Body Scan Meditation

This 20-minute body scan meditation uses Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques to develop concentration, mindfulness, and kind attention to the body.

Emily Herzlin is an MBSR teacher in New York City. She teaches meditation courses and works with groups and individuals.

Transcript

What follows are instructions on how to do a guided body scan meditation.

In doing the body scan,

It's important to be gentle with yourself.

If you try too hard to be relaxed,

You can actually make yourself more stressed.

For this time,

You're practicing becoming aware in each passing moment of what is happening in your mind and body,

Observing it,

Noticing it,

Allowing it to be the way it is right now.

Use these instructions for guidance as best you can.

Watch the sensations in your body and the activity of your mind as we go along.

Be aware of how you feel,

Of what is happening in your mind and body.

And remember that there's no right way to feel while you're doing this.

The way you're feeling is the way you are feeling right now.

So now beginning by lying down on your back,

If that's possible,

And letting your arms be at your sides if possible,

Your legs stretched out,

The ankles uncrossed,

And falling away from each other.

And just noticing that you're breathing.

Becoming aware of the in-breath entering the body and the out-breath leaving the body.

Aware as you lie here of where the breath is entering and aware it is leaving.

You may notice sensations at your nostrils or at your mouth if your mouth is open.

Or in the chest area,

A sense of rising and falling with each in-breath and out-breath.

Or maybe you notice the breath in the belly.

There's no need to control the breath in any way.

Let the breath breathe itself.

And now letting go of the sensations of breathing,

Knowing that if at any point during this body scan,

Certain sensations in the body are too strong or emotions arise that are difficult,

It's always possible to return to the sensation of the breath.

So now moving the attention from breathing and moving the attention all the way down the body through the abdomen and all the way down through the legs and the knees,

All the way down to the feet.

And noticing any sensations that are present here in the feet.

You may notice sensations of temperature,

Warmth or coolness,

Moisture or dryness.

There may be numbness or tingling or no sensation at all.

Just noticing whatever is here right now and not even looking for anything special.

Exploring sensation in the toes of the feet,

In the instep,

The heel,

The top of the foot,

Maybe a sensation of pressure of the heel making contact with the floor,

Just noticing how that is.

Noticing tingling,

Numbness,

Pain or no sensation,

Pleasant or unpleasant.

Just noticing your feet,

Being curious about this particular part of your body.

And now letting go of awareness of your feet and moving to your ankles.

Any sensations here,

Just noticing them.

And moving the attention now to the lower leg,

The area from the ankle to the knee,

Including the calf and the shin.

Noticing anything present right now in this part of the body,

Pressure,

Temperature,

Maybe itching or maybe a comfortable feeling.

Just exploring and being with sensation.

And if at any point that you notice your attention has wandered from the body,

Just acknowledging this,

Recognizing whatever is being known right now and coming back to the body scan.

And now moving awareness to the knees,

Exploring the back of the knees,

The front of the knees.

Aware of any uncomfortable sensations here,

Even painful sensations.

And just letting them be if they're present,

Not having to change them in any way,

Letting them be as they are,

Just noticing whatever you're experiencing here.

And moving the attention now to the upper leg,

To the area from the knees all the way up to the hips,

Just noticing whatever you're experiencing right now in this part of the body.

Maybe noticing if the thigh makes contact with the floor,

Any sensations present.

And becoming aware of both legs,

Any sensations present from the toes to the feet to the ankles,

To the lower legs,

Knees,

Upper legs and thighs,

Resting in direct sensation.

And moving your awareness now into the pelvic area,

The area from hip to hip.

Maybe noticing the feeling of your buttocks against the floor or the bones here in the pelvis.

Aware of the anus and the genitals.

Noticing whatever sensations are here.

Exploring with a gentle curiosity.

And now moving awareness to the lower part of the torso,

The area from the pelvis to the waist,

The lower part of the back and spine,

The lower part of your belly.

Noticing too that there may be painful sensations here or uncomfortable sensations.

And remembering that you have a choice to stay here with these sensations,

To explore them with your awareness,

Or you can always simply return to awareness of breath.

And now moving awareness to the lower part of the body.

And moving now to the middle of the torso.

And moving now to the middle of the torso,

From the waist to where the ribs begin.

And noticing whatever sensations are present here.

Maybe the pressure of the back against the floor.

Or the rise and fall of the belly breathing.

Sensations of fullness or gas.

Whatever is present.

And moving now to the upper part of the torso.

The area of the ribs and shoulder blades in the back,

The chest in the front.

Maybe feeling the pressure of your back against the floor.

The expansion and contraction of the chest with the breathing.

Or anything else you notice.

And moving now from the torso to the shoulders.

Awake to any sensation in this particular part of the body.

Maybe noticing tension or a sense of relaxation.

And not having to do anything or change anything.

Really letting it be as it is right now,

Experiencing your shoulders.

And moving your awareness from the shoulders down through both arms.

The elbows and forearms and wrists,

Through the hands,

All the way down to the fingers.

And noticing however the fingers are right now.

Noticing how the nails feel,

The knuckles,

The tips of the fingers,

The backs of the hands,

The skin,

The palm of the hands.

Whatever is present here in your hands.

And moving the awareness now to the wrists.

And moving along to the forearms.

Noticing the elbows.

Noticing the soft insides of the elbows and the bony outsides.

Moving attention to the top of the arms,

From the elbows up to the shoulders.

And sending attention through both arms,

The entirety of the arms.

And just noticing how they are at this moment.

And moving the attention now back up through the arms,

Through the shoulders,

And up to the neck and throat.

Being aware of sensation here.

And beginning to explore the area of the head and the face.

Noticing the jaw and the chin.

Noticing any tightness or tension.

Exploring the area around the mouth.

Exploring the cheeks.

The nose.

The area around the eyes.

The temples and forehead.

And noticing your ears.

Noticing the face as it is right now.

And bringing awareness to the top of the head and the back of the head.

And to the entire scalp region.

And moving the attention once again down through the body and including the whole body.

Lying here right now.

Noticing the entire body.

Breathing.

Allowing any sensations to be present.

Feeling the body with breath and letting go on each out breath.

And as this guided body scan ends,

Taking a moment to check in with yourself.

Understanding how you're feeling and how the body feels.

And maybe extending some gratitude towards yourself for taking the time and the effort to work with your mind and your body this way and to really nourish yourself.

And now returning to an awareness of the place where you are right now.

Maybe opening your eyes and noticing the room and how it looks.

Noticing as this guided meditation ends how your body wants to begin to move.

And moving in whatever way feels right to you.

Reviews

Very enjoyable and relaxing. This is an excellent body scan.

Thank you so much Emily for this amazing, relaxing body scan, I'm in total blissful state. ❤👍🙏💯💛💚🧡💜

Thank you for this short body scan audio. Your pace and friendly tone helped me to feel calmer and more easeful afterwards.

Very useful thank you. A good pace & speed whilst being really thorough & attentive! Nourishing! Yes! My body really needed the attention & I was glad I laid flat although it hurt at first I relaxed into it & let go!

This brought me deeper than any other body scan meditation I have tried. I felt I really experienced myself from the inside. Exactly what I needed today and I feel very calm after it. Thank you.

A wonderful exercise in observing the mind and becoming aware of my body. I had no idea I was holding so much tension.

Thanks Emily, your meditation was a lovely way to start the new year. Wishing you and all your followers well for 2019.

Wonderful thank you

A really useful scan, although I do like some bells. Ta.

Great attention to body detail. Deeply relaxing and good focused body meditation. Thank you

Very nice body scan clear and soothing. Thank you!

Keeping up with my practice, Emily. Thank you!

So simple. Thanks Emily!

Truly a full body scan.