Hello and welcome to this Zen body scanning meditation.
This is the first meditation of four as part of a Zen meditation and mindfulness eight-week course.
People who partake in the course will commit to meditating for 25 minutes every day in order to make meditation a life-changing habit and really benefit from the practice.
Meditating now and again is nice and has benefits of course but nowhere near as powerful as a committed daily practice.
You can of course do this meditation individually without partaking in the course.
This body scanning meditation is the first meditation of the course.
If you'd like to partake on the course you will do this meditation every day for the first two weeks.
You can either follow this recording each day or use it the first time and then do the practice alone going forward.
It's completely up to you.
You should meditate for 25 minutes each day and spend five minutes writing in a meditation diary a few observations about your meditation each day and how you are feeling.
So now I'll begin the meditation.
Most people like to lie down for this meditation but feel free to do it in a sitting position also.
Keep your back nice and long and straight.
Position yourself so you're as comfortable as possible.
Allow your eyes to soften.
Lower your gaze or shut your eyes completely.
Have your mouth closed and your tongue resting on the top of your mouth.
As much as you can relax your body.
Allow your breathing to relax also.
Bring your attention to the lowest place in your body where you can feel this effortless breath.
Perhaps right now you can feel the breath in your lower ribs or maybe lower down in your belly.
Wherever it is for you the lowest place reached by the breath without any strain or effort.
That's where you rest your attention.
Notice the sensations caused by the rising and sinking of the breath in this place.
What can you feel?
Be aware and sensitive.
Now we're going to bring this mindfulness of sensations through the body.
I'll now guide you through bringing your awareness to different body parts.
Let's start with the crown of the head.
Don't try to change anything.
Don't try to do anything.
Just be present with what you can feel here in the crown of the head.
It's normal to get distracted.
Just bring the mind back to the body part.
Simply pay attention to the crown of the head and notice if there are any sensations.
Don't worry if there aren't any.
If there's nothing at all,
Gently rest the hand there and notice the feeling of contact.
Now bringing your awareness to your forehead and to your left ear.
Bringing your awareness to your right ear and to your nose.
Now to your mouth.
Noticing any sensations in the left cheek and the right cheek.
Bringing your awareness to your neck,
The front of the neck and the left side of the neck,
The right side and the back of the neck.
Simply noticing any sensations in these body parts.
Bringing your awareness to your right shoulder.
Focusing on the sensations in the bicep area.
Now the back of the right arm.
Bringing our awareness to the elbow.
Bringing the awareness to the forearm and to the wrist of the right arm.
Noticing any sensations in the little finger on the right hand.
The wedding finger,
Middle finger,
The index finger and the thumb.
Noticing any sensations in the palm of the right hand and the back of the right hand.
Bringing our awareness to the left shoulder.
Simply noticing any sensation in the left shoulder.
Bringing our awareness to the left bicep and the back of the left arm.
Noticing any sensation in the left elbow and in the left forearm.
Bringing our focus to the left wrist now and to the little finger on the left hand.
The wedding finger,
The middle finger,
The index and the thumb.
Noticing any sensation in the palm of the left hand and now the back of the left hand.
Bringing our awareness to the chest.
First the left side of the chest and the right side.
Noticing any sensations in the belly.
Just being present,
Just being aware.
Noticing any sensations in the spine and in the upper back.
Noticing what we feel in the lower back.
Bringing our awareness to the buttocks.
What can we feel in the thighs?
Any sensations in the top of the thighs?
Noticing what we feel in the back of the thighs.
Bringing our awareness to the knees.
First the right kneecap.
Moving our focus to the left kneecap.
Noticing any sensations in the left calf and left shin.
Noticing what we feel in the left ankle.
The top of the left foot.
The bottom of the left foot.
Noticing any sensation in our toes on the left foot.
Starting with the big toe and ending with the little toe.
Bringing our awareness to the right calf and the right shin.
Moving our focus to the right ankle.
The top of the right foot.
The bottom of the right foot.
Bringing our awareness to the sensations of the big right toe.
Gradually bringing our awareness through the toes until we get to the little toe.
Now move the attention back to the crown of your head.
Letting your awareness sweep down throughout your body.
Perhaps a little faster now.
Continue the same practice on your own.
Don't worry if you miss out some body parts.
The important thing is to go from the head downwards.
Don't try to change anything.
Don't try and do anything.
Just be aware and be present with the sensations in the body and the individual body parts.
Not doing anything.
Not changing anything.
Just being aware of your body as you move from the crown of your head down to your feet.
Distractions might happen occasionally.
Don't worry.
Just bring your awareness back to the body.
Just be present.
Just be aware.
Present with the sensations in the body.
Aware of the sensations in the body.
All the transformation you need comes simply from your awareness.
Once you get down to the feet,
If you haven't already,
Do the cycle again.
Coming back to the crown of the head.
Slowly moving down throughout the body.
Not doing anything.
Not changing anything.
Just being aware.
A couple of minutes left.
Just being completely present.
Just being aware.
Now return your attention to the breath.
To the lowest place in your body where you can feel sensations caused by the rising and sinking of your breath.
Stay here for a few breaths and let things settle.
Gently become aware of your fingers and toes.
Start to gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Have a really good stretch if your body feels the need to.
And when you're ready,
Come back into the room.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Big love.
Until next time.
