Awaken And Acknowledge MBSR

This daily body scan was created for use with the 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program. It can be used anytime as a way to connect with your body and the present moment. It is a beautiful gesture of devotion to self-care.

Transcript

Welcome to this body scan practice.

Taking a few moments to ensure you've chosen a quiet space where you won't be interrupted by others.

Perhaps using this time as a chance to be fully by yourself and with yourself.

Seeing if you can allow it to be a nourishing time,

A time that you deserve to give yourself some positive energy and attention.

While also remembering to try not too hard to be relaxed as this can often create tension.

What we'll be doing together is becoming aware of each passing moment and just accepting what is happening in yourself.

Letting go of the tendency at times we have to want things to be different and just allowing them to be exactly as they are.

Using the instructions for guidance as best you can.

But remembering that there is no right way to feel while you're doing this.

Just accepting however you're feeling right now and giving yourself the permission to be okay with whatever arises.

So taking a moment to find a comfortable position either lying on your back on a mat or a cushion or a couch or a bed.

Knowing of course that this is an invitation to fall awake.

Noticing when sleepiness arises and perhaps making a choice to either open your eyes or tend to the body in a way that allows you to feel alert during this practice.

You may find perhaps putting a cushion under your knees or a blanket may help you to feel comfortable and to see this as a nourishing time.

So once you've found a comfortable position,

Either laying on your back or in a seated position,

Just allowing your attention to fall upon the breath.

Recognizing the inward and outward flow of the breath.

Tuning in to the sensations of breathing.

And recognizing that at any point during the guidance,

You can always come back to your breath as a form of self-care.

You may find at times there are sensations within the body that may be quite intense or emotions or thoughts.

And just using your breath as an anchor in those moments to practice self-care.

Perhaps even moving as needed as sensations become intense,

But doing so with a sense of curiosity and awareness,

Perhaps even lingering with any sensation of discomfort or intensity to notice if it may change.

And then whenever you're ready,

Coming back to the guidance,

The area of the body.

And on your next out breath,

We're going to allow our attention to fall down to our left big toe.

Recognizing any sensation,

Tingling or moisture,

Warmth,

Coolness,

Or lack of sensation that may be arising at the left big toe.

And if you find that you are registering a blank when you tune into this region,

Then just experiencing not feeling.

Experiencing what is ever there and just breathing with the sensation or lack of sensation.

And on the next out breath,

Moving from the top of the left big toe and falling downward into the valley between the left toe and the second toe.

And on the in breath,

Bring yourself back up to the second toe and using your breath in this manner to move along until you come to the pinky toe in your own time.

And as you arrive at the left pinky toe,

Allowing your attention to now travel downward towards the heel of the left foot.

Realizing any pressure or sensation occurring at the level of the left heel.

And as thoughts arise and pull you away from the sensations within the body,

Just acknowledging that this is a natural part of what the mind does.

And gently but firmly bringing your attention back to the area of focus on the left heel.

And on the next out breath,

Allowing your attention to move upward across the calf and the muscles of the calf on the left leg.

Perhaps even sinking deep into the left leg region to the bones and the tendons and the muscles and noting if there is any sensation in this area of the body.

Moving around to the shin.

Perhaps sensing the point of contact of clothing on the shin.

And then moving upward to the left knee.

Noticing any sensation deep within the knee and around the surface.

And on the next out breath,

Traveling up the left leg across the muscles of the thigh.

And resting your attention now at the left hip.

Perhaps noticing the points of contact of the left hip with the mat or the surface.

And moving your attention across the lower back,

An area where many of us hold tension.

Perhaps exploring with an out breath,

Allowing yourself to sink a little bit deeper into the mat or the cushion or the surface that's supporting you.

Moving across the low back to the right hip.

And allowing your attention to move downward on the right leg,

Exploring the muscles of the right thigh.

Noticing any tingling or sensation or lack of sensation in this area of the body.

And moving from the right thigh down to the right knee.

Noticing what is present at the level of the kneecap,

If anything at all.

And down the right shin.

And resting at the level of the right ankle and the heel on the right foot.

And pausing for a moment to remind yourself there's nothing else to do right now.

Know where to go.

Nothing to do except to be aware of the body and the sensations that are arising at the right heel.

And on the next out breath,

Drawing your attention up the right arch and landing at the base of the right big toe.

And using your breath again to explore the toes on the right foot as you breathe in to the top of the big toe.

And as you breathe out,

Allowing yourself to fall down into the valley between toes.

And exploring at your own time until you come to the pinky toe.

And when you arrive at the pinky toe,

On an out breath,

Allowing your attention to fall down towards the ankle and sweep across the top of the right foot.

Noticing any sensation or coolness or tingling or itching.

Just resting for a moment in whatever sensation is arising.

And now moving from the top of the right foot up the right calf.

Noticing in any points of pressure or lack of sensation in this area of the body.

Moving up past the right knee.

Across the right thigh.

And resting again at the right hip.

And during this practice,

At times you may be pulled away,

Perhaps by a strong sensation elsewhere in the body or a particularly interesting thought or even an intense emotion.

Remembering again this is normal and natural.

And as soon as you notice your attention has been pulled away from the area of the body where we are exploring,

To congratulate yourself as this is a moment of mindfulness.

And in that moment,

You can gently and firmly bring your attention back to the area of the body.

Or you may choose this as a moment of self-care to bring your attention to rest on the breath.

And whenever you're ready,

Coming back to the area of exploration in the guidance.

So moving from the right hip,

We'll move across the surface of the belly and allow our attention to sink in to the abdomen.

To explore the great organs of digestion and reproduction.

And just sitting here for a moment to see what is present.

Not judging or worrying about what your abdomen should feel like.

Just allowing it to be exactly as it is right here,

Right now.

And sinking downward,

Further to the base of the spine.

And moving up the spine vertebrae by vertebrae.

Exploring any sensation in the region of the lower back.

Moving upward towards the mid-back.

And finally resting at the base of the neck.

And on the next out breath,

Moving your attention down the right shoulder.

Perhaps pausing for a moment to experiment with releasing any tension that may be present in the right shoulder.

And allowing it to just melt away on the out breath.

Moving downward towards the right bicep.

And pausing for a moment at the right elbow.

Going deep within the elbow.

As well as any sensation that may arise on the outside of the elbow.

And following the arm bone down from the elbow to the wrist on the right arm.

And on the next in breath,

Coming up the right thumb.

And on the out breath,

Falling downwards toward the gap between fingers.

And again exploring your hands in this way until you come to the pinky.

And on the next out breath,

Moving from the pinky across the palm of the hand.

Realizing any dampness or tingling.

Perhaps even sensing if you feel any sense of aliveness in the palm of the right hand.

Moving across over the top surface of the right hand,

Up past the right wrist toward the elbow.

And pausing at the right shoulder once again.

Perhaps exploring the right shoulder blade.

And moving inward to the chest cavity.

The right and the left lungs.

Noticing the feeling as the lungs expand and contract.

Just pausing for a moment to realize the lungs have been working faithfully,

Breathing the body for us as our attention has been elsewhere.

And taking a moment to see if a sense of gratitude may arise as you allow your attention to rest on the rising and falling of the chest.

And perhaps now expanding this investigative curiosity and gratitude into that area of the heart.

Also recognizing the heart has been beating and doing its very best to care for us during this practice.

Noticing any sensations at the level of the heart.

Perhaps feeling the rhythmic beating within your chest.

Or noticing any thoughts that may arise with lack of sensation.

And just allowing any thoughts that arise to flow away as you direct your attention back to the physical sensations in the chest.

And allowing now the attention on the heart to dissolve into the background as we bring our attention up to the left shoulder.

And on the next out breath,

Following down the left forearm.

Towards the wrist and the left arm.

Breathing inward on the thumb.

And outward as you fall down into the valley between the thumb and the first finger.

Following the hands with beginners eyes in your own time.

And meeting again at the base of the pinky finger.

Coming back to the left wrist.

And up the left arm.

Pausing for a moment at the elbow.

Noticing any pressure or numbness or lack of sensation in the elbow of the left arm.

And bringing yourself up to the left shoulder.

Again across the left shoulder blade.

And meeting again at the base of the neck.

Following each vertebrae upward.

And allowing your attention to rest at the level of the jaw.

Perhaps exploring on an out breath,

Releasing any tension that you may be holding in the jaw.

Moving inward to the tongue.

And upward through the roof of the mouth into the nose and the nasal cavities.

Bringing your attention to the tip of the nose.

And exploring and seeing if you can feel the sense of tingling as the air passes through your nostrils on an in breath.

And now moving your attention out to your left ear.

Circling around the edges of the ear.

And across the back of the head.

Noticing the point where the head meets the mat or the cushion.

Or perhaps if you're in a seated position,

Feeling the sense of balance of the head on the base of the neck.

And moving over to the right ear.

Exploring the right ear with the same sense of curiosity and care.

And moving in towards the right eye.

Noticing the sensation of the eye.

Sitting in the eye socket.

Moving across the left eye.

And over the eyelids.

And finally moving upward to the top of the head.

Bringing your attention to the uppermost point of the skull.

And now moving from this very narrow point of attention.

And slowly widening your circle of awareness to encompass the whole body laying here or resting here.

Allowing for a moment your attention to be pulled in any direction.

Noticing the rising and dissolving of sensations across the entire body.

And taking a moment to congratulate yourself for setting aside this time to be with the body in the present moment.

And sitting or laying in stillness until you hear the final sound of the bell.

The final sound of the bell.

Reviews

Great!

Detailed, but not at all pushy or rushed, thank you