Tuning Into Sensation - Body Scan - 17 Minutes

What can you sense or feel in your body? In this body scan, let's gently explore different parts of the body. Try using the word "sensation" to observe and notice any physical, energetic, or emotional sensations that arise during the body scan. This practice cultivates curiosity and non-judgemental awareness, along with deepening the mind-body connection. It may be a lovely practice to do before heading to sleep, or to help you transition from work to rest during your day.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided meditation.

So let's settle down into this space together.

If you wish you can have your feet flat on the ground with the legs uncrossed.

You can have your hands resting in the lap with the palms facing up to the sky.

Or if it's more comfortable you can have them palms facing down so your hands are resting on the thighs.

See if you can lengthen up gently through the spine.

You can roll the shoulders back and just lift up through the centre of the chest.

Dropping the chin down.

Beautiful,

Well done.

And starting to gently close down the eyelids now if you haven't already.

This is really sending a message to the body and to the mind that the meditation practice is beginning.

And to build a connection to this body and to start to create a bit more mental space let's take some deep belly breaths together.

You can go at your own rhythm if you wish,

You don't need to try to match my guidance.

So in your own time a short exhale through the mouth to begin with and then let's breathe in through the nose drawing that breath in through the chest down into the belly then exhaling out through an open mouth.

In breath again in through the nose really flare out those nostrils all the way down into the belly and exhaling through the mouth.

Breathing again in through the nose feeling the belly expand now the chest expands and releasing.

You've got this.

Taking a deep breath again relax the face drop the shoulders all the way in breathe deep into that belly exhale through the mouth.

Let's do one more breath like that and this time try exhaling with a sigh so with an audible noise on the exhale.

This can just release any additional tension in the body so in your own time all the way in nice deep breath and then releasing with an exhale and a sigh.

Lovely.

Now allow your breathing to return back to normal.

Tuning into any sensations after those deep breaths.

Perhaps you feel some tingling or lightheadedness.

Maybe there was tightness in the chest or other areas of the body.

And that's okay if that's there.

We're not trying to push or force the body.

Just tuning in to any sensations that are here.

And for this meditation practice today we're going to explore that idea further.

The idea of sensations.

That your body is this constant stream of information going through your nervous system up to the brain the body speaking to the brain and the brain sending messages back down to the body.

And any sensations in the body are really just information.

Whether it's temperature.

So feeling heat or coolness.

Whether feeling sensations of comfort.

Whether feeling sensations of pain.

Itching scratching sharpness dull aching.

Even a rumbly tummy.

This is all just feedback.

It's information.

And so let's gently scan over the body now.

And as we do this practice just seeing if you can keep refocusing the mind on the body.

And let's scan through and as we do so.

As any particular sensations come up into your mind,

So you may suddenly become aware of some pain in your left shoulder.

Instead of following the thoughts my left shoulder is pain or there's discomfort there.

Why is that happening?

I should get that looked at.

Instead of all that thinking.

What if instead you use the label sensation.

Sensation.

You can use this word as an acknowledgement of the information being received.

And instead of analyzing or judging it.

Taking a moment to acknowledge that it is a sensation.

And it's most basic form.

It's just information coming through.

The separation between pain and pleasure is often just a knife's edge.

And it's our thoughts,

It's our thinking that really adds extra layers.

And it makes something either good or bad.

So,

Just tuning back into your posture for a moment.

Are you starting to slouch?

Just lifting up through the chest again.

Let's take one deep belly breath to connect to the body to start this body scan.

So breathing in nice and deep all the way into the belly.

You've got this.

And exhaling through the mouth.

Let's bring your attention to the crown of the head.

Scanning down across the forehead,

The eyebrows,

Eyelids.

Just having the eyelids softly dropped.

And the jaw.

Just noticing any sensations in the face.

Sensation.

You can say it in your mind or even say it out loud.

Just scanning over,

Becoming aware.

Is there relaxation or tension?

Tickling,

Itching,

Numbness.

Just sensation.

Staying very open.

Keeping an open mind as we scan over the body.

Scanning down across the chin and the neck and the shoulders.

How are the shoulders?

Sensation.

Just staying with it.

Refocus your mind.

It's okay.

It's wandering off.

That's okay.

Scanning down across the front of the chest all the way down across the lower ribs and the belly.

Down to the hips.

Sensation on the front of the torso.

Taking a deep breath here if you wish just to connect to the body.

Sometimes there can be a lot of sensations in the torso.

Most of our organs are all there.

So just being curious if there's any sensations here.

Noticing if any stories come up.

Any judgements,

Fears,

Doubts,

Worries.

Can you let them go just for this moment and instead receive the feedback of the body?

Any physical sensations?

Any emotions?

Any feelings?

Instead of going off into thoughts,

Just labelling it sensation.

You're doing so well.

Let's scan down across the back whilst we're here.

So bring your attention to the shoulder blades.

Noticing if they're winged out slightly if the top of the back is rolled.

Can you just open back up?

You're doing so well.

If the back is complaining a little bit,

That's okay.

It's just a short while longer.

Noticing if there's any sensations across the back.

Let's flow down the arms now as well.

Both the tops of the arms down to the elbows,

Forearms,

Wrists,

Hands,

Fingers,

Palms,

Thumbs.

Sensation.

Now the whole of your top body has been scanned through.

If your mind is getting pulled in a particular direction,

Just allowing that to happen.

But see if you can so gently label that experience as a sensation.

You can use the word sensation with gentleness,

Like popping a soap bubble with a feather.

This is not whack-a-mole.

We're not trying to whack the sensation,

Slapping the label of sensation on.

No.

We gently receive this information through the nervous system,

Up through the body into the brain.

And instead of the brain analyzing,

We just say sensation.

We're nearly there.

You're doing so well.

Stay with me.

Okay,

We're going to scan down across the bum and across the groin and across the thighs,

Tops of the thighs,

Backs of the thighs,

Knees.

Just hovering at the knees for a moment.

So we've scanned over this area of the body,

Noticing if there's any sensations all around the groin and the thighs.

It's a very vascular area.

So there may be sensations here as well.

Just resting,

Allowing your awareness to be open,

Your mind to be open.

Yeah,

We're nearly there.

Staying focused.

If you wish to take a deep breath,

Just recenter.

Let's keep going down the shins and the calves,

Ankles,

And finally flowing down into the feet and the toes.

If you wish to wiggle the toes gently,

You can notice that sensation.

How amazing that you give the body a command and it does it straight away.

Just staying there just for a moment longer.

Now becoming aware of the whole of your body,

Almost like you're zooming out,

Like you can see yourself from outside of yourself.

Noticing if there's any sensations,

Any final sensation that's there.

Just holding the whole of your body in your awareness if you can,

Keeping that expanded view of yourself.

You can feel the body from the inside through your nervous system and in your mind's eye,

You may be able to see the body in the space where you're at,

Sitting in the space where you're in.

Beautiful.

Okay.

And we're now going to just let go of that open focus and let go of that label of sensation.

You've done so well to stay focused.

And just for a moment,

We'll allow the mind to be completely free.

So just allow your mind to run wild if it wishes and we'll sit in silence together for a few moments.

And still staying in this meditation practice,

But just notice what the mind does with the invitation of freedom.

Okay.

Okay,

Well done.

Well done.

And as we start to come to the end of this meditation practice,

Take a moment to acknowledge what that experience was like.

If this is a new practice for you,

Can take some getting used to.

Or if this is something you've practiced a few times now,

Then perhaps noticing how every time is different.

And that's because you're different every time.

You never stand in the same river twice.

This body,

This mind,

This life is changing all the time.

And we can tune into the richness of life that is here when we pay attention through our bodies,

Through our sensory experiences.

And to start practice stepping out of habitually thinking and analyzing.

Often our perception of life is shaped by our thoughts and the nature of those thoughts.

Meditation allows us to create some space,

Some space to perhaps see things from another point of view.

To let go of judgments,

To let go of labeling things good or bad.

And in doing so we can create space for something new,

New ideas,

New experiences,

New perspectives to be born.

And being so proud of yourself for showing up and doing this work.

It takes courage,

It takes commitment,

Curiosity and an open mind.

So as we start to gently come out of this practice,

Let's take one final deep breath together.

A nice deep breath in through the nose all the way down into the belly,

Then releasing and exhaling through the mouth.

And in your own time starting to wiggle those fingers,

Starting to move the feet.

Maybe take a little gentle stretch if you wish,

Just being soft with your body.

And when you are ready gently blinking open those lovely eyes and looking out at this world.

Just taking your time,

Just taking your time to gently proceed into your day.

Thank you.