Lying Organic Body Scan

This track takes advantage of the mind's natural patterns of establishing awareness rather than following a mechanical route through the body, making it easier.

Transcript

Hello,

I'm Chris Walsh and I'm about to introduce you to the lying organic body scan.

Lying on the back is a traditional position for a body scan.

It is good to make yourself reasonably comfortable.

To do this you may need to lay support under some parts of your body.

For example,

You may want to put a pillow or a bolster under the knees.

Or if you have a sore shoulder you may need to put something under that shoulder.

You may also need some support for your head.

So just doing whatever you need to make yourself comfortable.

It is best to be lying on a surface that is firm and supportive.

If it is too soft like your average western bed you are likely to go to sleep.

That is not ideal as when you are asleep it is hard to maintain awareness.

Some people actually use the body scan because it helps them to relax and go to sleep.

If that is the case for you then you are welcome to do so.

However,

You need to know that when you do that you are probably missing out on the benefits of developing stronger mindfulness.

Which you get from staying awake during the mindfulness practices.

A good surface to lie on is often a carpeted floor or a blanket on a floor.

The principle is that the surface is firm enough that you can feel different sensations through your contact with the floor and soft enough that you are comfortable.

You can choose to do this scan with your eyes open or closed.

Generally having the eyes closed makes it easier to tune in to the subtle body sensations.

However,

Having the eyes open has other advantages.

It can be very helpful if you are having trouble with sleepiness or agitation.

If you decide to keep your eyes open it is good to let your gaze rest on a neutral point such as a spot on the ceiling.

Later on you might find when your mind wanders that your gaze has also wandered.

As you notice that you can bring your gaze back to the point as you bring your mind back to the here and now.

As you go through this practice you will probably notice your mind wandering at various times.

That's perfectly natural and okay.

Once you notice the important thing is to bring it back in a matter of fact way.

By doing this over and over you are training your mind.

When you have listened to your body scan soundtrack several times you may find yourself wanting to investigate a particular body sensation in more detail.

Even though the instructions have moved on.

It's perfectly okay to follow your own curiosity and do that.

The soundtrack is here to support you not to oppress you.

Once you have finished doing what you are doing you may then return to following the instructions in the soundtrack.

If you are exploring a body sensation in detail you are practicing mindful awareness of a body which is the whole purpose of the exercise anyway.

So please feel free to use the soundtrack as a platform for building your own awareness.

The important thing is that you are bringing an attitude of open curiosity to this experience.

It is as if you were an explorer mapping a new territory for the first time in as much detail as possible with equal interest in the pleasant,

The unpleasant and seemingly neutral experiences.

That is what is meant by non-judgmental awareness.

That,

Along with being present in the here and now,

Is the essence of mindfulness.

So now you are ready to start.

Now beginning the lying organic body scan with support for any areas that needed under the knees,

The head or a sore shoulder or anywhere else.

Noticing the general sense of your body and its contact with the floor.

Noticing how comfortable or uncomfortable you are feeling right now.

Beginning by feeling the sensations in the soles of your feet.

Noticing the contact of your heels or any other parts of your feet with the floor or any other surface underneath.

Comparing the sensations in each foot.

Noticing the differences.

As you do this,

You can notice if your feet are feeling calm and happy being still or if they are fidgety and restless trying to find a good place.

However they are is just fine.

There is nothing to fix.

That is the nature of non-judgmental awareness of mindfulness.

You can also notice the temperature of the soles of your feet,

Whether they are warm or cool.

You can compare this with the temperature of the palms of your hands.

Which is warmer?

Now coming back to the left ankle.

We will now build a ring of awareness around that ankle.

Feeling the sensations on the skin as it is in contact with either the air or the clothing.

So feeling the front area around the ankle now.

Then sliding that awareness to the outer side of the ankle.

Moving your awareness around that circle towards the back.

And then to the inside of the ankle.

Now moving your awareness around and around that circle.

Feeling the sensations around the ankle as completely as you can.

Then creating a similar ring of awareness around the right ankle.

Taking your time to feel the sensations all the way around in as much detail as you can.

Then feeling the contact of your calves with the ground.

Feeling that as precisely as you can.

Noticing any difference between the left calf and the right calf.

One leg may be more rotated out than the other.

Seeing if you can feel that.

Then noticing how the contact with the ground on the left side compares to the contact with the ground on the right side.

Now feeling the creases behind the knees and feeling the sensations there.

And working your awareness back along the underneath of the thighs until you feel the contact with the floor again.

Again comparing both sides.

Noticing if a weight is somehow rolled more to one side than the other.

Allowing it to be just as it is.

Now sliding your awareness into the lower back.

And as you do that you may notice an area where the small of the back arches up away from the floor.

Or if a surface is softer you may feel the arch of the back touching that surface underneath more lightly.

Moving your attention up the back.

And noticing where the part of the back behind the chest comes back into full contact with the floor.

So feeling that contact all the way up to where your body comes away from the floor again.

Somewhere near your shoulders.

Feeling that whole area of contact of the back of your chest with the floor.

Noticing how the pressure changes as you breathe in and breathe out.

Seeing if you can feel the lower edge of contact of your back with the floor.

Trying to feel that edge.

You may even be able to feel it moving as you breathe in and breathe out.

Don't worry if you can't.

Part of a noticing of mindfulness is noticing what you are able to notice now.

Next week you may notice more.

Now bringing your awareness back up to the upper edge.

Feeling where the upper part of the back comes away from the floor.

Feeling that edge as precisely as you are able to.

And noticing what happens to it as you breathe in and breathe out.

Now bringing your awareness into the back of your neck.

The muscles there work very hard all day holding your head up.

Now your head is being held by a pillow or the floor.

These muscles have a chance to relax.

Noticing the sensations in this area in the back of your neck.

Feeling into those muscles.

Noticing the sensations there.

And then moving your awareness up into the back of your head.

Feeling the weight of the back of your head on the surface below.

Feeling that contact.

Feeling that pressure.

Now sliding your awareness around to your cheeks.

Feeling the sensations there.

And then around to the lips.

Noticing if they are dry or moist.

If they are together or apart.

And sliding your awareness through your lips to the inside of your mouth.

Feeling if the inside of your lips are in contact with your teeth.

Feeling that.

And noticing if your teeth are together or apart.

And if they are together,

How tightly are they together.

And noticing if your mouth is moist or dry.

And if there is any particular flavour in your mouth.

And now noticing where the tip of your tongue is placed in your mouth in relation to your teeth and the top of your mouth.

Now tracing the upper surface of your tongue backwards towards the root of the tongue.

Noticing the position of a tongue in relation to the roof of a mouth as you go backwards.

The tongue has the most complex range of movements of any muscle in the body and yet most of the time we barely notice how we use it as we eat or talk.

Now sliding your awareness around to your cheeks.

Feeling the sensations there.

And now around to the lips.

Noticing if they are dry or moist.

If they are together or apart.

And sliding your awareness through your lips to the inside of your mouth.

Feeling if the inside of your lips are in contact with your teeth.

And noticing if your teeth are together or apart.

And if they are together,

How tightly they are together.

And noticing if your mouth is moist or dry.

And if there is any particular flavour in your mouth.

And now noticing where the tip of your tongue is placed in your mouth.

In relation to your teeth and the top of your mouth.

Now tracing the upper surface of your tongue backwards towards the root of your tongue.

Noticing the position of your tongue in relation to the roof of your mouth as you go backwards.

The tongue has the most complex range of movements of any muscle in the body and yet most of the time we barely notice how we are using it as we eat or talk.

Now bringing your awareness up to your eyelids.

Noticing if there is any fluttering in them.

If they are closed you can notice how tightly they are closed.

And feeling if there is any tension between the eyes.

Does it feel like you are furrowing your brow?

And if you are,

That's okay.

And feeling across the forehead.

Noticing sensations there.

And the sensations on the top of your head.

The weight of your hair on your head.

Or the feeling of the air against the scalp.

Now moving down to the nose and feeling the air as it enters and exits the nostrils.

Following that movement of air up inside the nostrils.

Noticing the temperature of the air.

And whether there is any difference in the temperature between the in-breath and the out-breath.

When is it warmer?

Now trying to feel the whole breath in exquisite detail.

Through the whole cycle of breathing.

Paying particular attention to what happens when the breath turns.

At the end of the in-breath.

And again at the end of the out-breath.

Does it pause for a moment?

Really feeling that transition as precisely as you can.

This is a good place for many people to rest their awareness when they are feeling stressed.

Because strong uncomfortable feelings that we get in the belly and the chest can be overwhelming.

Whereas the sensations at the nose can be more peaceful.

Now taking your awareness into your right shoulder.

Feeling the sensations there.

And as you bring your awareness down the upper arm.

Noticing the contact with the ground.

And then noticing the contact of your elbow and your forearm.

And your hand and finger surfaces.

With the surfaces underneath.

Feeling the sensations on the fronts and the backs of your fingers.

One by one.

Starting with the thumb.

The index or pointing finger.

The middle finger.

The ring finger.

And the little pinky.

Noticing the sensations on the palm.

Sometimes because there are so many nerve endings around the fingers and the hand.

People feel subtle little tingles going into the hands.

Noticing if right now you have any sensations like that.

Then moving your awareness across to your left hand.

And feeling the fingers and the palm of the hand there.

Then moving your awareness gradually up the left arm towards the elbow.

Feeling the contact with the surfaces underneath as you go.

Then going beyond the elbow up the left arm towards the left shoulder.

In the next section you will be following your breath down into the chest and the belly.

If at any time you get sensations that are difficult to tolerate.

It is alright.

To take the edge off them by resting your hand gently on the spot of that sensation.

This often has the effect of reducing the intensity of the sensation to a level that you are able to tolerate without feeling overwhelmed.

That then allows you to stay with that sensation.

As you get stronger you may be able to stay with these sensations without having to place your hand on them to soothe them.

Now following your breath down into your belly.

Feeling the rise and the fall of a belly with the in breath and the out breath.

Noticing the quality of your breathing.

Is it deep or shallow?

Fast or slow?

Tense or relaxed?

Allowing it to be just as it is.

Nothing to fix.

Feeling the sensations on the skin of the belly as you breathe.

The rubbing of the clothing.

The tightening of the belt.

Now taking your awareness inside the belly.

Noticing the sensations there.

Any gurgles or knots.

Any tingling or sense of fullness.

Sensations that go with hunger.

Just noticing what's there.

Really tuning in.

And noticing whether these sensations are pleasant,

Unpleasant or neutral.

And regardless of that,

Allowing them to be with an attitude of curiosity.

Noticing how they change over time with the breathing.

Do they change in quality or intensity?

Do they change in position or size?

Being really curious to feel whatever you can.

Now paying attention to the lower edge of a breath.

Seeing how far your breath moves down towards your bottom.

Without pushing it.

And as you do that,

You may notice new sensations in that region.

In the bowel.

The bladder.

The genitals.

Just noticing what sensations are there.

And whether they are pleasant or unpleasant or neutral.

Now following the breath in the opposite direction up into the chest.

Feeling the rise and fall of the front of your chest as you breathe in and breathe out.

Noticing if there are any places where the breath catches.

Any areas of tightness.

And resisting any temptation to push through those places.

Just being curious as to how those sensations or any other sensations in the chest change as you breathe.

And over the passage of time.

Often once we have noticed a sensation like a little bit of tightness in the chest.

We stop paying attention as if the job is done.

And you are continuing to notice these sensations as you pay attention to your breathing.

And as you do so,

You will notice that your sensations are continually changing like the weather.

You might notice that the feelings in the chest are different now to when you first started paying attention there.

Now just following your breath wherever you like in your body.

It could be at the nose or the belly or somewhere else.

And you continue to follow the breath around the body.

And I'll be quiet now for a little while with the occasional reminder to come back to your breath.

In the meantime,

When you realise that your mind has wandered.

Just making a mental note.

Saying the words,

Just thinking to yourself and coming back to the breath over and over.

Coming back to the breath.

Coming back.

Now while staying with the breath,

Allowing your eyes to open.

If they were previously closed,

You may notice a reaction in your body with the opening of the eyes.

Being curious to feel that.

And noticing the different colours and shapes that come to your eyes as you stay with the breath.

Noticing that the colours and shapes at the edge of your vision are less vivid than the ones at the centre of your vision.

And as you move your gaze around to come into the room.

Noticing how these colours and shapes become more vivid.

And noticing if somehow things look slightly different after having done the body scan.

And as you finish this practice and re-enter your daily life.

You may pause to reflect as to how this particular experience was different to what you have done before.

Even if you have listened to this very same soundtrack before.

Noticing these differences helps you to be aware of how your mindfulness is developing.

Reviews

Thanks Chris. This provided a prompt for me to appreciate the importance of approaching mindfulness with a “beginner’s mind”

Thank you. Deceptively challenging in a good way as in rigorous. Essence of awareness; learning to be/experience quality and nuance of mindfulness traveling the breath through landscape of the body.

Hard to resist fixing areas of body where pain/tightness cried out.

I normally avoid body scans because they make me very uncomfortable and often I feel unwell. I decided to have a go and surprisingly, this time, despite the dizziness I did get to the end of the practice. The pace of the instructions was calming and engaging. I will use it again.

Step by step narrative
excellent really started me in my body scan practice.
Thank you

Lovely, assured speaking voice, with scan delivered at nice, steady tempo. Most enjoyable; can see myself using this often. Thank you, Dr Chris!

An excellent guided body scan meditation. The speaker guides you through regional body sensations rather than a mechanical anatomy tour effectively engaging your thoughts and mindfulness while avoiding the boredom and opportunities for distraction in more anatomical body scan meditations. Thank you.

Informative,good practice. Nicly paced. Thank you.