Compassionate Body Scan

This compassionate body scan practice is an invitation to attend to the body with loving kindness and compassion. It is a mindful practice that can connect you to your body even when pain may be present. It pulls from mindful self compassionate practice.

Transcript

Welcome.

My name is Becky Diaz,

And I'll be leading you through a compassionate body scan.

Let's begin.

Go ahead and find a comfortable position,

Either sitting or lying down.

And then place one or two hands over your heart or any other soothing place.

Just as a reminder to bring affectionate awareness to yourself throughout this exercise.

And take a few moments to settle in,

To center yourself,

Maybe using the practice of listening to the sounds around you,

Or noticing places where your body touches itself,

Like your eyelids or any other objects,

Like the chair,

Floor,

Or bed.

Or you can attend to the in-breath and the out-breath.

Or you can take a few moments to focus on the sounds around you,

Coming into the present moment.

And in this exercise,

We will be bringing warm-hearted attention to each part of the body in a variety of ways.

Moving from one part to another,

Finding what works best for each of us,

And we will be inclining our awareness toward the body.

Maybe as you might incline toward a young child or a baby animal.

And if you have judgments or unpleasant associations with a particular body part,

Or if you experience physical discomfort,

You may wish to place a hand on that part of your body as a gesture of kindness.

Maybe imagining warmth and kindness flowing through your hand into your body.

And if for any reason,

An area of your body is too difficult to stay with,

Moving gently to another body part for the time being.

Allowing this exercise to be as gentle and peaceful as possible.

And so we'll begin with the toes on your left foot.

Go ahead and notice,

Are there any sensations in your toes?

Are your toes warm?

Or cool?

Dry or moist?

Just feeling the sensations of your toes.

Ease,

Discomfort,

Or perhaps nothing at all.

And letting each sensation be just as it is.

Maybe even giving your toes an inner smile of recognition or appreciation.

And then moving to the soles of your left foot.

Can you detect any sensations there?

Your feet have such a small surface,

And yet they hold up your entire body all day long.

They work so hard.

And now we're giving them a little appreciation,

If only for a moment.

And if there's any discomfort,

Releasing any tension,

And allowing that area to soften as if it were wrapped in a warm towel.

If you like,

You can address these sensations with kind words,

Such as,

There's a little discomfort there,

It's okay for now.

And then now feeling your whole foot.

If your feet feel good today,

You can also extend gratitude for the discomfort that you don't have.

Moving your attention now up your leg,

One part at a time.

Noticing whatever body sensations are present.

Giving appreciation if the part feels fine.

And sending kindness,

Compassion,

If there is any discomfort.

Moving slowly,

Still on the left side,

To your ankle,

Shin,

And calf,

Knee.

And when you notice that your mind has wandered,

As it always will,

Just come on back to the sensations in that particular part of your body.

And if any difficult feelings arise,

Either return to your breath,

Or try repeating some loving kindness phrases.

Like,

May I be safe.

May I be healthy.

May I be peaceful.

May I live with ease.

Or try other variations,

Such as,

May I be free from inner and outer harm.

Or may I love myself completely,

Just as I am.

And if you like,

You can simplify the sequence to just the key words.

Allow these words to land,

Receive them,

Allow these words to nourish you.

And if you come up against a strong dislike of any part of the body,

Try saying in the kindest tone you can,

May I have love and compassion for my body right now,

Even if there is suffering.

May I bring kindness and compassion to this body,

And to myself.

Allowing this entire process to be exploratory,

Even playful.

Gently working your way through your body.

Moving on to your thigh.

Remembering that you always have the option to be with your breath.

Breathe.

And now bringing loving awareness to your entire left leg.

Making room for whatever you may be sensing or feeling.

And moving on to the right leg.

Beginning with your right toes.

Noticing.

Releasing.

Being with the right soul.

The right foot.

The ankle.

Breathing into the shin.

Sending kindness and compassion to the calf.

The knee.

And then now on to your thigh.

Noticing,

Without judgment,

The entire right leg.

And if your hand is placed on your body,

Imagining warmth and kindness moving to where that hand is placed.

And now bringing your awareness to your pelvic area.

The strong bones that support your legs,

And also the soft tissue in your pelvic area.

You'll be feeling your buttocks on the floor or on the chair.

These large muscles that help you to move,

And also allow you to sit softly and comfortably.

This can be an area of the body that represents pain or suffering.

And if that's so,

Try giving this part of your body kindness.

Letting it know that you are here.

And feel free to skip any part of the body if too much physical or emotional discomfort arises.

And now your lower back.

A lot of stress is stored in the lower back.

If you notice that discomfort or tension,

You might imagine your muscles relaxing,

Melting with tenderness.

And feel free at any time in this meditation to shift your posture,

Make any adjustments that will allow you to be more comfortable.

And then your upper back.

And now moving your attention to the front of your body,

To your abdomen.

And your stomach.

Your stomach may be a very complicated part of the body.

It has many organs and body functions.

And it also receives a lot of messages and shoulds.

So perhaps sending some gratitude and appreciation to this part of the body.

Even if you have judgments about your belly,

About your stomach.

Seeing if you can offer up some words of kindness and acceptance.

It still shows up.

And then moving up to your chest.

The center of your breathing.

And also your heart center.

Infusing your chest with awareness,

Appreciation,

And acceptance.

Maybe even putting a gentle hand on the center of your chest.

Allowing yourself to feel whatever it is you're feeling right now.

And as we continue to move along,

Please feel free to touch any part of the body.

Even gently stroking that part.

Whatever feels right to you.

Continuing to incline your awareness toward your body with the same quality of warmth you might have toward a young child or animal.

Feeling the sensations in your left shoulder.

Your left upper arm.

The elbow.

Bringing tender awareness to each part of your body.

Your left lower arm.

Your wrist.

Hand.

Fingers.

Feeling free to wiggle your fingers if you like.

Savoring the sensations that arise when you move your fingers.

Your hands are pretty unique.

Capable and also sensitive to touch.

Sending compassion.

And now scanning your whole left arm and hand with loving and compassionate awareness.

And then moving to your right side.

To your right shoulder.

Noticing the right upper arm.

The elbow.

The lower arm.

The wrist.

The hand.

The fingers.

The whole right arm and hand.

Sending loving kindness.

And if there's any tension,

Just imagining those muscles relaxing,

Not forcing.

Relaxing as though they're just slipping into a warm bath.

And now proceeding with awareness toward your head,

Beginning with the neck.

If you like,

Maybe touching your neck with your hand.

Remembering how the neck supports your head throughout the day.

How it is a conduit for blood to the brain and air to the body.

Offering appreciation and kindness to your neck if it feels good.

Either mentally or with that physical touch.

Or if needed,

Go ahead and send compassion if there's any tension or discomfort there in the neck.

And then finally moving on to your head.

Beginning with the back of the head,

The hard surface that protects your brain.

If you like,

You can gently touch the back of your head with your hand.

Or simply touch it with your awareness.

Remaining present.

And if it hasn't happened already,

If at any point your attention wanders,

As it naturally does,

Just go ahead and come back to your body,

To the physical sensation of being in your body.

And then bring that awareness to your ears.

Those sensitive organs of perception that can tell you so much about your world.

If you're glad for the capacity to hear,

Allowing appreciation to arise in your heart.

And if you're worried about your hearing,

Maybe putting a hand over your heart and giving yourself some compassion.

And then offering the same loving or compassionate awareness to your other organs.

Other organs of perception.

Such as your eyes,

Your nose,

Your lips.

And don't forget to recognize your cheeks,

Your jaw,

And your chin.

For how they help you eat,

And speak,

And smile.

And then finally your forehead,

And the crown of your head,

And underneath your brain.

Your tender brain is composed of billions of nerve cells that are communicating with each other all the time to help you make sense of your world.

And so if you like,

Saying thank you to your brain for constantly working on your behalf.

And when you finished,

Giving kind and compassionate attention to your whole body.

And then when that compassionate attention really feels complete,

Try offering your body a final shower.

One final drench from head to toe of appreciation,

Compassion,

Gratitude,

Connection,

And respect.

And then when you're ready,

In your own time,

Allowing the practice to sink in,

Go ahead and open your eyes.

Thank you.

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