MBSR-Style Body Scan For Beginners

The intention of the MBSR body-scan is to practice waking up from automatic pilot, learning to be intentional about how we pay attention. We'll be directing our awareness and our breath to different parts of the body, noticing when the mind has wandered, and gently bringing the mind back. We'll be directly experiencing our physical sensations, checking in with the body, and noticing what it feels like to move on. We are practicing allowing things to be as they are, with curiosity and openness.

Transcript

Welcome to this half an hour body scan practice.

So the intention of this body scan is to practice waking up from this automatic pilot mode that we often find ourselves in.

So we're learning to be intentional about how we pay attention.

So we're directing our awareness and our breath to different parts of our body,

And then we're coming back to the anchor of the breath to steady ourselves.

So we're noticing when the mind has wandered and we're learning to gently bring it back.

So as best we can,

We're turning towards directly experiencing those physical sensations.

We're checking in with each area of the body.

We're staying a little while and then we're noticing what it feels like to move on.

We're practicing allowing things to be as they are.

So there's no specific ways to feel.

There's no specific goals that we need to achieve.

We're simply practicing curiosity.

We're practicing openness.

So we're trying to have a beginner's mind.

So each time we do the body scan,

We're almost imagining that we've never inhabited this body before.

So we're curious to understand more about this body.

What does it feel like?

What's going on?

What's going on inside the body?

What's going on on the surface of the body?

And we're keeping an attitude,

As best we can,

Of acceptance and kindness.

We want to try and accept whatever's there.

We're not trying to change anything.

And we're being kind to ourselves no matter what we find inside the body.

We're also going to see if we can notice and relate differently to our sensations and our mental states that might come up.

So for instance,

Boredom or irritation or sleepiness.

So as best we can,

Allowing and accepting whatever's here with us in this moment,

Knowing that it's OK to turn away and shift our attention back to the breath if sensations or thoughts or emotions become too difficult or uncomfortable during this body scan.

Paying attention to the breath now.

Just noticing the breath coming into the body.

Entering in through the nostrils,

Going down the throat,

Going through the chest cavity,

Filling up the stomach with air.

Might help to lay a hand on the stomach,

Just so you can feel the stomach rising and the stomach falling.

Just getting that connection to the breath.

Just feeling the body breathing itself.

There's no need to change anything.

There's no need to force any particular type of breath.

We're just paying attention to the breath as it is right now.

Just checking in as well.

Just asking ourselves,

How are we feeling right now?

Are there any emotions or other feelings running through the body?

So just paying attention,

Just a little check in at the start of our body scan practice.

And as we move through the body scan,

There's no need to make sensations happen.

So we're simply investigating our bodies.

We're not trying to relax our body here.

We might find that as we bring attention to each area,

Those parts will relax.

If they don't,

That's fine.

We're not trying to change anything.

We're simply noticing what is here in this moment.

Moving our attention now down the body.

We're bringing our attention down the left leg and paying attention to our big toe on our left foot.

So just feeling into the toe and just noticing if there are any sensations.

There might not be.

That's nothing to worry about.

Just seeing if we can feel anything.

Maybe some tingling or pulsing or movement or maybe nothing.

Bringing our attention to the rest of the toes on the left foot.

So we've got the four smaller toes and the big toe and just holding all of them in awareness.

Just feeling into them.

Moving our attention now to the bottom of the foot.

So the soles of the feet,

The top of the feet.

Just feeling around the foot.

Maybe if we're lying down,

We can feel the floor against our ankle,

Against our heel.

Or if we're sitting down in a chair,

Then perhaps we can feel the soles of our feet connected to the ground.

Just feeling around the whole foot.

Noticing what's there.

Moving now into the ankle joint.

Feeling into the joint or the connective tissue or the foot's connected to the bottom part of the leg.

Just noticing what we can feel there.

What sensations?

Or maybe there's no sensations,

But even if there's no sensations,

Being curious about that.

What does it feel like not to feel anything?

Moving our attention now to the bottom half of the leg between the knee and the ankle joint.

Investigating the shin and the calf.

That whole area of the bottom leg.

And if the mind wanders,

Which it's prone to do,

Not to worry.

We just gently come back to the part of the body that we're focusing on without giving ourselves a hard time.

Moving our attention into the knee joint now.

What sensations can we feel inside the knee joint,

Around the knee joint,

Around the surface of the knee or the back of the knee?

Moving our attention now to the upper leg.

So the thigh and the hamstring.

The large area between the knee and the hip joint.

Just investigating around.

Just feeling that whole area.

Holding it in awareness.

Now bringing the whole of the leg into our attention.

So expanding that awareness.

So keeping our attention on the upper part of the leg.

And bringing in the knee and the lower leg and the whole foot and just holding the whole left leg in awareness.

Now letting go of the attention on the leg.

Moving our attention round.

So from the hips,

Moving our attention round to the right leg.

And traveling down the right leg to the right big toe and all the little toes.

So holding all five toes in awareness now.

Just feeling in.

Noticing any sensations that there might be.

It might be tingling or coolness or heat or nothing.

Letting go of the attention on the toes and moving the attention to the rest of the right foot.

So noticing how the soles of the right foot feel.

The top of the right foot.

The heel.

Noticing the connection of the heel to the floor.

Letting go of our attention on the right foot.

Moving it up to the right ankle.

Just feeling into the joint.

Around the joint.

How can we feel?

Can we feel anything?

Around this time you might be noticing some sensations of aching or discomfort or tension.

So as you notice these sensations of discomfort there's a couple of options.

So you could shift your position a little bit.

If you're going to do that and try not to move too quickly.

But first create an intention to move and then mindfully and with intent gradually move positions.

Paying close attention to the sensations and the bodily movement as you do so.

The second way is to move your attention towards the uncomfortable sensation and investigate it.

Be curious.

So what is that raw physical sensation?

And notice that it might be possible to stay with that sensation for a bit longer than you might otherwise.

Without labeling it discomfort or tension or pain.

But just noticing where it is and staying with it without reacting to it.

Even if it's just for a short moment.

And being curious as to how the sensation changes over time.

Knowing that at any moment if the discomfort becomes too great.

You can always switch your attention back to the breath or you can mindfully move out of the discomfort.

Moving our attention now to the top of the leg,

The upper part of the leg.

Now bringing the whole of the right leg into our awareness.

From the top of the hip joint down through the knee,

The ankle and the foot.

Holding the whole of the right leg in our awareness.

And now letting go,

Letting our attention go off of the right leg.

Bringing our attention now into the pelvis area.

Noticing any sensations or feelings might be arising there.

Moving our attention now to the lower back.

For many of us this is an area of tension,

Sometimes discomfort.

Just feeling into the lower back,

Just noticing any sensations that there might be there.

Noticing the tendency of our minds to have opinions about things.

To like or to dislike things and find things pleasant or uncomfortable.

We're not trying to change anything here,

We're just noticing.

We might say to ourselves,

This is my liking mind or this is my critical mind.

Sometimes it's nice to realise that it can actually be freeing not to have to do anything about our likes and dislikes.

We don't have to take any action.

Sometimes we can just rest in the awareness of the body,

So there's nothing at all to do here.

We're just observing,

Just resting in that awareness.

Moving our attention now to the middle of the back and the upper back.

If we're lying down,

Perhaps feeling the connection of the back to the ground.

If we're sitting on a chair,

Perhaps feeling the connection to the back of the chair.

Just resting in that awareness for a few seconds.

Letting go of the awareness on the back and bring it around to the stomach.

Just feeling into the stomach and seeing if there's anything to notice there.

If there's anything happening there,

Any sensations,

Any movement,

Or maybe there's nothing.

Just noticing that.

Letting go of the stomach and moving our attention to the chest and the ribcage.

Protecting all those vital organs.

Just seeing if we can feel anything inside,

Notice anything,

Any sensations,

Or maybe pulses,

Or maybe the heartbeat.

This is the area where many of us store a lot of emotional pain.

Maybe this body scan is bringing up some of that emotional pain.

Are we able to just allow that in?

Perhaps we can soften into that emotion.

Practice just holding that emotion in awareness.

As best we can,

Not pushing the emotion away,

But bringing that pain kindly into our awareness.

For example,

We could say something like frustration is here,

Or sadness is here,

Or we can breathe into that discomfort.

Knowing that at any time it's okay to turn away.

We can come back to the breath,

And come back to that calm,

Soothing breath whenever we need to.

Remember,

There's nothing to do.

We're not going anywhere.

Just take your time.

Now expanding our awareness from the chest to include the whole torso,

So the chest,

The stomach,

The lower and upper back.

Seeing if we can hold that whole trunk in awareness.

And releasing our attention from the torso.

Moving our attention now to the tips of our fingers,

The tips of our fingers on both hands.

What sensations can we feel on the tips of our fingers?

Maybe there's tingling,

Or cool air,

Or warm air.

Maybe there's dampness,

Or dryness,

Or heat,

Or nothing.

Whatever your experience is,

Just really paying close attention.

Now bringing the rest of the hands into our awareness,

The palms of the hands,

And the back of the hands,

Fingers and thumbs.

Just holding both hands in awareness.

And releasing our attention from the hands and moving into the wrists,

Around the wrists,

Inside the wrists.

What can we feel?

Maybe,

Maybe pulsing,

Maybe movement,

Maybe tingling or heat on the skin.

And releasing now and bringing our attention to the forearms and the elbow.

And now bringing our attention to the upper arm.

So from the elbow to the shoulder.

Noticing what sensations there are there.

Or maybe there's no sensations.

Now moving into the shoulders and the neck.

The neck that's doing a lot of work throughout the day.

You might not even notice it,

Unless maybe there's some discomfort there.

Just paying attention to the neck and the throat.

Noticing what sensations or feelings there might be inside the neck and the shoulders.

A place that often holds a bit of tension for some of us.

And moving to the head area now.

Feeling into the face.

It's almost feeling the face from the inside out.

What sensations can we feel on the face?

Maybe there's tingling in the lips or the nose.

Maybe there's tension in the forehead.

Maybe there's pulsing.

Maybe there's no feeling.

Feeling into the jaw.

Another place where some of us hold a lot of tension.

Just feeling into the jaw bone.

The teeth.

What does that feel like?

What's my experience of my jaw right now?

Moving the attention now to the back of the head and the top of the head.

Just noticing any sensations.

If we're lying on the floor,

Maybe we're feeling the back of the head touching the floor.

Now expanding our attention to include the rest of the head.

So we've got the whole head.

And we want to expand our attention further.

So we're bringing in the rest of the body into awareness.

So holding the whole body in awareness.

So moving down,

Including the neck,

Shoulders and the arms,

The chest,

The stomach,

The pelvic area,

Both legs,

Both feet.

So holding our whole body in awareness from the top of our head to the tips of our fingers and the tips of our toes.

Feeling the back of our body or the feet on the floor.

So we're bringing in the sense of being grounded.

So we're here in this present moment.

Maybe during this body scan you've learned some new things about yourself.

New areas of the body that you need to nurture or maybe be kind to.

Perhaps some of the sensations weren't what you expected.

So just sitting here in awareness of the whole body and just noticing that you can hold the body in awareness and actually feel the whole body breathing itself.

There's nothing for us to do.

We don't need to make the effort.

We don't need to try to breathe.

The body knows exactly what to do.

So just laying here in awareness or sitting here in awareness.

Just observing the body breathing itself.

And as we draw this practice to a close,

I invite you to take a few moments to reflect on your experience of this body scan.

So without judging the experience as good or bad,

Just allowing it to be what it was.

So starting to bring some movement back into the body.

Whatever feels good,

Maybe wiggling some,

Wiggling your fingers or your toes.

You can stretch the body in any way that it wants.

And when you're ready,

You can turn your awareness to sounds inside the room,

Sounds outside the room.

Gently opening the eyes and coming back into the room.

The body scan is now complete.

Reviews

Great body scan. Thank you! 🧡

Perfect pace and helping me to have better awareness of my body as I am waking up. Thank you! 🙏🏻

Lovely voice and tone. Thank you.

I appreciate the timing and flow of the meditation. Your voice is very supportive of the mindful body scan. Thank you.

Wonderful practice. Gentle, basic centering meditation. Thank you!☮️💖🙏🖖

Lovely 🙏🏻💕

First time I actually ever truly meditation thank you

Very nice. Calm,Straightforward, simplicity of mindfulness practice.
SoHom