This is a guided body scan meditation.
The body scan is usually practiced lying down,
But you may also sit or even stand if that is more comfortable for you.
Your body position is less important than your intention for an attitude towards the practice.
Find a safe,
Warm place and choose a time that you can be with and by yourself without being disturbed.
The body scan is an opportunity to take time out from doing and to simply be with the universe of sensations in your body.
To observe these sensations as well as any thoughts or emotions that may arise with kindness and curiosity and to practice gently moving your awareness from one region of the body to the next.
The mind will wonder.
It will worry,
Remember,
Plan,
Judge and fantasize.
That's just what the mind does.
Each time you find yourself carried away by thoughts or emotions,
Simply recognize their content and watch them dissolve as you return your attention first to the breath,
Then to my guidance and landing your attention on whatever region of the body we are observing at that time.
Now taking a position on the floor,
Mat or chair and settling.
Sensing your whole body front,
Back and sides.
Feeling the points of contact between your body and the surface you are on and letting any tension or weight transfer down into that surface.
Taking a few deep intentional breaths and sinking deeper into the surface with each exhale.
Now resting your attention on the feeling of the breath moving in and out of the body without trying to control or manipulate it.
On the next inhale,
Gathering your attention and moving it down through the torso,
The pelvic area and down the right leg,
All the way down to the right toes.
Feeling what's here.
Is there warmth,
Cold,
Moisture,
Dryness,
Tingling,
Perhaps the feeling of the toes touching each other or maybe no feeling at all?
That's okay too.
Any sensation in the field of awareness or no sensations are all a part of the body scan.
Now gently moving your awareness into the right soul,
The ball of the foot,
The arch,
The heel,
Where the foot is touching the surface that's supporting you.
Feeling contact,
Pressure,
Subtle movement.
Now bringing your attention to the top of the foot,
The surface and the interior of the foot.
Being aware of the internal structure of the right foot before moving and resting the attention on the right ankle.
Circling the ankle joint and feeling what's here right now.
Breathing.
Gathering your attention in the right ankle and moving it up into the lower right leg,
The calf muscle,
The shin.
Sensing this part of the body that may not often get any attention from the surface right into the core.
Feeling what's here right now.
Breathing.
Now coming to the right knee,
The soft skin behind the knee,
Coming up into the joint behind the kneecap.
Feeling the sides of the knee.
Resting here for a few breaths,
Sensing whatever's present in the right knee.
Now moving your attention up into the thigh from the knee joint all the way up to the right hip.
Sensing the thigh bone,
The femur,
The longest,
Heaviest,
Strongest bone in the body.
Feeling the muscles on the front,
Back and sides of the thigh.
Being aware of weight,
Structure,
Any tension.
Softening with each exhale.
Now expanding your awareness so it fills the entire right leg from the hip all the way down to the toes.
Breathing.
Sensing what's here.
Pulsing.
Energy.
Tingling or numbness.
Now gathering your attention at the top of the right leg and moving across the pelvis and down the left leg all the way down into the left foot and into the left toes.
The underside of the toes and the tops of the toes.
The nails.
The joints where the toes connect to the foot.
Sensing and being very curious about what's here right now.
Moving your attention into the sole of the left foot and sensing any difference between feelings in the left sole and the right sole.
Gently shifting your awareness to the top of the left foot.
The big bony structure on the top of the foot and the many intricate smaller bones and joints that make up the left foot.
Becoming aware now of the left ankle,
The inside of the joint,
The tendon at the back of the foot that connects to the lower leg.
And continuing to move your attention up into the calf muscle at the back of the lower leg.
The shin at the front.
Feeling what's here in the lower leg right now.
Now gently bringing your attention to rest in the left knee,
Sensing the knee joint.
If you encounter intense sensations or emotions as you travel through the body,
You have options.
You may open your eyes for a few moments to regather and settle yourself and you can keep them open if that's more comfortable for you.
Alternatively you can shift your awareness to a familiar anchor like the feeling of the breath moving in and out of the nostrils,
Chest or belly.
If you care to,
You can also move towards these intense sensations or emotions with curiosity and openness and hold them in awareness for a time.
Noticing how they feel.
Is it a pulling or a tightness?
Is it dull or sharp?
Throbbing or tingling?
After hanging out here for several breaths you will notice these sensations and emotions are ever-changing,
Fleeting from moment to moment.
And when you are ready you can rejoin the body scan and the region we are observing,
Which right now is the left knee joint.
Gently gathering your attention in the left knee and moving it up into the left thigh.
Feeling the full length,
Breadth and depth of the left thigh and the femur connected to the knee joint at one end and the hip socket at the other.
Breathing.
Now shining the light of awareness throughout the left leg from the toes all the way up to the hip and feeling the weight of the left leg sinking deeper into the surface you are on.
Moving your attention now from the left leg up into the pelvic area.
The right hip front,
Back and side.
The left hip front,
Back and side.
Sensing the tailbone and buttocks resting on the surface.
Feeling the inside of the pelvic area,
The groin,
The lower abdomen,
Holding the entire pelvic area in awareness for a few breaths.
Now bringing your attention to the lower back,
The vertebrae and discs,
The muscles and ligaments either side of the spine.
This is an area where we often hold a great deal of tension.
Opening to any tension or bracing and gently softening with each breath.
Sensing the tension changing,
Tightening,
Releasing.
Now moving up the spine to the middle back,
The back of the rib cage and the upper back,
The shoulder blades.
Resting your attention in the upper back for a few breaths.
Gently bringing your attention back to the front of the body,
To the belly.
Sensing any activity in the belly.
You may feel a fullness or an emptiness in the belly that receives and helps us break down food and drink so we can absorb the nutrients that lie within.
Feeling the belly rising and falling with each in-breath and out-breath.
Now coming to the chest,
Feeling the lungs filling with air and emptying again.
The rib cage expanding and contracting with each cycle of the breath.
Sensing the heart,
Seeing if you can feel it beating.
And if you can't,
Don't worry.
No need to judge or condemn yourself.
Simply feel what is here in your chest right now.
Moving your attention to the surface of the chest,
The breasts,
Pectoral muscles,
Collarbones,
Breathing.
Now gathering your attention in the chest and moving it out to both sides,
To the shoulders.
Another place we tend to hold a lot of tension in our bodies.
Shining the light of awareness on the back of the shoulders,
The front and the sides,
And the interior of the shoulder joints.
Feeling what's here.
Being curious about any sensations you encounter in the shoulders.
Now moving your attention down the arms,
All the way down to the fingers and thumbs.
Feeling each finger and thumb,
The space between them,
The skin of one finger touching another.
Sensing the palms and the backs of the hands,
The wrists,
And perhaps the gentle beating of the pulse as blood flows into and out of the hands.
Bringing your attention to the forearms and the elbows,
Bony joint on the outside and soft crease on the inside.
Moving up the arms into the biceps,
Triceps,
And entire upper arms right up to the shoulders.
Now filling both arms with awareness from the shoulders at the top all the way down to the fingertips.
Sensing the length and weight of the arms and resting here for a few breaths.
Now gathering your attention from the arms and moving it into the neck,
Into the back of the neck,
Including the top of the spine,
The sides of the neck and the muscles here,
Right round to the front of the neck,
The throat,
Where air,
Food,
And water enter the body.
Neck muscles working hard all day to support our head,
But resting now if we are lying down.
Now becoming aware of the back of the head.
If you are lying down,
Feeling the point of contact between the head and the surface you are lying on.
Expanding your awareness around the top,
Back,
And sides of your head.
Sensing the brain floating in a jelly-like substance protected by the solid skull bones filled with electrical activity,
Even though we may not be able to feel it.
Now coming to the jaw.
Feeling any tension at the top of the jaw bones and moving your awareness down both sides of the jaw to the chin.
Feeling the lips,
The inside of the mouth,
Teeth,
Gums,
Tongue,
Roof and base of the mouth.
Now moving your awareness outside the mouth to the cheeks,
All the way to the ears.
Moving from the earlobes to the opening of the ears,
Up to the top of the ears and round to the forehead.
Sensing the eyebrow ridge,
The eye sockets,
And the eyes resting in the sockets.
Eyelids,
And maybe even sensing the eyelashes.
Bringing your attention to the spot between the eyes,
Where the nose begins,
And moving down the bridge of the nose to the nostrils,
Where cool air enters and warm air leaves the body.
Now expanding your attention to hold the entire head and face in awareness.
Sensing any tension here and softening with each out breath.
Remaining aware of your head and face and expanding your awareness down the neck,
Out across both shoulders,
Down both arms into the hands,
And including the front,
Back and sides of your torso.
Awareness filling the entire upper body and then expanding into the pelvic area,
Down the thighs,
Into the knees,
Lower legs and feet.
Staying here for a while,
Holding the entire body in awareness,
Whole,
Complete,
Breathing.
And now as the body scan comes to an end,
Taking a moment to appreciate yourself for connecting with your body in this way.
Intense sensations or no sensations may have been a challenge for you.
The mind may have wondered a thousand times.
That's okay.
No need to worry or to judge yourself.
That's all part of the body scan.
By practicing in this way from time to time,
We are learning how to be with our experience from moment to moment.
To cultivate the mind-body connection and to understand the relationship between sensations,
Thoughts and emotions.
So as you move into the next part of your day or evening,
Carrying with you this ability to hold whatever arises in awareness because it's already here.
This natural ability to gather,
Settle and gently shift or expand your awareness at will.
Let's end the practice with a few intentional breaths until we hear the sound of the bells.
