The body scan is a wonderful meditation to take you into mindfulness practice.
You can do the body scan lying down or sitting in a chair.
Set aside 25 minutes for this body scan.
Find a time and a place where you won't be disturbed and where you feel comfortable,
Warm and secure.
Turn off any music,
Turn off your phone.
Let go of ideas about self-improvement and personal development or wanting things to be different from how they are and simply allow them to be as they are.
Give yourself the space to be as you are.
You don't even need to try to relax.
Relaxation may happen or it may not.
Relaxation isn't the aim of the body scan.
If anything,
The aim is purely to be aware of your experience,
Whatever it may be.
Now find a comfortable position,
Either laying down on the floor or another firm surface on your back or sitting in a chair with your spine upright and both feet flat on the floor with hands resting on your thighs.
Loosen any tight clothing,
Especially around your waist or neck.
You may like to remove your shoes.
Begin by feeling the weight of your body on the floor or the chair.
Notice the points of contact between that surface and your body.
Become aware of the sensations of your breath.
You may feel the breath going in and out of your nostrils or passing through the back of your throat or feel the chest or belly rising and falling.
Notice the movements of your in-breath and your out-breath for the next few moments.
Feel the sensations of your breath moving.
When you're ready,
Move your attention all the way down into the big toe of your left foot.
Notice the sensations in your big toe with a sense of curiosity.
Is it warm or cold?
What other sensations can you notice?
Tingling,
Lightness,
Feeling of air on the skin or the feeling of the second toe touching the inside of the big toe?
Now expand your awareness through the second,
Third,
Fourth and little toe.
What do they feel like?
If you can't feel any sensations,
That's okay.
Just notice that.
Expand your awareness to the sole of your foot.
Focus on the ball and heel of the left foot.
The weight of the heel,
The sides and upper part of the foot.
Feeling to the ankle,
The inner side and outer side.
Breathe into the hole of the left foot.
Then when you're ready,
Let go of your attention on the left foot.
Move your awareness now up into the lower part of the left leg,
Feeling into your left calf and the bony ridge of the left shin.
Then into the knee and the upper part of the left leg.
Keep your attention curious,
Accepting,
Just noticing and taking note of what you sense.
Heat,
Coolness,
Lightness,
Heaviness,
Tingling,
Humming or maybe very little sensation at all in parts.
It's all your experience right now.
Bring your awareness now into the left hip joint,
Feeling for any sensations here.
If you notice your mind has wandered at any point,
Just gently draw your awareness back,
Focusing instead on what bodily sensations are present in the hip joint and across the lower pelvis to the right side of the body.
Now shift your awareness down the right leg all the way to the toes in your right foot.
Feel into each toe on the right foot,
From the big toe through the second,
The third,
The fourth and the little toe,
Noting sensations on this side of the body.
It may feel quite different to the left side or not.
Just notice what you notice.
Bit by bit,
Shift your attention into the sole of the right foot.
Slip around,
To the top of the foot and up into the right ankle,
Just sensing what is present in this part of your foot.
Move your awareness now up into the fleshy part of the right calf and then to the shin,
Sensing what you can there.
Shift focus to the right kneecap and then around into the back of the knee,
Noticing the difference between the front and the back of the knee in sensation.
Continue up through the right thigh and into the right hip joint,
Feeling what sensations might be present here.
Pressure where the leg contacts the ground or chair,
Perhaps heat or coolness,
Heaviness or lightness.
What do you feel on this side of the body?
Now become aware of your pelvis,
The hips,
The buttocks and all the delicate organs around this area of the body.
Breathe into them and imagine you're filling them with nourishing oxygen.
Again,
Anytime your attention wanders off,
Gently draw it back to where you are in your body.
Move your awareness now into the lower abdomen and the lower back.
Notice the movement of the lower abdomen as you breathe in and breathe out.
Notice if there are any emotions you feel as you sense into this area.
No expectations,
But anytime you do notice an emotional response,
See if you can just be with and accept your feelings as they are.
Bring your attention to your chest and upper back.
Feel your ribcage rising and falling as you breathe in and out.
Can you sense your heart beating?
What feelings are present there?
Allow space for whatever arises from your heart area,
Whether a sensation or emotion or nothing much at all.
Just keep curious and gently accepting of all that arises in this moment.
This is your experience.
Everything is valid.
Move your attention now into your right arm and all the way down into your right hand.
Feel into the thumb of your right hand and notice its position and any sensations present.
Move your awareness through the fingers on the right hand,
From the index finger to the middle finger to the ring finger and finally to the little finger.
What do you notice across the fingers?
Can you feel where the inner margins of the fingers touch each other?
And maybe where the fingers touch another surface,
Such as the floor or your thighs.
What other sensations are present in your fingers?
Feel into the palm of the right hand now,
Sensing what is present here of many possible sensations from warmth or coolness,
Pulsing,
Humming,
Tingling,
Moisture or dryness or anything else in particular.
Bring your awareness into the back of the hand,
Noticing the difference,
If any,
In sensation from the palm of the hand.
Move your awareness up into the right wrist and now into the right lower arm,
Curious and open to what is present here.
Feel into the right elbow,
Inner and outer.
Then trace your attention up the inside of the upper right arm and around to the outside of the upper arm.
Note those points of contact with the body,
If any,
And any other sensations that pop into your awareness,
No matter how tiny they may be.
Feel now into the right shoulder joint and feel the weight of the arm either hanging down from the joint,
If you are sitting,
Or resting on the surface beneath you,
If you are lying down.
Take your awareness now across the right collarbone into the left collarbone and then slide attention down into the thumb and fingers of the left hand.
Feel through the thumb and each finger one at a time,
Letting sensations arise.
Our fingers are some of the most sensitive parts of the body.
So just noticing what arises into awareness without thinking about it.
Now feel into the palm of the left hand,
Lingering here for a few moments to notice what you feel.
Bring your attention into the back of the left hand and then up into the inner wrist and outer wrist.
Notice the hand and wrist as one whole unit,
Feeling into its shape and mass and weight.
Sense further up into the forearm,
The elbow,
Inner and outer,
And the upper right arm.
You might notice sensations of warmth or pressure or touch where the upper arm comes into contact with the side wall of your chest.
Just feel into this area.
Finally,
Take your curious attention into the left shoulder joint.
Sense the whole of the left arm.
Feel its weight and notice any other sensations of pressure,
Heat,
Coolness,
Perhaps pain or discomfort,
Tingling,
Humming,
Buzzing,
Or maybe very little or no sensations at all.
As much as possible,
Just be present with each part of your arm without judgment,
Gently bringing your awareness back every time you notice your mind wandering.
Now focus on your neck,
Front and back,
And both sides of the neck.
Feel the weight of the skull resting on top of your neck and notice whatever other sensations might be present in the column of your neck.
You may notice the brush of the breath moving up and down your throat,
For instance.
Then move your mindful attention to your jaw,
Noticing if it's clenched or relaxed,
Not trying to change anything,
Just noticing.
Feel for what's present of sensation in your lips,
Inside your mouth,
Across your cheeks,
Your nose,
Your eyelids and eyes,
Your temples,
Your forehead,
The back of your head,
And finally the top of your head.
Take your time to be with each part of your head in an open,
Accepting and gently noticing way.
Now imagine a space in the top of your head and soles of your feet.
Imagine your breath sweeping up and down your body as you breathe in and out.
Feel the breath sweeping up and down your body and get a sense of each cell in your body being nourished with energy and oxygen.
Continue this for a few moments.
Now let go of all effort to practice mindfulness.
Get a sense of your whole body.
Feel yourself as complete,
Just as you are.
Remember this sense of being is always available to you when you need it.
Rest in this stillness.
Acknowledge the time you've taken to nourish your body and mind.
Come out of this meditation gently.
Endeavor to bring this mindful awareness to whatever activity you engage in next.
Your body scan is now complete.
You
