MBSR Body Scan

This is a guided body scan practice in the MBSR style. It a gentle practice that focuses on self care and the restoration of a calm and tension free, mind and body. In this practice you will place your attention to the present moment, cultivating a strong and grounded awareness of the here and now.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided body scan practice,

Prepared especially for participants of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction,

Or MBSR,

Program,

And for anyone who wishes some support for developing a deeper relationship with the unfolding experiences of embodiment.

Please use this recording regularly,

Once each day insofar as that is possible,

During the first weeks of the MBSR program.

After that,

Feel welcome to use the support of this recording as often as you wish,

And find helpful to support your practice.

This guided practice offers a way of giving yourself and your body the gift of your own full attention.

One essential aspect of the practice is taking care of yourself throughout the process.

So,

Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to breathe easily.

And find a place where you are unlikely to be interrupted,

And where you can feel safe and protected.

Arrange a position that feels like it truly supports your body.

Perhaps lying down on your back,

On a carpet or a yoga mat.

Or possibly sitting up will be more suitable for you today.

Please know that the most important aspect of the posture you choose is that,

As much as possible,

It be stable and easeful for your body,

As it is right now.

Also,

Feel welcome to use whatever props you may find helpful.

Perhaps pillows under your knees and legs,

Or under your head.

Or maybe a shawl on your legs or around your shoulders.

Whatever helps you to establish a comfortable arrangement for this body,

Just as it is right now.

This particular practice supports developing a deeper relationship with the unfolding experiences of the body.

It's a process of getting to know the fullness and variety of the sensations and feelings in the body,

Moment to moment,

As they unfold.

So,

You can take a few moments to set up the sustainable position you wish to use for the body scan today.

I'll pause speaking for a few moments,

Or if you feel it will be easier for you,

Go ahead and pause this recording while you get set up.

Settling into the position you've chosen now,

Knowing that you are in charge of your body,

And remembering that you are encouraged to take care of yourself throughout this practice.

Begin sensing the entire body,

Its imprint on the floor perhaps,

Or its overall shape,

And the varieties of sensations throughout.

Simply place your attention within the region called your body.

And quite naturally,

Whatever impressions are present can take shape in awareness.

So,

There's not a lot you actually need to do here,

Other than intentionally place your attention,

And notice whatever is present to be noticed right now.

All that said,

It's likely,

As you practice in this way,

That you will notice some pleasant experiences,

Some unpleasant experiences,

And some that are just neutral,

Or come into awareness as not much,

Or non-feelings,

Or just a sense of unfeelingness,

Numbness even.

For this reason,

It's important to know,

And perhaps to remember periodically throughout the body scan.

There is no wrong experience.

There is no certain way to expect to feel.

Whatever is arising in awareness,

It is part of your experience,

And the practice is simply to know it as it is,

Including any changes that may unfold as you are noticing.

It is also entirely possible that at times you will be surprised by your discoveries in this practice,

That you will perceive experiences and sensations you have not known before now.

This process is about opening to what is arising within the body,

Here and now,

With curiosity and a willingness to encounter and be with whatever is arising,

Whatever is happening in your body on this particular day.

Also noticing now,

This body is breathing.

Breathing happens all by itself.

Body breathes in,

And body breathes out,

Perhaps sensing the entirety of each half a breath for a few cycles now.

And if you wish,

You could place your hands on your belly to support feeling the breathing there even more clearly.

Resting the attention for a few moments with the sensations of this natural involuntary process called breathing.

While encouraging you to follow the instructions as fully as you are able,

It's also important for you to know that you always have choices within this practice.

If something you experience here feels overwhelming to you,

Please know that you can simply shift your attention,

Perhaps back to this sense of breathing in and out,

Or to the sense of the entire body resting in the position you've chosen.

Then,

Whenever you feel ready,

You can continue to follow and take support from the guidance being offered here.

Allowing the breathing to fade into the background now,

Collect your attention into the left big toe.

Noticing whatever experiences or sensations let you know that there is a left big toe there.

Gathering all your attention into the area called left big toe and noticing what's here.

Are there sensations or vibrations present in the left big toe right now?

Or is there simply a sense of knowing that this is the place where your left toe is at the moment?

Expanding the lens of your attention now to take in all five left toes and feeling in to discover how do you know you have left toes?

What experiences or sensations tell you that right now?

Is there tingling,

Vibration?

Can you feel the shape of each toe?

Perhaps these five toes right now feel more or less like not much.

Nothing particular you're supposed to feel,

Just noticing what's here in your left toes.

And expanding the focus of attention again now,

Including the rest of the left foot,

Perhaps noticing that the foot has a shape and a size.

Seeing for yourself,

Are there sensations on the surface of the foot?

Or deep inside the foot?

Or neither?

Remembering there is nothing in particular you are supposed to feel.

If something is uncomfortable in your left foot,

Seeing if it's possible to simply be with that discomfort,

Just as it is.

Perhaps investigating the discomfort a bit,

What is it made up of particularly?

Tightness or aching?

Or what do you notice within it?

Letting the left foot go now,

Moving the attention into the left lower leg and knee.

Sensing the area from the left ankle to the left knee and taking in all that you notice in this region of your body.

Allowing the attention to focus,

To rest for these moments within the left lower leg,

While all that is other than left lower leg fades into the background.

Sensing directly the size,

Shape,

And sensations of your left lower leg.

Seeing what you notice in this area.

And now moving into the left thigh.

Recognizing the sensations here.

Does the thigh feel heavy or tingly or numb?

Is it cool or tight or soft?

Directly aware of the particular qualities of sensation in the left thigh,

Right now.

And now widening the attention,

Taking in the entire left leg from the sole of the foot to the top of the thigh.

Simply resting attention in the region called the left leg and noticing what's here right now.

Left leg being known.

Letting go of the left leg,

Perhaps traveling with your attention across the body,

Into the right side and down the right leg.

Traveling down the right leg and landing your attention in the right big toe.

Sensing its particular expressions just now.

Are there sensations in the right big toe?

Coolness or warmth,

Heaviness or lightness,

Dryness or dampness?

Remembering the words of the instructions are offered as guidance,

Supporting you to notice your own direct experiences.

Right now in the big toe on the right foot.

And then expanding to take in all five right toes.

What do you notice here?

Can you feel the spaces in between the toes?

Are there variations in sensation?

Perhaps the toenails have different sensations than the skin of the toes.

Placing your attention in the part of the body that's called your right toes and seeing what you discover right now.

And now expanding the lens of your attention a bit more,

Including the arch of the foot and the heel,

The top and the bottom side of the foot.

And inside the foot as well.

Are there experiences of sensation within your right foot?

On the surface or deep within,

Pleasant or unpleasant or neutral.

Finding out for yourself if it is possible in this moment to simply be with the experiences of the right foot.

The sensations of the right foot being known,

Including the entire right foot.

What is here now?

And now shifting to the region that extends from the right ankle to the right knee.

Taking this area into your awareness,

Called it the lower leg.

Bringing it in with curiosity.

Perhaps approaching this right ankle,

Lower leg and knee as if you have never felt them before and truly wish to know what is here to feel now.

Understanding the depth,

The breadth,

The width of your right lower leg.

Seeing if there are any vibrations or pulsations to be known.

And now moving into the right thigh.

Locating what is here within your body right now.

When you place attention in the area of the right thigh.

Broadening the attention now to include the entire right leg.

And perhaps acknowledging this capacity of attention to change in size and shape.

This possibility of attending to a body region as small as the big toe or as large as or even larger than the entire right leg.

Resting attention in the entire right leg.

Noticing what's here.

As we move through this practice,

At times your mind may drift or lose track of the body sensations.

Thoughts and emotions may capture your attention and you might forget your intention to be awake to the life of the body.

Even though the recording is still playing,

You may lose track of hearing the guidance being offered here.

Distractions like this are completely normal and are in fact an important part of the process of the practice.

When you notice you've been lost,

It can be helpful to recall that this is normal.

Then simply bring the attention back to wherever the instructions are suggesting right now.

Beginning again to notice the body's experiences just as they are.

This process of intentionally beginning again as often as is needed and possible helps to strengthen the already innate capacity to be aware.

Now allowing the right leg to fade into the background again and drawing your attention into the pelvis.

Sensing the pelvic floor,

The lower abdomen and the lower part of the back.

The lower third section of the trunk,

You might say.

Noticing what's here in the pelvis.

Feeling the depth,

The breadth and the cylindrical nature of the pelvis,

Lower belly and back.

Noticing any manifestations of weight,

Temperature or pulsations here.

Does the pelvis feel heavy or light,

Warm or cool?

Perhaps noticing the rhythms of breathing in and breathing out as the breath moves the lower belly in and out.

If breathing sensations are part of what you're aware of in the pelvis,

Perhaps sustaining attention with the breathing for a few cycles now.

Feeling the in and out,

In and out nature of these unfolding experiences.

Now feeling your way with the attention up into the middle third of the trunk.

Sensing the abdomen,

The middle back and sides,

Sometimes called the area of the solar plexus.

What do you sense in this region?

Feeling your way through the torso,

Noticing sensations internally,

Noticing sensations on the surface.

Perhaps the movement of the breath is apparent here as well.

Sensing the expanding,

Widening nature of breathing in and the condensing,

Returning nature of breathing out.

Possibly noticing sensations of the clothing touching the torso as the breath moves the body.

Also noticing if there are sensations inside this middle section of the trunk where the organs are and the diaphragm.

Also perhaps noticing are there subtle shifts in the sense of weightedness or in the sensations of the body as the breathing happens in the middle section of the torso.

Remembering that as you practice,

It's likely that distractions will arise.

At times your mind may drift,

You may lose track of the body sensations.

Thoughts and emotions may take your attention away and you might forget your intention to be noticing the experiences in the body.

Even though the sound of my voice is still unfolding,

You may lose track of the guidance being offered here.

Remembering distractions like this are completely normal.

They are part of the practice.

When you notice that you've been lost,

It can be helpful to recall that getting lost is normal and then simply bringing the attention back to wherever the instructions are suggesting right now.

Noticing the middle third of the torso,

The rib cage,

The diaphragm,

The movements of the breath.

And beginning to travel up into the upper third of the torso,

The chest and upper back,

Armpits and lungs inside.

Noticing what's here.

Getting interested in the experiences that tell you there's an upper trunk here.

Perhaps sensing the expanding of the upper chest with the inhalation,

The releasing of the upper chest with the exhalation.

And also getting in touch with whatever other sensations are present in this region right now.

What do you feel in your upper back,

In your armpits,

Chest,

Lungs?

Also helpful at times to remember that unpleasant sensations are part of the process of practicing.

You may at times,

Perhaps in the upper back,

Become aware of uncomfortable sensations.

Seeing if it's possible to know them just as they are,

As unpleasant sensations.

And maybe even investigating them a little bit.

Is that a stabbing sensation or is it a dull ache?

Does the unpleasant sensation seem to be changing or does it appear to stay the same?

Perhaps its intensity increases or decreases.

Maybe in moments it disappears altogether.

Investigating the experiences of unpleasant sensations,

If that feels possible.

But also remembering that if the unpleasant sensations feel overwhelming,

If it doesn't seem possible to know them just as they are,

Then shifting your attention.

Noticing another part of the body,

Someplace that feels neutral or even pleasant.

Or perhaps returning to the simple awareness of the entire body.

Resting in the position you've chosen for it and breathing.

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

So now widening the focus to take in the entire torso.

From the pelvic floor to the tops of the shoulders.

From the left side of the trunk to the right side of the trunk.

From the skin on the front of the torso all the way to the skin on the back.

Touching in with this entire area that's commonly called the trunk or the torso.

What is here to be known just now?

Are there sensations throughout the torso?

Are there rhythms of breathing and heartbeat?

Perhaps becoming aware of some pulsations or vibrations.

Maybe sensing temperature.

Warmth or coolness.

Maybe sensing weight,

Heaviness or lightness in the region of the body that's generally known to us as the torso.

Exploring these experiences just as they are right now.

Arising,

Changing,

Perhaps at times fading out or transforming into other experiences altogether.

Moment to moment.

Curious.

Awake to the experiences happening in the torso.

Now letting go of the torso and moving your attention into the right shoulder.

Sensing the right shoulder.

Noticing what's here.

Beginning to travel with your attention down the right arm.

Exploring first the right upper arm from the shoulder to the elbow.

And then the right elbow itself.

Seeing how it's placed and noticing if there are sensations in the right elbow.

And traveling down into the right forearm.

Possibly noticing its shape.

Exploring any sensations to be known on the surface of the right forearm and in the interior landscape of the right forearm.

And then the right wrist.

How do you know you have a right wrist?

Is there sensations here that help you be aware of that?

Noticing them for a moment now.

And then transitioning into the right hand.

Sensing the back of the hand and then the palm of the hand and pads of the fingers.

Often in the palm and pads of the fingers as experiences of pulsing,

Vibrating sensations.

Perhaps resting the attention for a few moments with these.

And also noticing is there a temperature in this right hand right now?

Warmth or coolness?

Resting attention in the right hand.

Knowing the right hand from the inside,

So to speak.

And now broadening the lens of your attention,

Taking in the entire right arm from the fingertips to the shoulder.

Sensing the entire right arm and knowing that this sensing is happening.

And shifting across from the right shoulder to the left.

What's alive in the left shoulder right now?

Any sensations?

Often shoulders provide an opportunity to investigate unpleasant sensations a little bit.

Seeing if there's aching or tightness in the shoulders.

Remembering you have options with that.

Investigating or shifting the attention as feels wise.

And traveling down the left arm now.

Left upper arm from the shoulder to the elbow.

Noticing whatever is here to be noticed.

Noticing there's no particular experience you're supposed to be having.

Rather investigating for yourself what's really happening in the right upper arm.

Anything at all?

Perhaps it's as simple as a sense that that's the location of the arm.

Perhaps tingling or heaviness or some other sensation that only you can know right now.

Traveling down into the elbow.

Taking the elbow into attention.

Seeing what it has to offer by way of experiences.

And continuing down through the forearm.

And into the wrist.

And then into the left hand.

Back of the hand.

The interior of the hand.

Palm and finger pads.

Seeing what's here to be known.

Possibly feeling pulsation in the hands or fingers and resting awareness with that for a few moments.

Now expanding your focus to include both arms together.

Maybe noticing the shape of the arms as they are arranged right now.

And any sense of contact between the arms and the floor or the chair.

For a few moments resting the awareness with the sense of the arms just as they are right now.

And now gathering all of your attention into the neck with a sense of curiosity.

What's here in the neck?

How do you know you have a neck?

Are there sensations?

Heavy or light?

Warm or cool?

Like the shoulders,

Neck sometimes gives opportunities to be aware of unpleasant sensations like aching or burning.

Just investigating as is possible and remembering the options you have for moving your attention if needed.

Resting attention in the neck.

And then moving into the head.

Feeling all the myriad experiences that are associated with the head.

Perhaps including the shape and size of the head,

Its density and weight.

What is perceptible to you right now in the area of the head?

Possibly feeling contact between the back of the head and the floor.

What's alive in the face right now?

Knowing for yourself the present moment experiences of the eyes,

The lips,

The tongue and the jaw.

Exploring sensations in the region known as the face.

Not directly knowing moment to moment.

Tingling,

Senses of pressure,

Temperatures and shapes.

These are just some possibilities.

Only you can sense most immediately what's actually here in your face just now.

And now.

Simply knowing the sensations as they are arising right now in the head and the face region.

Remembering as often as you need to or as often as you can that distractions are a normal part of the practice.

Sometimes you may lose track of the sound of my voice or forget where we are in the body scan.

It's part of the process.

The opportunities to begin again are part of the practice.

So now bringing the attention back into the head and the face and seeing what's here.

And now expanding the focus of awareness once again.

Expanding from the head and the face down into the neck,

Shoulders,

Arms and hands,

Down into the torso,

All the way to the pelvis,

Down through the legs,

Knees,

Ankles,

All the way to the feet.

Expanding the focus of awareness to include the entire body again.

Resting here in this position you have chosen.

Experiencing whatever sensations are here right now in the entire body.

And including in your attention the experiences of breathing as well.

Resting in awareness of the entire body breathing.

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

Entire body breathing in,

Breathing out and aware.

If you wish,

Now sweeping your attention through the body from your head to your feet,

From your feet to your head,

Taking as many breaths with this as you feel inclined to.

Reversing the direction of the sweeping several times if you like,

Moving up from the feet to the head and down from the head to the feet with each cycle of breath.

And now resting the attention with a body wide focus.

Coming aware of the entire symphony of sensations that is available to your attention right now.

In a few moments this practice will conclude.

You may begin noticing sounds around you,

Perhaps opening and closing your eyes a few times,

Allowing the light and forms to be known.

Recognizing seeing as seeing.

You may also wish to move or stretch,

Possibly moving your hands and feet or stretching your entire body.

Moving and knowing that you are moving.

In concluding this practice,

You may also find it useful to intentionally acknowledge your capacity and your willingness to give attention to the body in this way.

Perhaps appreciating the time and care you have given to your body through this practice.

Thank you for your practice of the body scan today.

Reviews

Perfect thank you 🙏

Thank you for sharing this supportive body scan meditation. The instructions are helpful and nourishing. 💫💟

Great. Thanks. Very comprehensive body scan. One of the best MBSR in insight timer

Excellent thank you 🙏🌺🦋

I loved this gentle exploration of awareness in the body in the moment. Thank you!

Much appreciated 🙏🏻.