,
The skull,
And all the sense organs,
The eyes,
The nose,
The mouth.
Appreciating the amazingness of this.
A little bit of compassion if some of the senses are not working as well as they have in the past.
Doing their best,
Wishing them well,
Wishing them ease.
Bringing your awareness now to the whole of your body.
As the body scan is coming to an end,
Noticing the whole body.
How is your body feeling now?
How are you doing now?
If it feels right,
You might offer your whole body the well wishes,
May my whole body be happy and at ease.
May I be happy and at ease.
Spending a moment noticing your experience without needing to change anything.
This can bring up some difficult feelings sometimes.
Lend to those if you can.
Only when you're ready,
You might like to gradually open your eyes if they're closed.
Moving the body,
Starting with wriggling your fingers and toes.
Maybe having a bit of a stretch.
Maybe the way a dog or a cat might stretch as they wake up.
Noticing how that feels.
Going about your day.
