Body Scan And Sensory Connections
I created this body scan to help you feel present in your body , mind and heart without judgment. You can practice seated or laying down. This version would be best for the morning or middle of the day allowing to take a peaceful break before you turn toward the rest of your activities.
Transcript
One more time,
Nice long inhale and an even longer exhale.
And here you are arriving into your meditation of the day.
Nothing to do for just yet,
Except maybe moving your body in any way to make it more comfortable.
So adjust your seat,
Adjust your strength,
Your length of your spine.
Here you are arriving,
Arriving,
Arriving and where you're arriving within yourself.
And let's see what comes up to your attention first.
Is this your body?
Some specific part of your body?
Are they thoughts?
Some stories?
Is there an emotional feeling that comes out first?
Play with observing this for the next moment.
Keep that in the corner of your mind and then slowly follow me onto an adventure within your body.
Starting at your feet,
Noticing your toes on the right foot.
Your heel,
Your calf,
Your knee,
Of that right leg,
Your upper leg,
Your glute.
Notice maybe parts that are heavy in that leg and parts that are light.
If you're seated,
There must be a part of the leg that is more pressing than the other.
Similar if you're laying down.
Stay with that right leg for a little bit.
Noticing also warm or cold feeling.
Visiting also a place where you will be wrapped in fabric like a sock or pants and places that are free of that wrapping.
And then gently moving your attention to the left side of your pelvis,
Left side of your buttocks,
And moving your attention down toward your left leg.
Noticing there the upper leg,
The knee,
The calf,
The ankle,
And the heel,
The toes of the left foot.
And how is that left leg?
Heavy,
Cold,
Light,
Warm,
Tightened by fabric,
Supported by ground pillows,
Floor.
And continue now with your attention on both legs,
Left versus right,
Right versus left.
Often we have that tendency to go toward good versus bad,
Pleasant versus unpleasant.
But can you just be equanimous in some way and observe both legs with curiosity,
With less judgment?
Just the fact,
Just the least of fact.
No attachment,
No stories.
Moving on from the sole of your feet all the way up toward your pelvis and your belly.
A few moments here in this belly.
Maybe the first thing you notice before the breath is tightness of your pants,
Sweater wrapping around it,
Shirt.
And then letting go of that physical sensation and bringing attention toward your breathing.
And allow your attention to be spot on the movement of the belly as you inhale and exhale.
And remember if your mind drifts away,
Come back,
Come back gently.
See if you are bringing back a little dog that you're trying to train on the path.
We hold attention sometimes in the belly for more anxious life,
Discomfort also from digestion,
Heavy breakfast or dinner.
Noticing that if you feel heavy,
Now if you feel empty maybe you didn't have breakfast or dinner and you hear gongling.
So observing the belly now from the inside in some way.
Moving up toward your ribs when you're ready.
Noticing the movement of those ribs,
The placement,
Touching a chair,
Touching the ground or floating in the air of the room you're in.
Maybe t-shirts,
Sweater,
Bra for the ladies wearing them.
What is there?
Can you feel your breath a little better,
A little deeper in the upper part of your body than in your belly?
Is there an ease that you find here?
A comfort maybe?
Can you count in seconds how long will be an inhale,
For example?
And how long will be an exhale?
Let's stay here for a couple of moments.
Try to stay still but move if you have to.
Just stay present and aware.
Moving your attention from the chest to your arms and pick one,
Maybe the right,
Maybe the left,
Maybe both at the same time.
Noticing your right shoulder,
Left shoulder,
Right forearm,
Left forearm,
Elbows,
Maybe resting on the ground for some of you or on your lap,
Ribs,
Your lower arms,
Down,
Down,
Down to your hands.
Just without moving them,
How are those hands here resting?
Palm up,
Palm down,
Finger pressed or finger open.
What is the situation of those hands?
Is there a nuance of warmth in your hands?
Like for example your palm could be warmer than your fingertips or something else.
Is there a heaviness more present in one hand than the other?
Or tension or pain?
What is there?
Try to not go into stories too much,
Just kind of noticing the minimum.
And scanning back from your hand to your arm and all the way up to your shoulders.
Notice your neck,
Maybe resting a little bit over your hair if you're resting against a chair or floor.
Maybe in contact with chains,
Sweaters,
Scarves,
With that throat,
With that neck.
When you let go of the outside kind of tension and go more inside toward the moment where you have saliva coming down.
And pay attention to that for a little bit.
Not the muscle tension but the neck itself from the within,
From the inside out.
Some of you may have a little bit of a brushed throat.
What is there?
From the inside of your throat move up to the inside of your mouth.
And check that whole universe there.
Your teeth,
Your tongue.
Is there any taste lingering from breakfast or whatever meal you had,
Depending on the time?
Can you feel any pressure of your jaw on one side more than the other?
Or can you feel space?
Where is your tongue in regard to your palate?
And noticing when the saliva is going down toward your throat.
And moving toward,
If you can,
Move from the inside toward your nose nostril.
Noticing as you intake hair.
Is this warm or cold?
Are you able to breathe deeply?
Are you a little stuff?
Do your inhale and your exhale seem as long as the one you took in your chest?
Pay attention for a moment.
The breath is with us all time,
All day,
All night.
We breathe and yet we don't pay any attention to what's really going on.
Left nostril breathing,
Right nostril breathing.
Warm or coolness.
Expand your intention to be around your tip of the nose and then move down toward your cheeks,
The muscle around your eyes.
Maybe some of you are wearing glasses,
Any pressure.
Maybe some of you have bangs.
Noticing also the bangs maybe around your forehead.
Moving to the whole face here.
Imagine yourself smiling to somebody you care and maybe invite a smile on your lips at this instant now.
Noticing any tension lingering on the muscles around the eyes or jaw.
As you expand your awareness from the nose to the eyes,
Bring your awareness to your ears.
Maybe they're covered by your hair,
Maybe they're free,
Maybe you have earrings.
Alright,
Just pay attention here to all sound for a moment.
So turning from the inside of you more towards the outside.
The sound in the room you're in,
The sound of my voice,
Sound of the street outside,
The nature outside.
Some sound may come and go.
Is there a favourite sound for you?
Oh I like this sound but not that one.
I like to hear my son playing in the backyard but I don't really like the car passing.
It's not as sad if there is anything.
And drop a little bit the story and just listen,
Listen.
As if you had a new auditory concept there.
Everything becomes interesting.
Even the sound of the movement of your jaw as you take your saliva.
Even the sound of the air passing through your nostril.
Some sound very familiar and maybe some sound very unusual.
And we wrap this practice by opening the eyes slowly,
Slowly and actually you're gonna blink,
Maybe five times.
So opening,
Looking around and closing.
Checking in with that,
Doing it again,
Open your eyes,
Take the light,
Take the sight.
Some of you may watch the ceiling or in front of you or the screen,
The window and then close your eyes again.
And notice how that feels.
Is there an emotion like oh closing my eyes,
I'm good here,
Closing the eyes.
Oh I'm excited,
I'm opening my eyes and I see.
Play in silence with the next two moments here.
And closing the eyes one last little time.
Scan your body one more time with eyes closed from your feet to your head.
Scan your breath.
Then opening the eyes,
Try to do that again.
Scan your body and notice any difference,
Any difference in your awareness.
It's not good or bad,
It's just what it is.
Awesome.
Gently allow yourself to stretch and to end this practice.
