Body Scan - Long

The body scan is designed to come to know the body better and how it is in this moment. It is befriending the body in many ways, accepting it for how it is in this moment, knowing that no one’s body is “perfect,” and yet in many ways all our bodies are. The meditation provides a platform to see what skillful next steps arise, based on the messages that the body shares.

Transcript

Inviting you to find a position that is suitable for a body scan and for most of us that'll be lying down somewhere that is comfortable enough but maybe not too comfortable so that we can be alert and awake during the body scan while lying down which is a position we're often sleeping in but the idea with the body scan is to fall awake rather than to fall asleep recognizing if we do fall asleep you know it happens it's okay but let's see if we can be as alert as possible and so inviting you to find a position you know probably lying down but it's okay to do it sitting or standing if you prefer and so with the body scan we're spending time with each and every part of the body in a non-judgmental curious accepting kind of way so you know at least for the next chunk of time let's just not have the body need to be any different than it is right now and let's turn towards it with openness and inquisitiveness and let's just see what's here and typically the body each and every part of the body has messages for us and it contributes to our wisdom of who we are and how we are and with that knowledge we can better care for the body and better set up the body to be working at its optimal performance or its optimal health but without that knowledge of how the body's doing and each and every part of it then we have no idea what it needs and sometimes it can be tempting to kind of block off parts of the body say if there's an injury there there's been a difficult experience with it in some way and with this meditation the invitation is to be with each and every part of the body but also recognize any limits that we have so say if we've had you know say a traumatic experience with one part of the body or multiple parts of the body and if we don't feel like it's safe or comfortable to you know be there with that part of the body it's okay just skip it or pause the meditation or stop the meditation if you like so this meditation is just here is as a offered as a gift there is a invitation to explore in but always trust your own experiences more than the words that I'm sharing so the invitation is to be like in your comfort zone or maybe you know like a growth zone so we're exploring our limits challenging them but not going over the limit so if you find yourself in an overwhelmed zone the invitation is to just skip that part or you know place your attention somewhere else like maybe with your breath or a different anchor point like a different part of the body or or just move on to something else there's lots of ways to health and happiness and meditation it's just one way and it may not resonate with everyone so I'm really trusting your experience with this so the invitation is to be settling in now to a meditation and and why don't we first start with focusing in on the parts of the body that are in contact with the surface that we're resting on so it's bringing awareness maybe you know the sit bones or the back of the heels if you're lying down might be the back itself and the shoulders so wherever the body is in contact with the surface that you're resting on springing awareness to those parts you each time the mind wanders away from the object of meditation it's noticing where it went noticing if it's gone somewhere familiar if it has traveled away or if it's gone somewhere fresh and new and then inviting the mind back if it has traveled away inviting it back to this moment and this object meditation which is the points of contact to the body with the surface that we're resting on so then if you like the invitation is to start to shift awareness down through the left leg all the way into the left foot and ending up in the left big toe this fascinating part of the body and just seeing what sensations are here or maybe lack of sensations not everyone can really feel their toe so if you can't really feel your toe just noticing that you can't really feel anything and if you can have sensations there maybe noticing what they are maybe sensations of touch or warmth or coolness or comfort discomfort so we're training ourselves here to place our mind where we choose to place it so we're developing our attention control and we're also developing our self-awareness particularly our big toe awareness and then if you like shifting awareness over to the smaller toes on the left foot that's second third fourth and fifth toes seeing what sensations are here are there any messages they feel pretty comfortable as their pain are they cold or hot and then if you like starting to draw awareness through the bottom part of the left foot through the sole of the foot the arch of the foot aware of all the muscles and ligaments and bones within that are there to support us throughout our day just seeing what's here you know using that mindfulness quality of curiosity we might not spend a lot of time thinking about our bottom of the left foot but here is the opportunity and what's here you you then master tik nah time often talks about the joy of the non toothache where we might not think about our teeth that much until we have a toothache and then oh it's like all we think about because of the pain and so maybe can we just notice in this moment you know the example is maybe we don't have a toothache but maybe the arch of the foot does not have discomfort mmm it's not nice or maybe it does and if it does just turning towards it caring for it noticing what's here coming to know that discomfort is a little better this applies to any part of the body with comfort or discomfort as we move through them you now the invitation is to start to shift awareness up through the left heel through the Achilles tendon up the back of the heel and into the ankle itself maybe circling that ankle with awareness seeing what's here in that joint and the muscles and the ligaments around it if it's feeling comfortable or uncomfortable warm or cool sense of touch or lack of sense of touch whatever that's being felt here in the left ankle just noticing that just even noticing qualities in the ankle of whether it's got stiffness in that or looseness how limber does that joint feel you whatever the answer is it's just good information as a job awareness up now it's into the lower part of the leg leg up the shin and up the calf where the bones within the skin and circling at all just noticing what's being experienced in the lower part of the left leg you know if you've ever bought a used car you might have brought an end to a mechanic to get like a hundred and twenty one point inspection where they inspect all the parts of the car and just do it as objectively as they can and let you know what they see to help us better understand how to care for the car if we purchase it and it's kind of like we're doing that with the bodies it's coming to see where the body is at right now and in doing so we may be able to care for it more skillfully to really zero in on the areas that most need tending and celebrate the areas that are doing well and all the while fostering our ability to concentrate and place our mind where we're choosing to place it which in this moment the invitation would be to place the mind on the left knee where the kneecap at the front and the soft skin at the back and everything in between and then if you like drawing awareness up now through the upper part of the left leg it's kind of like our awareness is like a beam of light that were drawing up putting into focus now this part of the body of the upper part of the left leg the thigh and the big muscles here the big bones there's the quadriceps or the hamstrings the femur the skin and circling at all so seeing curiosity and without any judgment what's being experienced in this part of the body in this moment as we move through the body even noticing if the sensations are steady or if they change moment by moment and then inviting awareness to rest on the left hip joint and all the tendons and muscles around it and just seeing what's experienced here around tightness or looseness or comfort discomfort temperature and now if you like embracing the entire left leg with your attention all the way from the hip through the upper leg and the knee and the lower leg the ankle the foot the toes just seeing how that left leg feels now compared to when we began this meditation seeing if it's similar and different knowing there's no like right answer to this it's just noticing and then the invitation has to start to shift over to the right leg dropping all the way down into the foot and down to that right big toe that's been starved for attention while the left one has been getting it all and so seeing what's here with that right big toe just through the feeling of touch say with a sock or shoe or maybe a breeze coming by so not much sensation at all and then what about that second and third and fourth and fifth toes what's being sensed in them right now around say temperature moisture dryness and then drawing awareness up into the front part of the right foot and into the mid part be along the top of the foot where the skin at the surface and then just underneath the bones and tendons and muscles then with curiosity bringing awareness down to the lower part of the foot wrapping around to the heel and then up the back of the heel through that Achilles tendon and into the ankle Stephen noticing how the right ankle feels compared to the left ankle no it's kind of like we're a scientist just collecting data so how is that right ankle field in this moment how does it compare to the left similar different it is different different how and then with that beam of concentration continuing to bring awareness up now into the lower part of the right leg aware of the shin and the calf muscle the skin surrounding at all the bones within all the little nerve endings and what they're sensing and communicating and then continuing to draw awareness now into the knee the right knee the knee can be a place of injury and if it is maybe just noticing that and any part of the body noticing if we're wishing that it was different than how it is and recognizing that's a thought and desire but also seeing if we can let those go just even just for the period of this meditation or even just for the next 15 seconds can we allow that right knee to be just how it is I'm coming to know it a little better and then allowing awareness to continue up into the upper part of the right leg those big muscles of the quadriceps hamstrings bone within the skin and circling it all seeing what's here and being experienced in this part of the body then continuing up into that right hip seeing what's here around comfort discomfort tightness looseness for many of us who spend a lot of time sitting the hips can be pretty tight enough there's tightness there just just noticing that and then holding the entire right leg and awareness just noticing how that entire right leg all the way from the hip and the upper leg down through the knee and the lower leg ankle the foot the toes see now that right leg now is feeling compared to the left leg what's similar what's different just a reminder that forever bring awareness to a part of the body that isn't comfortable to spend time I think you know I skip it or bring awareness to something else often with her meditation practice we might have an anchor point like our breath or a certain part of the body or even sound that we can come back to that's an anchor point so you always have that and you can always just press stop if the meditation isn't isn't working for you so offering lots of self-care in this process and trusting your own wisdom and so continuing to bring awareness up now and to the parts of the body that connect the legs to the torso so the pelvis this girdle bone that connects both legs and to the upper part of the body bring awareness to the organs within this area whether it's organs of elimination or reproduction and then continuing to draw awareness up through the abdomen perhaps starting with the stomach muscles noticing if they're motionless or have motion for example from the breath coming in and out bringing awareness to other organs within the abdominal maybe it's the intestine for example to the degree that we can feel it noticing if it's comfortable or uncomfortable bring awareness up to the stomach seeing what's being sensed in the stomach right now perhaps around hunger fullness or emptiness or somewhere in between where the muscles in the lower back seeing what's here around sensation of touch or warmth or coolness or comfort or pain or discomfort always observing without any judgment things are not good or bad they just are the way they are in this moment and so what's here in the lower back in terms of what's being experienced and then drawing awareness up into the mid-back and then into the upper back and then wrapping around to include the chest perhaps awareness of the rib cage it's probably moving dynamically with the in breath and the out breath where the lungs within checking in with the heart most people can't feel the heart beating but some can just knowing though that it is steadily beating in there circulating all the oxygen and nutrients to every cell of the body and then continuing to draw awareness up now and so the upper part of the chest and shoulders and starting to draw awareness down through the left shoulder and into the upper part of the left arm including the muscles there like the biceps and the triceps sensations in the skin so we shift now into the left elbow maybe aware of any points of contact to the left elbow with the surface that might be resting on where the feelings within the join or the surface of the skin you and then allowing that beam of awareness to draw down into the left forearm see what's being sensed here and the muscles and the ligaments and the skin how is this part of the body doing there any messages that Sherry and continuing into that left wrist has all the little bones and muscles and ligaments that allow for those fine movements to happen in the hand seeing what sensations are here in that left wrist and then if you'd like welcoming awareness to come into the left hand so into the palm of the hand to the fingers of thumb no there's lots of nerve endings in this part of the body so that we can really feel sensations when we hold the hand of someone we love or pat that pat or make food for those who care about her whatever it is that we do with our hands seeing what's here in the sensations in this moment and if those sensations are steady or if they shift and change it's remembering part of any meditation is to notice when the mind wanders from the object of meditation and if it does we just notice that without any judgment and with curiosity because it's telling us a little about ourselves too about our mind and our emotions or thoughts it's helpful information to know so the mind wanders just noticing that seeing where it went and then the kindness and firmness inviting it back back to that left hand and the fingers and the thumbs and all the sensations in that part of the body seeing what's here you and then if you like starting to hold the entire left arm in concentration so encompassing the left hand and the wrist and the left forearm the elbow the upper part of the left arm the shoulder seeing how that part of the body is feeling now compared to when we began so it's similar different and then shifting awareness to travel over to the right shoulder and start dropping down into the upper part of the right arm where the muscles the skin and the bones and tendons seeing what messages are here and then allowing awareness to draw down into the right elbow circling it with awareness including the soft skin and the crook of the elbow the thicker skin down below everything in between and taking a little time to check in with the right forearm and then into the right wrist aware of stiffness or looseness comfort discomfort and then how about the right hand what's here what sensations are arising moment by moment in this moment that's never been lived before what is the right hand experiencing and what is it communicating and then developing the entire right arm and awareness including the hand and the fingers and the thumb and the wrist forearm elbow upper arm shoulder seeing how this part of the body feels this right arm how it feels compared to the left arm most of us have a dominant arm it's maybe stronger and has greater dexterity you feel the difference between the arms are they different in any way are they similar and now continuing to bring awareness to the body starting to shift from the right arm up into the shoulder and then into the neck this part of the body that connects the head to the rest of the body of the mind of the body aware of all the conduits that go through it whether it's the spinal cord or the windpipe or the esophagus that allows the food fluid to go through all the muscles supporting it all the blood vessels connecting the heart of the body up to the brain let's bring an awareness to what's being experienced in the neck in this moment and then continuing up into the head maybe starting with the jaw then into the mouth aware of moisture dryness in the mouth or taste or lack of taste you are the sensation of the wind flowing over it as we breathe in and out we are breathing through the mouth and then continuing up into the nose where temperature of coolness or warmness or sensation of touches maybe the air flows in and out of the nose even a sensation of smell or lack of smell yeah and then if you like continuing up into the eyes noticing sensations of moisture dryness in the eyes comfort discomfort any visual sensations or lack of visual sensations continuing up to the scalp where have any hair follicles their lack of hair follicles and then aware of the brain within just like any organ or any other part of the body it's not a singing not needing it to be any different in this moment can we allow the brain to be just as it is we allow ourselves to be just as we are Continuing into the ears if you like Where you're pouring through coolness in the ears or touch,

Lack of touch sound,

Lack of sound If you like starting to encompass the entire head and awareness,

Whether it's the ears or the scalp or the brain or the eyes,

Nose,

Mouth,

The jaw the face,

And then continuing to gather into awareness the entire body,

So encompassing in the neck,

The shoulders and the arms,

The hands the chest,

The abdomen,

The hips the upper legs and knees and lower legs and the ankles and feet and toes,

So just taking a moment to see what sensations are arising in the entire body and if there's particular parts of the body that are communicating more loudly than others and if those sensations are steady or if they shift and change moment to moment Coming to be with the body just as it is Coming to be with ourselves just as we are Allowing that knowledge to filter in about who and how we are in this moment Perhaps coming to understand the body just a little better Seeing what messages it has for us And seeing what arises in ourselves as we connect in with that information about how the body is,

Are there any skilful next steps that are appearing that may be worthwhile to consider taking Maybe worthwhile to consider taking And then as you're starting to invite a bit of movement into the body,

Maybe it's moving the hands around the wrists in circles or moving the feet around the ankles in circles Starting to bring a bit of movement maybe into the legs as you perhaps lift the knees up and start to shift over onto your side if you've been lying on your back for example And then inviting you to bring that mindful awareness to the next steps of your day or your evening.

Reviews

Dear Eric, with all my thanks for your gift of this beautiful practice. Your calming and resonant voice made it even more special.