Gratitude Body Scan

This meditation is geared toward those struggling with physical discomfort, or emotional dislike of their body. Through this body scan we work to find connection, even with parts of the body that are struggling. We practice giving kindness to ourselves and finding pleasant in each moment; whether it be with the body, the breath, or a sound or other sense. This meditation may not be the best choice for those who are brand new to pain, but it can support those with chronic pain.

Transcript

Hello, And welcome to this meditation with Christine Lustick. Many of us throughout our lives have varying degrees of discomfort in the body. Some may call it discomfort, Some may call it pain, And it can happen for a variety of reasons. Some of it may be how we treated it or the things we did, Some of it may have nothing to do with anything we've had any control over, Perhaps illnesses, Accidents, A variety of possibilities. No matter how we got to where we are, This is the body we have for now. We can do our best in many ways to support it. In this meditation, I invite us to do a gratitude body scan. We're going to skip through the body, Really feeling grateful for what is possible in this moment. Doing our best, Even though it may be very hard and impossible in some instances, To open to how the body has supported us in the past and the areas that we can work with within the body. So to begin with, I invite us to settle back. You may prefer to do this meditation sitting, Or if it's more comfortable for the body, I invite you to do this meditation lying down. Take a few moments to adjust the body. Notice if shoulders or hips need to be moved. Adjusting the body as needed for comfort and balance. Noticing if we can feel a straightening of the spine to a point that works for your body. Feeling the left and right sides balancing evenly when possible. Allowing the body to begin to settle. If it's comfortable for you, I invite you to begin finding a place to settle with the breath. Beginning to follow the exhale out. With each exhale, If possible, Allowing the body to soften just a little bit into this moment, Whatever it may be. Follow the breath as it flows in and out, But mostly allowing your attention to settle on the softening exhales. Throughout this meditation, There will be short periods of silence. Notice if during those periods the mind wanders, Knowing that's only natural for it to do, To wish for something else to focus on. And when you realize it's wandered, Just gently bringing it back, Lightly, Perhaps with a little humor. Almost as if you've caught the kid with his hand in the candy jar. You've caught the mind wandering. And with a little light smile, You gently direct it back to whatever you remember the last focus being. Taking a few more quiet moments to allow and follow the breath as it flows out and back in. Just with some curiosity, Noticing what the breath is like today. The breath may not be what we'd hoped. It may not have ease. It may be caught in tension if there's any discomfort in the body. And if so, Just noticing, Allowing yourself to notice that that breath is trying to tell you something. It's trying to work with you. As we move through at any point in time, If a feeling or sensation gets to be too much, If it's a bodily sensation that's too much, You can always move to the breath or to another part of the body that feels better. And if the breath is causing any anxiety today, Sometimes just the recognition of how it's reacting to discomfort or pain can do that. Allow yourself to find some part of this present moment that is neutral or pleasant. It could be the feeling of cool or warm on the skin, The light weight and warmth of hands on the legs, Perhaps the feet on the floor, Or some other sound, The sound of a loved one moving around, Or an animal, Or just the breeze flowing through the window. You know you. Trust yourself. Know that we can sit in this space as a whole being, Pushing the body a little bit, Recognizing where the discomfort sits. But only you can choose when you've had enough of that and go ahead and shift to a more neutral or pleasant part of this moment. So to begin our body scan, I invite us to gently move down, Following the next exhale down into the feet. Now as we get to each part of the body, Investigating it, Almost as if you were searching out for the answers of a mystery. Check in what feelings and sensations are in that body part. If you send the exhale down there, Releasing it, Are you able to soften even just a little bit? Any feelings of discomfort? Then practicing some gratitude. So we begin this journey in the feet. We notice where the weight of the feet are touching, How they're feeling, If we can feel them. And if not, Just having the intention of moving our attention into our feet. You may feel temperature, Sensation, Emotion, Or you may not feel anything at all. Whatever is there, Just noticing. Gently noticing if you can bring up any gratitude for the feet, Or even just have the intention of it, For the places they take you or have taken you in the past, Things they allow you to do or have done. The next exhale, Gently releasing the feet and moving our attention up into the ankles and the lower legs. Again just checking in for sensations, Emotions, Feelings. And then if possible, Finding some gratitude for that part of the body, For all it once did for you, Or still does or hopes to do in the future. Moving up into the knees. Checking in, Checking them out. Noticing where they are right now. Any time we come across any area with discomfort, We just check in to the extent of our ability. We investigate with some curiosity. What is it like now, In this moment? And even if the exhale doesn't soften, Noticing if placing an imaginary hand on whatever area has discomfort, Letting it know it's going to be okay. Taking it for whatever it's done for you in the past. Moving up into the upper legs. Just continuing this cycle of check in, Noticing kindness in each area. As we move up into the hips, Grateful for the strong pelvic bones. These areas that allow us to bend and move. These bones that hold such valuable organs inside of them. Bending in inside to the organs protected there. Continuing our body struggles in some way, Pain, Loss of limb, Challenge with one of the organ systems. It's still a whole body, All trying to compensate for each other. Trying to feel this unity instead of the dread or resistance against the body. Noticing the pelvic area, Moving up into the abdomen. Softening that abdomen. Gratitude for all the work the digestive system goes through over and over, Day after day. Moving into all of the organs, The digestive and other organs throughout the middle of the chest and down. Realizing if we're holding any tension or emotions in there. Just exhale, Releasing that area, Moving up into the chest. Feeling the movement of the ribs and the diaphragm with the lungs. Movement of the heart as it pumps the blood throughout the body. Even when organs struggle and systems aren't at their best, They're magical. What they're supposed to do is amazing. And feeling gratitude for when they work correctly, For the effort they put in every day. Realizing the front of the body and moving to the back. Going down to the lower back, Breathing into that lower back. That lower back often gets the brunt of too much sitting or whatever we're doing. So we just breathe in and say thank you. Moving up and checking out the middle back. And the upper back. You may feel the back expand and soften with the breath. Feel it move against a chair or a floor. It's easy to wish these parts of our body were stronger or didn't hurt or withheld more under the pressure that we give them. Just feeling grateful for what it does, The structure it provides, Maybe at the very least. And releasing the back and torso and moving into the shoulders. And with each exhale, Allowing the shoulders to soften down into the upper arms, The elbows. The lower arms. Wrists, Hands, And fingers. Just notice what we feel, What we don't feel, Where there's tension or where there's ease. And then gratitude for wherever the arms may be now. What they've allowed us to do in the past. Perhaps touch loved ones. Stick flowers or pet pets. Releasing the arms and moving the intention and attention up into the neck and throat. With each exhale, Gently softening the jaw, The corners of the eyes, The cheekbones. May even be able to check in with and soften the inside of the ears and the skull. Moving in, Finding some sense to be grateful for, Whatever you enjoy, Perhaps hearing music. Being able to look at trees and birds. The ability to smell coffee in the morning, Whatever it might be. I want you to gently move back through the body, Re-softening any areas of tension you'd found. Then allow yourself to resettle back in with the breath. Or if that's not calming, Finding another anchor, A piece of the body, A sound that allows you to just settle with ease for just a brief moment in this present moment right now, Right here. If the body scan was hard for any reason, We don't even need a reason. Even the mind is maybe tight around that, Or judgmental. I invite you to allow yourself to notice that. If it's calming, You may place a hand on the heart, Or even the abdomen. Just sit for a brief moment with an intention of kindness towards yourself. Caring for yourself as you would care for a friend. It's going to be okay. Whatever that needs to mean in this moment. One more time, Noticing where the mind is. Noticing that feeling of coming back and down one more time. Following the exhale and the inhale. And as you hear the sound of the bell, I invite you to take it in. Allow it to float through you. And when you can no longer hear it, Gently beginning to wiggle your fingers and toes. And in your own time, Coming back into your day.