Guided MBSR Body Scan Practice

This 40-minute body scan meditation is inspired and informed by the teachings of Jon Kabat-Zinn in the book Full Catastrophe Living. Body scan is one of the core formal practices taught in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.

Transcript

Welcome to this 40-minute Body Scan Meditation and to this opportunity to notice the sensations that are present in your body,

Bringing a sense of kind,

Gentle curiosity to what you experience as you get in touch with the physical sensations that are present here,

Now,

Accepting what you experience as you experience it,

In each moment,

In this moment.

You're invited to choose a position that works for you,

Lying down,

Sitting in a chair,

Or standing.

If lying down,

Perhaps with legs extended,

Feet naturally turning out,

Or if it suits you today,

Perhaps placing a pillow under the knees.

You can choose to rest the calves and feet in the seat of a chair as you lie on the floor in the astronaut position.

You may prefer sitting,

As comfortably as possible,

In a chair,

Perhaps with a pillow supporting the lower back,

Or perhaps,

For this body scan,

Even standing with both feet firmly grounded.

You have choices and at any point can change your position if it becomes uncomfortable.

In this body scan,

You may experience many sensations,

Itches,

Aches,

Tingles,

Feelings of lightness or heaviness,

Perhaps even discomfort or pain,

If that's what is present now.

You may experience passing sensations or no sensations at all.

Approaching this body scan with an intention to notice whatever you are experiencing.

Just a note,

If you ever feel like moving your body or opening your eyes or taking a break,

You are totally welcome.

Once in your chosen position,

Begin now with three full breaths.

As you move through the body,

Some parts may feel tense or tight.

You may allow them to soften,

If you like,

Or let them be,

Allowing them to feel however they feel,

Allowing yourself to acknowledge whatever is arising in your awareness.

Knowing you can change your position if you need to,

You're not stuck.

Now,

In this supported position,

Choosing to either keep the eyes open with a soft,

Unfocused gaze or closed,

If that's what works for you.

Noticing breath sensations,

The breath at the nostrils,

Chest,

Belly.

You can bring your hands to where you notice your breath to feel it more deeply.

If the breath is activating today,

You're welcome to notice something else while I'm cuing the breath,

Perhaps a comfortable point of physical contact,

Perhaps placing your hand on your belly or your chest.

Bringing attention to the entire body as a whole,

Resting here.

Noticing with each breath,

Expanding,

Softening,

Inhaling,

Exhaling.

And bringing this entire attention to the body,

Down the body,

Down the torso,

Down to the left leg,

Beginning all the way to the toes on the left foot,

The big toe.

Noticing points of contact,

Sensations around the big toe of the left foot,

The space between the big toe and the second toe,

Points of contact from the second toe to the middle toe,

The ring toe,

The pinky toe.

Noticing the points of contact and the spaces between the toes of the left foot.

Noticing sensations of the pads of the toes,

The tops,

The nail beds,

Whatever is present.

The toes of the left foot.

You may be noticing felt sensations of a shoe or sock or temperature,

Air movement,

Or internal sensations,

Tension,

Tingles,

Perhaps no sensations at all.

Whatever is present is what is here to be noticed.

Spreading attention from the toes through the left foot,

As if painting the foot with a gentle brush of attention.

Noticing the bottom of the foot,

The arch,

The ball of the foot,

The heel.

Bringing awareness to the top of the left foot.

From the top of the foot to the Achilles tendon.

Noticing any sensations in the left foot.

Bringing attention to the left ankle,

The inner ankle.

The outer ankle.

Noticing where the attention is now.

It may have strayed from the left ankle,

And that's natural.

Noticing that and returning attention back to the left ankle.

Letting attention leave the left foot,

And adjusting the attention to the lower left leg.

Scanning the calf muscle.

Perhaps noticing points of contact or no contact with fabric or air.

Scanning around into the left shin.

Noticing the lower left leg.

Sometimes when you move through the body,

Attending in this particular way,

You may become aware of sensations of pain or discomfort.

If this happens,

You can redirect your attention,

Perhaps shifting your focus on the breath for a time,

Or another part of the body.

If sensations become too intense,

You can take a break from the practice.

You are always in choice.

If sensations are not too intense,

Noticing them as just another sensation that's present.

Brushing with the kind attention and curiosity of your awareness.

Letting go of the lower left leg and moving into the left knee.

The back of the knee.

The kneecap.

The sides of the knee.

Noticing the entire knee joint.

Continuing the scan up into the upper left leg.

Noticing the outside thigh.

The inside thigh.

Points of contact.

Sensations of clothing.

Noticing the entire left leg.

Allowing awareness of the entire left leg to pass now into the background.

Releasing the left leg and taking this moment for a full natural breath.

Shifting now and bringing the brush of your attention down the right leg.

Down to the right foot.

All the way to the big toe.

Scanning the toes.

Spaces between the toes.

The contact.

Sensations.

Bringing awareness to the bottom of the right foot.

The arch.

The heel.

The ball of the foot.

Bringing a sense of curiosity to the top of the right foot.

Noticing what sensations are here in this moment.

In the right foot.

Bringing awareness into the right ankle.

The inside.

The outside.

Noticing any sensations that are present.

Or the absence of sensations.

Acknowledging,

Welcoming whatever is here in this moment.

Noticing if the attention has strayed away from the right ankle and inviting it back.

Letting go of attention to the right foot and moving attention to the lower right leg.

Scanning calf muscle.

Points of contact or no contact.

Scanning around into the right shin.

Noticing felt sensations.

Simply viewing each,

However it is being experienced in this moment,

As just another sensation to be noticed.

Exploring it as if it were new to you.

Noticing distractions of thoughts.

Acknowledging thoughts,

Images,

Or emotions.

And returning the brush of your attention to the lower right leg.

Bringing attention away from the lower right leg and moving into the right knee.

Noticing the space in the back of the knee.

The kneecap.

Noticing the entire joint.

Bringing awareness from the right knee into the upper right leg.

Noticing any sensations in the outside thigh.

The inside thigh.

Noticing what is present in the upper right leg.

Taking a deep breath here,

Bringing awareness to the entire right leg.

Noticing from the top all the way down to the toes.

And allowing now for that attention to fade into the background of your awareness.

Taking this opportunity for a full breath in and out.

And noticing the sense of the breath.

Now bringing your attention,

Your awareness,

To the area of the pelvis.

Noticing the area beginning from the right hip extending across to the left hip.

Noticing the area beginning below the belly button into the lower pelvis.

Noticing points of contact with a chair or the floor.

Noticing sensations in the body.

Attending to any sensations or absence of sensations in these areas.

Placing attention on the full expanse of the pelvis.

Letting go of attention in the pelvis,

Perhaps exploring the hips.

Noticing any sensations in the hips and hip joints.

Accepting any sensations as they are experienced in this moment,

Without judgment,

Without story.

Left hip.

Right hip.

Taking a full breath here,

Comfortably filling the lungs,

Inhaling cooler,

Fresh air into the body,

Comfortably exhaling slightly warmer,

Familiar air out of the body.

At this point,

Noticing where you are right now,

That you are in a body scan.

Noticing if a movement or adjustment would feel right in this moment,

Or to remain as you are.

If you choose to adjust,

Noticing how it feels as you consider adjusting,

As you adjust,

After you adjust,

Or not adjusting at all.

Bringing the brush of attention to the area now of the lower back,

A place that sometimes holds many sensations.

Allowing whatever arises in the lower back in this moment to be there,

To be here,

Being aware of it all.

Allowing it all to be here because it is.

Allowing breath to penetrate the entire back.

Softening,

Perhaps releasing tension if it's present.

Letting awareness of the back dissolve into the chair or the floor.

Releasing attention from the lower back,

Shifting attention to the mid or upper back,

Noticing sensations as parts of the back are in contact with the chair or floor,

Noticing points of contact.

Noticing if there are any points of tension in the mid or upper back,

Perhaps allowing them to soften or even to release if that's what they are prepared to do.

Breathing into and out from the entire length and breadth of the back.

Bringing attention to the region now of the abdomen,

First noticing sensations of breathing in and out,

Noticing the moments,

The spaces between the breath,

Exploring with a kind,

Gentle curiosity the abdomen,

Inviting awareness of the life-allowing functions supported by the organs here,

Accepting what is present without judgment,

And releasing awareness of the abdomen and inviting attention to the area of the chest,

The full expanse of the chest,

From side to side,

From collarbones to lower ribs,

Noticing sensations that may be present,

Noticing the expansion and contraction of the chest wall with each breath,

Being aware of this chest's life-sustaining heart and lungs,

If there is a presence of tightness in the chest,

Allowing it to release or soften if that's what's available,

Inviting attention now from the chest to the shoulders,

First the left,

Now the right,

Aware if there's any sense of tension in the shoulders,

Noticing if there's any difference from one shoulder to the other,

Noticing whatever is here in this moment,

Allowing any experience of tension to soften or release,

Noticing whatever is here to be experienced,

Shifting attention now to the upper left arm,

Noticing points of contact,

Sensations of air,

Bringing awareness from the upper left arm to the left elbow,

Through the lower arm,

Into the left wrist,

The back of the left hand,

Noticing sensations in the palm,

Bringing awareness through each finger the full length,

Without needing to adjust or move,

Simply noticing the spaces between the fingers,

The lengths,

From the knuckles all the way to the tips,

You may notice pulsations anywhere in the arm,

Wrist,

Fingers,

Noticing any and all sensations or lack of sensations in the entire left arm,

Shifting awareness now from the left arm over to the right arm,

The upper arm,

The right elbow,

Bringing the kind,

Curious brush of attention into the lower right arm,

The area of the wrist,

The back of the right hand,

Noticing the right palm,

Is it damp or dry,

Extending awareness now into each finger and thumb,

The full length,

Noticing any and all sensations in the right arm,

From the tips of the fingers to the shoulder,

Taking this moment now for a full breath,

Breathing in through the nose and out through the nose,

Releasing awareness of the arms,

Allowing it to dissolve into the background and bringing attention to the neck,

Being aware,

Bringing awareness to what's here right now in the back of the neck,

In the form of any sensations,

Bringing attention to the sides of the neck,

Focusing on the front of the neck,

Noticing if the throat is constricted in any way and inviting it to release,

Releasing attention and awareness of the neck,

Bringing it to the areas of the skull,

Noticing skin,

Hair covering,

The absence of hair covering,

The skin experiencing temperature of the air around it,

Bringing awareness to the ears,

The outsides of the ears,

Awareness inside the ears,

Noticing sensations of hearing activated by any sounds other than my voice in the room,

Outside the room,

All the sounds in the soundscape in this moment,

Bringing awareness to the chin,

To the jaws,

Extending that awareness through the muscles of the jawbone up into the temples,

Noticing any sensations,

Tingling,

Throbbing,

Whatever is present,

Shifting awareness to the area around the mouth,

Awareness of the lips,

Attention inside the mouth,

To the tongue,

Teeth,

Gums,

Palates,

The throat might also become aware of sensations of dryness or saliva,

Noticing any sensations offered by the body if you swallow,

Shifting attention once again now to the area around the nose,

Inside the nose,

Perhaps sensing breath entering and leaving,

Noticing the difference in air temperature,

Air moving in,

Air moving out,

Bringing attention now to the forehead,

The full expanse from side to side,

From hairline to brows,

Noticing any tension or holding in the brow,

You may choose to release any tension if it's present in this moment,

Expanding the now awareness of the eyes,

Noticing the spaces around the eyes,

Inside the eye sockets,

Noticing the eyelids,

Noticing relaxing the eyelids if you choose to do that,

Bringing awareness from the eyes to the entire region of the face and the skull,

Noticing any sensations that are occurring right now in the head,

Intentionally now taking a full breath,

Bringing the brush of your attention to include the entire body,

Noticing the whole body lying,

Sitting or standing,

Simply breathing,

Imagine for a moment attention shining through an opening in the top of the head through to the tips of the toes,

Attention attending to the entire body in this moment,

Lying,

Sitting or standing here in this moment,

Being open to being complete,

To healing,

To wellness,

To peace,

Open to things as they are in this body,

Allowing all things to be just as they are,

Perhaps taking this opportunity to offer gratitude to yourself for taking time to inhabit your body,

Knowing you can choose to do this at any time,

Here at the close of this body scan,

As you are ready,

Slowly,

Kindly,

Keeping that sense of curiosity,

Begin to wiggle the fingers and the toes,

Slowly begin moving gently in a way that supports you,

As you begin to open the eyes,

Giving yourself the option to roll to one side,

Or to simply stretch,

Or to sit if you've been standing,

And closing this body scan meditation.

Thank you.

Reviews

Skillfully worded. Thank you for offering this guidance.
With love and gratitude. 💗

That's was really very nice. Gentle guidance through the whole body. The time flew by. Thank you so much. ☮️💖🙏