Bridgeen's MBSR Body Scan

I made this relaxing body scan recording to accompany my first MBSR class back in 2011 and I still send it to my students today. It's great to use if you are currently on or have completed an 8-week mindfulness course. You can also try it if you haven't done an 8-week course.

Transcript

Welcome to the Bodyscan,

A means of developing greater sensitivity and connection to your body.

This may be the only quiet time that you give yourself today,

So it will allow it to be a nourishing time.

A time to be by yourself and with yourself fully.

By doing this Bodyscan you are taking a powerful,

Active and responsible role in ensuring your own health and wellbeing.

It is important to stay awake when practicing the Bodyscan,

So if you can,

Choose a time of day when you feel fresh and alert.

If you fall asleep that's also okay,

But the idea is to fall awake.

When doing the Bodyscan choose a warm and comfortable room where you won't be disturbed by anyone,

Including the telephone.

Wear loose and comfortable clothes that don't restrict your waist or belly,

Allowing for the free flow of breath into and out of your body.

The most helpful attitude to adopt is one of relaxed curiosity.

Being open to whatever arises in the body and mind.

There is no need to suppress or cling to anything.

Simply allow things to come and go in their own way.

Often we can try too hard to relax or put effort into being positive.

These efforts just give rise to unnecessary tension.

If you can,

Give yourself the space to be just as you are right now and allow an attitude of warmth and gentleness towards yourself to emerge.

It doesn't really matter what sort of mental event arises in your consciousness.

That is all it is.

Simply a mental event.

Akin to the clouds in the sky that are constantly moving and ship shifting.

Clinging to any mental event is like trying to concretize a cloud a few times and ever.

So you just allow the thoughts to come and allow them to go.

Like watching the clouds in the sky on a sunny day just come and go on.

Not clinging,

Not identifying.

Just letting it go.

The more you can let go of whatever thoughts and feelings arise during the time of the body scan,

The more relaxed and naturally spacious quality of mind will reveal itself.

If during the body scan you find that you touch areas of tension or anxiety that you would rather not stay with and explore right now,

Simply move your attention to the breathing and return to the body scan when it feels comfortable to do so.

So if there is anything painful or difficult that comes up,

You don't have to stay with it.

You can take your attention back to the inhale and the exhale.

And when you feel ready,

Join the voice back at wherever it is in the body scan.

The body scan is typically done when lying on your back,

Although you can assume other postures,

Sitting cross-legged or on a chair with your feet on the floor.

Not the posture that is important,

But your sincerity and commitment to the practice.

I will be guiding this body scan as if you are lying down.

You can eternally adjust the instructions if needed if you are not lying down.

So to begin.

Lie here on your back,

On a mat or a firm bed,

Your feet falling away from one another and your arms down alongside your body,

A few inches from the torso with your palms facing upwards towards the ceiling.

If that feels comfortable for you.

Your eyes can gently close.

Now bring in your attention to the body line here.

If you can,

Getting a sense of the body in its entirety.

In the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.

And gradually bringing awareness to the breathing.

Without altering or manipulating the breath anyway.

Just notice how you're breathing right now.

This moment.

Is it deep or shallow?

Fast or slow?

In your chest,

In your tummy?

Blowing smoothly or more constricted?

Simply observing.

Inhale and exhale.

Notice also the weight of your body as you lie here.

Paying attention to the weight of your head as it rests on the surface you're lying on.

The weight of buttocks and thighs as they sink into the floor.

The weight of your calf muscles.

Now take the spotlight of your attention to the rise and the fall of the abdomen.

As the abdomen rises with the in-breath and sinks back towards your spine with the out-breath.

If the rise and fall of your abdomen is very subtle,

You can bring the palm of your right hand to rest gently in this area.

Giving attention to a particular part of the body often facilitates the breath to reach there.

So lying here alive and aware,

Breathing in oxygen that nourishes the body and emitting carbon dioxide in a rhythmic cycle.

Now in your own time,

Return your arm to your side if you place it on the belly.

Gradually bring the spotlight of your attention from the abdomen right down the left leg.

Through the left thigh,

Past the knee,

The calf and the foot.

To rest your awareness right on the toes of the left foot.

And without having to move them,

Experience the left big toe,

The little toe and the toes in between.

Notice any sensations,

Perhaps of heat or cold,

Moisture,

Tingling,

Numbness.

Perhaps no sensations at all.

And that's okay too.

And now moving the spotlight of your attention to the ball of the left foot and the pad.

The arch and the sole of the foot.

What sensations are here?

Imagine that you're breathing in to and out from the pores in this region.

Now moving up to the inside ankle and the heel.

Perhaps experiencing the sensation of pressure as the heel makes contact with what it's resting on.

And moving upwards towards the ankle on the outside and up to the top of the foot.

Gradually moving upwards towards the calf muscle.

Are there any sensations here?

The shin bone,

Aware of the skin on the surface and deep into the muscle as well.

If you can,

Experiencing the weight of the shin bone sinking into the calf.

If you come across any tension anywhere or in this region,

Just breathing into it.

The calf muscle and the shin bone work hard to keep us mobile and are often areas that we neglect.

Doesn't matter if your mind wanders off a hundred times.

The art of mindfulness is to bring your tension back again and again with gentleness and kindness.

So now with our tension on the lower leg,

We're going to move the tension upwards to the left knee.

Right into the kneecap,

The sides of the knee and deep into the joint.

Breathing right into the knee and exploring this area as best you can.

What sensations are experienced here right now in this moment?

Gently let go of the knee and bringing the thigh into your awareness.

With the spotlight of your attention,

Moving up the thigh with the largest muscles in the body,

The largest bone in the body.

Up along the thigh towards the ground on the inside and the hip on the outside.

Breathing into your thigh and hip.

Just being aware of any sensations.

Experiencing the weight of your thigh as it makes contact with what it's lying on.

Simply being with whatever is present in your leg right now.

Exploring and sinking into the sensations.

And before we move away from your left leg,

Imagine a bit of imagining of breathing.

Imagine you're breathing in through the hip,

Down through the left thigh,

Calf and foot.

And breathing out from the sole of the left foot and then breathing into the sole from the hip.

Oxygenating the entire leg,

Taking a couple of breaths like this.

Being curious,

Staying present and alert to the sensations.

Now let's move our attention across the hips to the right side of the body.

All the way down the right leg to the right toes.

And without moving them,

Spread your awareness from the right big toe to the little toe and the toes in between.

Breathing in through the toes as if you were taking in oxygen through all of their pores.

Exploring the sensations.

And moving your attention to the sole of the right foot,

The ball,

The pad,

The arch.

Are there any sensations here?

The heel is in contact with the floor of the bed.

Gradually moving towards the ankle on the outside of the right foot and up to the top of the foot.

Imagine you're breathing in through and out from all of the pores of your right foot.

Sometimes you may find that it is difficult to stay with instructions that your mind is constantly wandering off and getting caught in memories of the past or thoughts about the future.

At these times it is important to be gentle with yourself.

Notice what is happening and simply return your attention to the body,

The part of the body that we are focusing on or to the breath.

So right now we're going to move our attention from the foot and into the lower right leg.

Up to the calf muscle and shin bone.

Noticing whatever sensations are here.

Perhaps blood flow,

Tingling,

Pulsation.

If there's any tension or discomfort simply breathing into it and letting go with the out-breath.

As you move your attention to the kneecap and the sides of the knee,

The back of the knee and right end of the knee joint.

What sensations are here?

So now becoming aware of your right thigh.

The region between the knee and the hip.

Experiencing whatever sensations are present.

Perhaps tingling,

Blood flow,

Warmth,

Weight,

Contact.

Moving upwards towards the groin and general region.

Whatever sensations or lack of sensations might be here right now.

Becoming aware of the entire pelvis and hip area.

Allowing awareness to go deep into this area.

If there's any tension or pain,

Allow your awareness to embrace it with a sense of openness and curiosity.

Now experiencing the buttocks.

The right buttock and the left.

Noticing any sensations of weight,

Pressure or contact with what you're lying on.

Can you notice where the buttocks end and the surface you're lying on begins?

Before leaving this region,

Imagine you're breathing deep into the pelvis and hips.

Down past the thighs,

Knees,

Calves,

Ankles and down at the soles of both feet.

Now breathing in through the soles of the feet up through the legs.

Imagine you're breathing out through the hips and pelvis.

Do this for a couple of breaths.

Breathing in through the hips,

Down the legs,

Out from the soles and through the soles.

Out through the legs and out through the hips.

And now moving to the lower back region.

Often an area of tension for many of us.

Just letting it be as it is in this moment.

If there is any tension,

Tightness,

Heaviness or pain,

Breathe into it.

And with the out-breath,

Experience it a little deeper.

Simply breathing with whatever is happening right now in this moment.

And an out-breath,

Letting go and moving up to the middle back.

Pausing at the area of the liver and kidneys.

Just bringing a little attention to these organs.

Being aware that they're working night and day for your well-being.

The liver secreting bile and neutralizing toxins.

And the kidneys filtering what the body no longer needs.

And then moving to the upper back.

The back of the ribcage.

Perhaps experiencing this area as it expands with the in-breath and deflates with the out-breath.

And up to and between the shoulder blades.

If there is any tension arising here,

Allow your breath to flow into and out from this area.

As if you were experiencing deep,

Breathing deep into your back.

Between your shoulders and out from your back.

The region between the shoulder blades.

So breathing deep into your back and between your shoulders.

And out from your back,

Between the shoulder blades.

And as you're lying on your back,

Aware of the whole back.

Of the length of the spinal column.

Of all the little parts of the spinal column that have support in your upright posture.

And now relaxing and breathing.

As the back is supported by the surface you're lying on.

Though the body scan is a simple practice,

It can often connect us with areas of stress and tension in our body that we would rather avoid.

As time goes on and with practice,

You will find that you will become more at ease and less driven by the tensions,

Thoughts,

Feelings and sensations that constantly arise within you.

So now we're going to take the searchlights of our attention to the front of the body and down into the belly.

Experiencing the rise and fall of the abdomen.

The lower belly below the navel.

The abdomen rising.

The abdomen falling.

And now moving up towards the diaphragm.

And the chest region.

And the lungs.

The organs that take in air.

Allowing oxygen to pass into the blood and carbon dioxide to be removed.

Experiencing the lungs expands on either side of your heart.

Breathing in and breathing out.

And if you can,

Tuning into the rhythmic beat of your heart.

The heart which nourishes your body with oxygenated blood,

Which in turn returns to the heart,

Detoxifying and energizing the body in an effortless rhythmic cycle.

Just experiencing the entire frontal region of the body as you lie here,

Being with the miracle that is taking place in your own body right now in this moment.

Very gently on an out-breath,

Moving from this region and bringing your awareness into your fingertips.

We can do both hands together.

Just being with whatever sensations you experience in the tips of your fingers.

Maybe feeling of the air circulating,

Tingling,

Coolness,

Warmth.

Feeling of whatever covering you may have on your hands.

Maybe clothing you may be touching.

Right from the thumbs of the small fingers.

Moving from one hand to the other at a pace that suits you.

Exploring the fingers up to the knuckles,

Scanning each one.

And then moving to the backs of your hands.

What sensations are here?

And around the palms of your hands.

Imagine that you can breathe into and out from the pores of your hands.

And now moving up to the wrists,

Or if any pulsation that might be in this region.

Moving the attention now to the lower arms,

Up to the elbows.

Slowly exploring whatever is happening right here and now.

And up to the upper arms,

As far as the shoulders.

And into the shoulders themselves.

What sensations are here?

Shoulders are often an area of tension for many of us.

Just noticing any sensations of heaviness or pressure.

Experience the weight of your shoulders against the surface you're lying on.

Now moving into the neck and throat region.

Often quite sensitive regions of the body.

What sensations are here right now?

Letting go and moving up into the fierce.

Beginning with the jaw.

Breathing into the jawbone.

Letting go of any tension that might have accumulated here.

Moving into the lips and the chin.

Were of any tightness or tension held here?

Perhaps space between the lips.

Now up into the nose.

Noticing if you can experience a sensation of breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils.

And now the cheeks and the cheekbones.

Up into the eyes and the region between the eyes and the forehead.

If there's any tension here,

Just notice it.

Breathe into it and breathe out for it.

Allowing your whole face to be cradled by your breath.

Your own face just as it is.

Without having to assume any particular expression.

Being with it on the surface and deep inside.

Now moving to the head.

The top of the head.

Experiencing the curve at the back of the head.

Moving down to the temples.

And then moving the tension to the ears.

Breathing in through the ears and breathing out from the ears.

Now a little bit more of imaginative breathing.

We're going to focus on a spot at the top of your head.

About the size of a 20p coin.

Imagine that that spot opens up like the blowhole of a wheel.

And that you can breathe into it and out from it.

Imagine that you're breathing in through your nose and out from this spot.

Take a few breaths like this.

Then imagine that you're breathing in through your head.

That your breath is going down your body.

Through your face,

Throat,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Torso.

Down the centre of your legs.

To the soles of your feet.

And breathing out from the soles of your feet.

And imagine that you can breathe in through the soles of your feet.

Up through your body and out from your head.

So breathing in through the top of the head.

All the way down the body,

Out through the soles of the feet.

And then breathing in through the soles of the feet.

Up through the body and out from the head.

And just breathing a few breaths like this.

Fully aware of your entire body.

Lying here,

Present to the flow of breath,

Into and out of your body.

If you can,

Experiencing your own body from the inside.

Being complete,

Not rejecting anything.

Not clinging to anything.

Being in touch with your own essential nature and capacity for stillness and presence.

Open to things just as they are,

Seeing this stillness itself as healing.

And allowing the world to be just as it is,

Beyond your personal wishes and demands.

Beyond the tendency of wanting the mind to be a certain way.

Looking and experiencing deeply the fullness of our lives and the limitless quality of our life.

Open to our own capacity for love and caring.

Knowing that the very act of engaging with this CD is an act of love and warmth towards ourselves.

Recognizing that the awareness and clarity that you've generated during this time is always accessible to you.

By simply attending to your in-breath and your out-breath.

By drawing on this reservoir of clarity and awareness,

It can be a constant source of energy for you and for those with whom you share your life.

Letting it be the ground from which you can make conscious decisions about how you live an aware and integrated life.

Now as body scan practice comes to an end.

You can start to wiggle your fingers and toes.

Moving and stretching your body in whatever way feels right to you.

Coming back into the room.

Opening your eyes.

Become aware of the environment around you.

Orientating yourself into your space.

Becoming aware of the sights,

The sounds and the smells that make up this time of day.

Scenting yourself to continue your regular activities.

Carrying with you the awareness that you're never more than a breath away from mindful engagement.

May this mindfulness practice enrich your life experience and bring more peace to your daily life.

Bell.

Reviews

Amazing body scan Bridgeen. Thank you so much - as ever. Your lovely gentle voice is just so calming and beautiful 🥰

Thank you for the reminders to come back. My mind was very squirrelly today!

I love this meditation, it really connects me with myself and I always feel mentally refreshed after listening to it. Thank you so much Bridgeen 🙏🏻

Absolutely delighted this meditation is available online. Lucky to have been able to attend a number of Bridgeen’s classes in past. Having access to them via insight timer is great. Very enjoyable meditation the pace is perfect it really has a calming affect. Thanks for sharing here. Namaste 🙏

Absolutely delighted this meditation is available online. Lucky to have been able to attend a number of Bridgeen’s classes in past. Having access to them via insight timer is great. Very enjoyable meditation the pace is perfect it really has a calming affect. Thanks for sharing here. Namaste 🙏