15-Minute Body Scan Meditation

The body scan is a practice intended to reconnect awareness to the body in a systematic and intentional way. We focus attention on each part of the body, beginning with the toes and moving upwards to the head. This practice can be lying down, sitting in a chair, or even standing. Bring curiosity to each region of your body, without judgment. Let go of expectations or preconceptions you may encounter about the practice or your body. Appropriate for MBSR and workplace practice.

Transcript

Welcome to the 15-minute body scan meditation.

Taking this opportunity now to find a position where you can rest comfortably for this meditation.

It might be lying on the floor or a bed,

Sitting in a chair,

Or even standing.

A position in which you can remain alert and awake.

The body scan meditation is a practice that helps us get in touch with this body and mind in this moment.

You may or may not feel sensations in any particular region of the body,

And that's okay.

The practice is simply noticing whatever is present to be felt,

Even if it is an absence of feeling.

Allowing yourself to acknowledge whatever arises in the field of awareness.

This is a practice of non-striving,

Simply being with the physical and mental states exactly as they are without judgment or needing to change,

And simply letting go.

Beginning by directing attention down the torso and down the legs to coming to rest on the feet.

Noticing first the toes.

Moving attention to these toes,

Beginning with the big toes.

Just simply noticing what sensations are present in the big toes.

Noticing points of contact with the other toes.

Perhaps contact with a sock or a shoe or the floor.

And spreading the awareness through both feet.

Scanning down the bottoms of the feet.

Sensing the arches and the heels.

Scanning the tops of the feet.

Becoming aware of any physical sensations that may be present in these feet.

And again,

Perhaps there is no sensation,

And that's okay too.

Not searching for sensation or striving to find,

Just simply noticing what is here.

Releasing attention from the feet and moving up into the ankles.

Sensing into the ankle joints.

Become aware of whatever sensations are present to be noticed.

Perhaps there is a sense of coolness or warmth.

A touch of clothing.

Maybe internal sensations of achiness or tingling.

Just being curious about what is present in the ankles.

Scanning around to the Achilles tendons.

And moving attention now up the backs of the lower legs.

Sensing into the calves.

Sending attention through the lower legs to the shins.

Becoming aware of any sensations present in the lower legs.

And moving attention now from the lower legs into the knees.

Also remembering that if you encounter any area of intensity or discomfort,

Seeing if you can simply be with the sensation without needing to change it or push away from it.

And once you have spent time being aware of the sensation,

If you choose to mindfully adjust your posture or move in some way,

Feel free to do so.

And know also that you can refocus on the breath if you need to until you're ready to rejoin the body scan.

So noticing these knee joints,

Sensing the tops of the knees,

The patellas,

Into the knee joints and through to the backs of the knees.

Releasing attention from the knees and scanning up into the upper legs.

Sensing into the thighs and the hamstrings.

And deep within to these large femur bones.

Attending to any sensations present in the upper legs.

Moving attention now into the hip sockets.

Seeing externally any sensations that may be present in the hips and internally any sensations that may be present.

Not needing to search for a sensation,

Just being curious about what is present in the hips.

Perhaps an achiness or a tingling,

Maybe discomfort,

Just simply noticing whatever is here in the hips.

Scanning between the hips now,

Sensing into the body.

Noticing sensations present in these systems of reproduction and elimination.

Running around to the buttocks,

Sensing perhaps the support of a chair or the floor.

From this pelvic region,

Releasing attention and moving it to the lower back,

Beginning with the lowest point of the spine,

Sensing the tailbone,

Perhaps noticing pressure,

Sense of clothing.

And scanning up the spine to the low back,

Just being curious about sensations present in the low back.

We often carry tension in our backs and if this is true for you,

Once you have noticed tension,

You can mindfully again choose to release the tension if this is possible for you.

Scanning now from the lower back to the mid back,

Becoming aware of any sensations felt physically and continuing up the back to the upper back.

Again,

Perhaps noticing the support of the floor or a chair,

Perhaps no sensation at all and whatever is true for you is just fine.

And releasing attention now from the back and moving it around to the front of the torso,

Down to the belly.

Sensing into the belly and its systems of assimilation and digestion,

Just being present with any sensations felt in the belly.

Here in the belly also,

Possibly connecting with the breath as the belly rises and falls with the inhale and the exhale.

Knowing also that part of this body scan practice is becoming aware of any thoughts or emotions that may arise relating to a particular part of the body and maybe even judgments and the practices to just notice whatever is coming up physically,

Mentally,

Emotionally,

Acknowledging and letting it be and returning attention again to the felt sense of the body.

Releasing attention from the belly now and moving up into the chest of the top of the torso.

Sensing the skin of the chest and the rib cage.

Here again connecting with the breath as the great ventilation system of our lungs brings oxygen in and releases carbon dioxide out.

Also here at the chest,

Sensing within and perhaps noticing the beating of your own heart.

Releasing the torso now and moving attention down the arms coming to rest on the hands,

Connecting with the fingers,

Noticing any sensations present in the thumbs,

The pointers,

Middle fingers,

Ring fingers and pinkies.

Sensing the palms of the hands and the backs of the hands.

Getting aware of any sensations of temperature,

Moisture,

Internal sensations of achiness,

Tingling and or again maybe nothing at all and that's okay too.

Sensing the hands and moving into the wrists,

Scanning attention through the wrist joints,

Up the lower arms,

The forearms,

Attending to sensations present in the forearms and continuing to the elbows and scanning up to the upper arms.

Just attending to and noticing any sensations in the arms.

Moving attention now to the neck and the shoulders,

Again areas where we often carry tension.

Scanning the shoulder blades,

The clavicles,

Up into the neck,

Connecting perhaps again with the breath in the windpipe within the neck.

And scanning up to the base of the skull,

Noticing any sensations present on the neck and the base of the skull.

And moving attention now to the front of the head,

Beginning with the jawbone,

Becoming aware perhaps of clenched teeth and seeing if this can be softened if you choose.

Scanning into the face,

A region of so much of our expression and communication.

Sensing the mouth,

The teeth,

The tongue,

Scanning the cheeks and the nose,

Noticing here as well the sense of the breath as it moves in and out.

Sensing the eye regions,

The tiny muscles around the eyes,

Continuing up to the forehead and the temples.

Now releasing attention from the face and moving around to the back of the head,

Sensing the pressure perhaps of the floor if you are lying down.

Sensing the presence of hair or a sensation of lack of hair.

Feeling your scalp and deep within the head,

Seeing if any sensations can be felt within the brain.

And finally scanning to the very top of the head,

Seeing if you can imagine the flow of the breath moving through the top of the head as if you have a blowhole.

Exhaling in,

Breath travels all the way down the length of the body and exhaling out.

Resting in awareness of the constant cycle of the breath and expanding attention now to include a sense of the body as a whole lying here breathing.

Perhaps also sending a quick thought of gratitude to this body that carries us around all day.

And now when you're ready,

Opening your eyes.

Reviews

🙏very detailed unusual scan

Excellent body scan