Feeling sensations in the body can be challenging,
Especially when we live with discomfort or we meet discomfort in such a way that we are rejecting of it or resisting it.
Most of the time,
We don't want discomfort to be around.
We don't want to experience it.
And yet,
When we open to the possibilities of meeting discomfort as a visitor with a purpose,
That can shift our whole experience,
Our whole relationship with our bodies.
So this mindful body scan is designed to help you in the process of reacquainting yourself with this body,
With the sensations,
To meet them just as they are without trying to change them,
Without trying to alter the experience in any way.
So you might notice as we move through this body scan that there are internal desires to hold on to particular sensations,
To push others away,
Desires for the experience to be different in some way.
And I encourage you to just notice when that happens,
To notice the tendency of the mind to get involved.
And for this practice,
To notice when that happens and ask those thoughts to just step aside for right now so that you can meet directly with the experience of sensing.
It is natural,
It is normal for the thoughts to come in and want to judge or change or make sense of what is happening in some way.
And that has its purpose at times.
For this practice,
However,
We will practice being with,
Being with,
Meeting sensations just as they are.
So find a comfortable lying down position.
For this practice,
We encourage lying down so that you can really feel supported and not have unnecessary distractions inside the body that can happen with other positions such as sitting,
Standing,
Where you're having to hold the body up.
Here,
We are allowing the body to be held so that we can rest and fully engage with each sensation as it presents itself.
So find that comfortable position,
Support yourself in any ways that you can,
Adding extra cushion,
Pillows,
Blankets.
And once you have found this position that is most comfortable for you right now,
Take a global view of the body.
So you might even start with visualizing this body in this space,
The space of the room,
Sense the boundaries of the body,
Where the air is touching the outer layers of skin,
Textures of fabric against the skin.
Noticing whether the eyes are open or closed,
Any colors,
Shapes,
Images that may be present and letting these sensations be,
Feeling them directly without creating comparisons or stories or labeling,
Doing your best to feel into the direct experience of sensing.
Noticing sounds,
Feeling them as vibrations moving through the body.
Notice any smells that may be present,
Tastes lingering in the mouth,
And then tune into the breath,
Feeling the air as it moves from the outside of the body in through the nose,
Throat.
Follow the sensation inward,
More deeply into the trachea and the lungs,
Feeling gentle movements of expansion and contraction,
Noticing where you feel the body moving with the breath.
You might even feel a shifting between the skin and the fabric of clothing or blanket.
Tune into these very detailed areas of sensation,
Fine tuning the attention,
And then perhaps taking a more global view once again to sense the whole body expanding and releasing with each breath,
Expanding and releasing with each breath.
Notice where you feel expansion and contraction naturally.
And then we'll take a journey through sensations of the body,
Scanning from the crown of the head all the way down to the bottoms of the feet.
And as you shift attention and feel your way through each area of the body,
You might tune in and notice sensations of tingling,
Streaming,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Expansion,
Contraction,
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Or any other sensations that arise.
Feel into the sensory experience at the crown of the head,
Awakening to every single hair follicle on the head.
Follow this light of attention as it moves through the head,
Through the forehead,
Inside the head,
Back of the head,
Behind the eyes,
Eyelids,
Both eyes together,
Nose,
Sinus cavities,
Inner ears,
Middle ears,
Outer ears,
Mouth,
Jaw,
Hinges of the jaw,
Without trying to change or adjust anything,
Just feeling into the sensations and noticing what happens with curiosity and openness,
Noticing,
Feeling,
Noting any shifts that may take place,
Any changes that may naturally take place without the effort to do so,
Sensing the whole head together,
The neck,
The throat,
The left shoulder,
Upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Back of the left hand,
Palm of the hand,
Left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
All the fingers on the left hand,
Tips of the fingers,
Spaces between the fingers,
The whole left hand and arm together,
Right shoulder,
Right upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Back of the right hand,
Palm of the hand,
Right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
All the fingers on the right hand,
Tips of the fingers,
The whole right hand and arm,
Upper chest,
Upper back,
Lower chest,
Middle back,
Abdomen,
Pelvis,
Low back,
The whole torso together,
The whole torso together,
Left hip,
Upper leg,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Foot,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
All the toes on the left foot,
The whole left foot and leg,
Right hip,
Upper leg,
Knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Foot,
First toe,
Second toe,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
Heel,
Right foot,
First toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
All the toes on the right foot,
The whole right foot and leg,
Both legs together and torso and arms and neck and head,
The whole body together,
One unified field of sensation with a symphony of sensations arising,
Unfolding and dissolving away.
Notice where attention is naturally drawn to thoughts,
To emotions,
To sensations,
How it changes the attention.
It changes where it moves from moment to moment,
From day to day.
Every time you practice a body scan,
It will be completely different depending upon where the attention is drawn,
The sensations that arise.
Each moment is an opportunity for attention,
For connection with the direct experience of this present moment.
Notice how this mindful body scan practice informs how you relate to your body as you move throughout the day.
Notice how it changes the relationship with your body and all of its many sensations.
Just notice with curiosity,
Compassion,
Being the witness,
The observer and the sensor,
The feeler of all the comings and goings.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Have a wonderful day.
