Body Scan
In this practice, we explore offering the body gentle attention. There are various ways to connect with our bodies, and in this practice, we try a few different options, always remembering to prioritize choice in our exploration. Simply setting the intention to be kind can be enough for our purposes. Thank you for practicing with me.
Transcript
Hi,
My name is Jessica.
In this practice we'll explore a body scan,
Bringing gentle attention to sensations in the body.
The guidance is a suggestion and I encourage you to listen to what might be needed for you.
There's no need to rush or force anything.
We'll be practicing meeting the body as it is with some kind attention.
When you're ready,
I invite you to bring yourself to a comfortable position.
If you'd like,
You can explore sitting on a cushion or a chair,
Or lying down may feel supportive.
Taking your time,
Closing the eyes if comfortable,
And if you'd like them open,
Finding a fixed point in front of you may be helpful,
Resting the eyes.
And now if you'd like,
Taking some deep inhales and exhales at your own pace if that feels good,
Allowing the body to naturally ground.
You may be noticing where the body meets the surfaces below you.
Just beginning to sense the whole body here,
Knowing the body is always in the present moment.
Throughout the practice I'll be inviting you to explore offering the body a sense of kindness.
So this is more of an improvisational aspect to the practice.
I'll offer some phrases that may be helpful to use as a way to touch into this felt sense of loving,
Kind attention.
Perhaps you may notice a sense of compassion,
Appreciation that arises,
Maybe even a sense of warmth in the body,
Or a color that arises with this invitation as you're exploring.
But there's really no need to feel anything in particular,
And if there's not a sense of kindness arising,
That's okay.
Just the intention to be kind with your attention is enough.
Meeting each changing moment with an open mind,
A generous spirit,
In a way that's accessible for you.
And now,
As we begin the practice,
I invite you to bring a gentle,
Focused awareness to the breath in the body,
Knowing you're breathing.
And if you'd like,
Exploring where the breath is showing up right now,
Maybe in the rise and the fall of the belly or the chest,
Or the coolness or the warmth of the air flowing through the nose.
If the breath is not easy to follow right now,
It may be helpful to allow the attention to rest in a place where the body is feeling balance or ease.
Maybe guiding the attention to the hands or the feet,
If accessible.
We're just taking a moment here,
Listening to the body.
If you find an anchor in the breath or in a particular part of the body,
Maybe the weight of the hands,
It may be helpful to know that this is here for you at any moment,
A place to ground in presence throughout the practice.
And if any strong physical sensations or emotions arise,
Just remembering that this anchor is available,
A place to return when the mind is being pulled,
A place to recenter the attention and resource.
And as you're feeling ready,
I invite you to gently bring focused attention to the top of the head and the forehead,
Noticing here if there's any sensations arising,
Tingling,
Pulsing,
Numbness,
Becoming aware of what's naturally showing up.
And if you'd like to,
Inviting a sense of kindness to this area of the head,
Offering phrases,
If that's helpful,
Like,
May the head be healthy,
Be with ease.
So just noticing what comes up here in this offering.
Maybe sensing warmth,
Vibration.
There may even be a visual or a color that's arriving.
Whatever's here,
Becoming aware with some curiosity,
Keeping an open mind if possible.
And now allowing this gentle focus to move down to the eyes,
The eyelids,
The lashes,
Breathing or feeling into this area of the body right now.
May the eyes be healthy,
Be with ease.
Gently guiding the awareness to the nose,
Breathing,
Noticing the nasal pathways up through the cheekbones,
The coolness or the warmth of the air in and out of the nose.
Noticing any sensations in this area of the body,
Perhaps moving into the ears,
Wrapping around the back of the head,
Getting a sense of what's here.
May the nose and the upper area of the face,
The ears,
The back of the head be healthy,
Be with ease.
If you notice the mind wandering,
It may be helpful to note wandering.
Just noticing with some kindness and patience,
Taking your time,
Gently returning the awareness back to this area of the face and the nose.
And as you're ready,
Guiding the awareness now to the inside of the mouth,
Perhaps noticing the weight of the tongue,
The softness of the inside of the mouth,
Meeting the hardness of the teeth.
Noticing the contact between the upper lip and the lower lip.
What are you aware of right now?
Inviting you to bring a sense of compassion to the mouth.
In this area of the body,
Perhaps noticing the awareness now to the jaw,
The lower part of the face,
All of the ligaments and the muscles.
Perhaps you're noticing tension being held in the jaw.
If so,
Is it possible to allow the muscles to fall away from the bone structure?
May the lower part of the face and the jaw be with ease,
Be healthy.
And if you'd like to,
Expanding that offering to the entire head and face.
May the head,
Face be healthy,
Be with ease.
Gently moving now to the throat,
The neck.
Noticing any sensations right now,
Bringing a sense of kind attention to this area of the body.
Remembering that if any strong sensations or emotions come up,
There's this invitation to be in the center of this with kindness and compassion,
Listening to the body.
What may be needed right now?
Knowing the anchor of choice is here at any point,
A place to recenter the attention.
Really listening here.
Sometimes I like to open my eyes for a moment and just orient me,
Ground in presence and then return without rushing to the body.
And when you're ready,
Gently guiding the awareness now to the shoulders,
The shoulder blades and the chest,
Feeling the upper part of the chest,
Noticing any tingling or twitching or ease in the muscles.
Whatever's arising,
Noticing without judging.
May the shoulders,
The chest be with ease,
Be peaceful and healthy.
Guiding the awareness down to the arms,
To the elbows,
The forearms.
Really sensing the weight and the length of the arms,
Noticing what's here.
Taking your time,
Feeling into the palm of the hands,
The backsides of the hands,
The fingers,
All the way to the tops of the fingertips.
You may be noticing moisture,
Dryness,
Coolness or warmth.
Sensing this area of the body with kind attention.
May the arms,
The hands be with ease and be healthy.
As you're feeling ready,
Allowing the awareness to travel from the hands up through the arms,
Through the chest and the lungs into the abdomen,
Wrapping around the lower part of the back,
Getting a sense of what's here.
Sensations changing.
Maybe noticing the motion of the breath in this area of the body.
May the lower part of the back and the abdomen be with ease and be healthy.
Extending this same sense of kind attention to the area of the middle body as a whole.
Without rushing,
Inviting the awareness down into the pelvic area,
The hip joints.
What's it like right now?
Noticing if there's any tension or holding.
Maybe there's a sense of balance,
Perhaps an emotion present.
Becoming aware of what's here,
Inviting you to bring kindness,
Compassion to this area of the body.
Listening,
What might be needed.
Again,
There's no need to force or feel anything in particular.
Practicing being with the moment just as it is over and over again with a sense of gentle attention.
As you're feeling ready,
Guiding the awareness down through the thighs,
Getting a sense of the length,
The weight of this area of the body,
And becoming aware of sensations arising and fading.
Allowing the awareness to move into the knees,
Taking a moment to notice what's here,
The fronts of the knees,
The backs of the knees.
Gently guiding the awareness into the calves,
The shins,
And the ankles.
Noticing the softness of the muscles meeting the hardness of the bones.
Taking your time,
Allowing the awareness in through the heels and the arches,
The soles of the feet,
The tops of the feet,
All the way to the toes.
Really sensing into the weight of the feet.
Noticing temperature,
Sensations,
Coming and going.
Is there dryness,
Moisture,
Warmth,
Coolness?
Just noticing what's here.
As you're feeling ready,
Just getting a sense of the feet and the legs.
Inviting a sense of kind attention with this area of the body.
May the feet and the legs be healthy.
Be with ease.
And if you're feeling ready,
I invite you now to open the awareness,
Expanding,
Sensing the whole body.
From the tips of the toes,
Through the feet,
Up through the legs,
The back and front body,
Through the hands and the arms,
Up into the shoulders,
Into the neck,
Through the head and the eyes,
All the way to the crown of the head.
Knowing the body is here and present.
If you'd like,
You can imagine or feel into every single pore of the body,
Inhaling a nourishing breath of air and exhaling a refreshing breath of air into the environment around you.
Maybe even getting a sense of this body being held by the surfaces below the body,
The ground,
Being supported by the earth.
As we come to a close with this meditation practice,
A gentle reminder that in times of difficulty,
Neutrality or joy,
There's this invitation to be with the body in this way.
Sensing into physical sensations,
Becoming close and in touch with the body.
And if you'd like offering a sense of kindness and compassion with your attention.
Using phrases or words,
If that's helpful.
Like,
May this body be healthy,
Be with ease,
Be peaceful.
As you're feeling ready,
We'll begin to gently connect to the space around you.
Maybe getting a sense of the temperature in the air,
The way the clothing feels against the skin.
Maybe allowing some motion in the body if you haven't already.
Maybe gently opening the eyes if they've been closed.
Taking the time that you need to connect to your surroundings.
Thank you for trying this out with me and thank you for your practice.
