Body scan practice.
So first we bring an intention to why we might want to do this practice and it's to develop our ability to pay more attention to the sensations of the body,
Cultivating awareness and then taking the time to find a comfortable position lying down,
Cushion under the head,
Perhaps a little support under the knees and just gradually bringing a little focus to your breathing at the moment,
Just settling in,
Finding a nice comfortable breathing rhythm and then gradually moving the attention to the contact of the body on the floor.
Just noticing how the body is supported and just be curious as to how you can develop a sense of the whole body just lying.
And again quite gradually we can direct our focus to the left hand side of the whole body from the tips of the toes all the way up through the left hand side to the top of the head.
And just noticing any and all sensations as you do this.
Don't worry if there are no sensations,
We find it's a little difficult to focus,
Remembering that we're just lying open,
Aware and just a slight direction of focus onto the left hand side of the body.
And now moving the attention across the body to the right hand side and again all the way from the tips of the toes to the top of the head.
Aware of any differences in sensation or maybe aware of how easy or difficult it is to move from the left over to the right hand side.
Just letting go,
Allowing the body to sense and feel what's going on right now.
And using our attention a bit like a torch light or a spotlight and shining this spotlight of attention now down towards both feet.
No need to focus or concentrate too hard,
Keeping attention soft yet directed down towards the feet.
And how the feet make contact with the floor or whatever it is that you're lying on.
Slowly towards the toes and the tips of the toes.
Aware of any space around or between the toes.
No need to search or to look,
We are just lying and allowing the senses to come to our attention.
We can now move this spotlight of attention down through the feet and around all those fine small bones that constructed quite tightly,
Helping us to walk through the day.
Maybe tightness or sensation of any form of clothing or covering around the feet.
And down and around the ankle area.
Just working through the ankle towards the back of the ankle and slowly up through the Achilles tendons and the lower legs.
And the calf muscles,
The shin.
And gradually up and around both knees.
Through the knees from the front to the back.
Being aware if we really are sensing or are we visualising.
Just returning to the body,
Tending to the feelings,
Sensations.
All the way around and through the knee.
And then gradually up,
Thigh muscles and the upper legs.
And are we sensing around the upper legs?
Or can we take our attention and awareness a little deeper into the muscles surrounding the bone?
Just noticing.
Outside and then the inside of the thighs,
Gradually moving towards the hips.
And the pelvic bone in contact with the floor.
And the pelvic and stomach area in general.
Which supports our organs and supports the base of the back in our day to day lives.
Allowing this area to soften.
Allowing it to release any tension.
Allowing the time to explore around and inside this stomach area.
Maybe even the rise and fall of the stomach as you breathe.
And the emptying sensation when you breathe out.
Down to the lower back.
And by the floor or whatever you were lying on.
And in your own time just moving slowly up through the back.
Maybe one vertebrae at a time or one area at a time.
Noticing how the back is.
Maybe a little gratitude for the work and support that the back gives you every day.
How hard it works.
And allowing it to rest and just unwind.
And approaching the middle of the back and then slightly higher towards the shoulders.
Shoulder blades in contact with whatever you're lying on.
And moving this spotlight of attention gradually and slowly through the shoulders from the back to the front.
And just allowing them to rest.
From the front of the shoulders maybe we could move down through the chest.
Noticing the movements from our breathing.
Or any constriction from the clothing we wear.
And a sense of the lungs beneath the ribcage.
Just filling and emptying as you breathe.
Just softening and deepening the breathing maybe.
Appreciating every breath.
And then from the chest area moving the spotlight down towards the tips of the fingers.
Any sense of space or temperature around the fingers.
And gradually up through the hands.
And we can play around with the sensations from the palms of the hand and the back of the hand.
Allowing them to release.
Just be there.
While you move the attention again up through the lower arms.
Slowly towards the elbow.
And then the upper arms.
And the muscle areas of the biceps and the triceps.
Can you sense the inside of the outside?
And as we keep moving up towards the shoulders once again.
Placing a soft spotlight of attention on the lower part of the neck.
And moving around this area and the throat area.
Softening,
Relaxing.
Up through the neck and the throat.
Softening the tongue inside the mouth.
Perhaps softening or loosening the jaw.
And if we feel any discomfort while we just allow and become curious to any sensation.
We can learn to let the sensation just be there.
Maybe imagining breathing through any discomfort.
We're just inside our bodies.
Focusing on how it feels.
And then from the jaw around the ears and the back of the head in contact with the cushion.
Just gradually moving the awareness to the top of the head.
Softening and loosening the temple areas.
The forehead.
Bringing a focus to the very top.
And from this focus attention on different parts of the body.
Are we able to loosen that awareness and become aware once again of the whole body.
Just lying here.
Surrounded by the space.
And let's just rest in this space for a few moments.
And maybe visualising that we can breathe through the whole body.
And let's just rest in this space for a few moments.
And let's just rest in this space for a few moments.
And let's just rest in this space for a few moments.
And let's just rest in this space for a few moments.
And let's just rest in this space for a few moments.
And let's just rest in this space for a few moments.
