This is the body scan practice.
This practice is usually done lying down but you can do it in a chair or another position if you're in a lot of pain or if lying down isn't the right thing for you.
If you are lying down and you have lower back issues you could bend up your knees so the soles of the feet are flat on the floor or put in a cushion or bolster behind your knees if you prefer.
If you think you might be pregnant then not lying on your back,
Perhaps lying on your side with cushions for support or sitting in a chair.
And if during this body scan you feel in a place of overwhelm at specific parts of the body then doing what you need to do to look after yourself,
Perhaps moving your focus to a different part of the body or moving to another position or disengaging from the practice altogether,
Whatever that looks like for you.
The intention of the practice is to bring a warm,
Friendly,
Curious attention to the different parts of the body in turn,
Noticing the sensations in each part of the body and perhaps the temperature there too.
The intention is to stay awake and alert in the practice so just having that in mind as we begin.
You can close your eyes if that feels ok or having an unfixed gaze if you're keeping your eyes open and just taking some time to settle now.
And just noticing your whole body and it's contact with whatever surface you're on,
Whether that's the floor,
The bed or a chair.
And spending a few moments just noticing the sensations of the body arising and dissolving in your awareness.
And now taking your attention to your breath,
Just noticing the sensations of the breath in the body as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
Just noticing wherever the breath's most prominent for you and noticing how the breath is,
Whether it's deep or shallow,
Fast or slow.
And we're not trying to change anything or get rid of anything in this practice,
Just simply noticing the breath just as it is.
Noticing the body as it breathes,
Just as it always does.
And your mind may wander,
So just noticing when it does and gently bringing your attention back to your breath without giving yourself a hard time.
Noticing the mind has wandered is a moment of mindfulness.
Now inviting you to gather your attention and bring it into your feet and toes.
And notice whatever sensations are present in the feet and the toes.
Perhaps the sensations of tingling or perhaps there's numbness and there's no sensations at all.
And if there's no sensation,
Simply notice that.
And perhaps noticing the contact with the feet and the toes,
With the socks or your shoes or whatever surface they're on.
Maybe notice the temperature of the skin in the feet and toes.
And now gathering your attention and bringing it into the ankles.
Just noticing what sensations are in the ankles.
Any sensations on the surface of the skin,
Any sensations inside the skin.
Not trying to change anything or create sensations,
But just noticing the sensations that are present,
If any.
Now bringing your attention to the lower legs,
The shins and the calves.
Noticing what sensations are here for you.
Or noticing a lack of sensation if there's none.
Simply register a blank.
Just noticing and allowing things to be just as they are.
And if the mind wanders,
Which it will do because that's what minds are designed to do,
To just simply notice where the mind's gone and kindly bring your attention back to the sensations in the lower legs.
Noticing the sensations in the lower legs in this moment.
Now bringing your attention to the knees,
The bones of the kneecaps and inside the knees,
The ligaments and tendons.
Perhaps noticing the soft fleshy part at the back of the knees.
Just noticing any sensations present in the knees.
And if the mind wanders,
Simply notice that the mind's wandered.
Notice where it's gone to.
And with gentleness and kindness,
Bring your awareness back to the sensations in the knees.
Now bring your attention into the thighs,
The big muscles of the thighs.
Noticing the sensations in the fronts of the thighs,
The backs of the thighs and the sides.
Being curious about the sensations present on the skin on the thighs.
Perhaps noticing the sensation of the cloth of your clothes resting against the skin on the thighs.
And if there's no sensation,
Simply noticing that.
Not trying to generate sensations,
But just noticing what's here.
And just checking in with yourself.
And if you feel like there's a period where you're feeling more overwhelmed in this practice right now,
Then looking after yourself and doing whatever you need to do to take care.
Maybe moving your attention to a different part of the body or even into another position or disengaging from the practice altogether.
But if you feel comfortable to continue,
Noticing what sensations are here for you in the thighs.
And on the next in-breath,
Just imagining the breath filling the whole body,
Breathing into the whole body and down into both legs.
Filling the legs with air.
Feeling the breath go all the way down to fill the toes and then breathing out of the legs.
Emptying them of air and letting go of the legs.
As you gather your awareness and bring that awareness into the sensations of the hips and the pelvic area and the buttocks.
And just noticing any sensations present there.
And as much as you can,
Just allowing things to be as they are.
Perhaps noticing any warmth or coolness.
Any sensations where the hips and the pelvic areas in contact with the surface that you're on.
And just noticing and allowing things to be just as they are.
Now gathering your awareness and bringing it into the lower back.
If you notice any tension in the lower back,
You may like to breathe into it on the in-breath and breathe out of it on the out-breath.
That's not to get rid of or change any sensations but just to open to them and perhaps soften towards them.
Really using the breath to explore the sensations.
Bringing curiosity into those sensations and noticing what's here for you in the lower back.
Now bringing your awareness into the middle of the back and perhaps noticing the changing pattern of sensations in the middle of the back.
As you're breathing and out,
Perhaps noticing the middle of the back against the floor,
The mat or bed,
Or the back of the chair.
And if the mind's wandered,
Just notice where the mind's gone to.
You could even perhaps label where the mind's gone to.
Ah,
There's planning,
There's judging or comparing,
Or there's worrying.
And when you've labeled where the mind's gone to,
Kindly and gently as possible,
Just bringing the mind back to the sensations of the body.
Back to the sensations that are present for you here in the middle of the back.
Or maybe a lack of sensations present.
Now bringing your awareness to the upper back,
To the shoulder blades and between the shoulder blades,
The vertebrae of the spine.
Noticing the muscles and the skin in the upper back and the shoulder blades.
Opening to the sensations present for you.
And if there's tension in the shoulders,
You could simply notice that,
Be curious about that.
What does tension feel like in the body?
Not necessarily thinking about what that means,
But feeling directly what tension is like.
What sensations are there with tension?
Or you could,
With mindfulness and awareness,
Choose to soften the tension,
Consciously trying to relax the sensations in the shoulder blades and the top of the back and notice how that feels.
And now opening to the sensations throughout the whole of the back.
Whole of the back,
Against whatever surface you're on.
Whatever sensations are present,
Or perhaps a lack of sensation.
Just simply noticing what's here for you.
And now letting go of the back and moving your awareness to the front of the body.
Perhaps noticing the movement of the rise and fall of the chest with the breath.
The sensations of the breath in the ribcage.
Noticing how the ribcage moves.
Just take your attention to your abdomen and maybe notice the belly rise and fall with the breath.
There may be tension there,
Or there may be no sensation at all.
It might just feel numb.
And just noticing if that's the case.
Just taking a moment also to check in with yourself.
How are you feeling in this moment?
And if you're feeling overwhelmed,
Remembering you can always disengage from the practice.
You can focus on a different part of the body or move to another position.
So just do whatever feels right for you.
If you're happy to continue.
Then on the next in-breath,
Just imagine breathing into and filling the whole torso with air.
And on the out-breath,
Emptying the torso of air and letting go of the muscles,
Bones and ligaments there.
Just bringing your awareness into the hands,
Into the palms with all the nerve endings.
And noticing what sensations are present in the palms of your hands.
Bringing awareness to the back of the hands,
Thumbs and now all of the other fingers.
And just noticing whatever sensations are here.
Bringing your attention to the wrists and noticing any sensations inside the wrists,
Inside the joints.
Moving your attention up the arms to the forearms.
Simply noticing what's here.
And if there are no sensations,
Just registering a blank.
Not trying to generate sensations.
We just want to notice what's here.
Bringing your awareness to the bony outer elbows.
And the fleshy part in the crook of the arms.
Bringing your awareness up to the upper arms.
And perhaps noticing the cloth of your clothes resting against the upper arms.
And maybe noticing the contact with the backs of the upper arms and the floor,
Bed or chair.
Gathering your attention and bringing it into the shoulders.
Just noticing what sensations are present in the shoulders.
Maybe noticing if there's any tension in the shoulders.
Noticing how that tension feels.
Now if you prefer,
You could always breathe into the tension.
Breathing into the tension on the in-breath and softening and opening to the tension on the out-breath.
Bringing your awareness to the neck and the throat.
Just noticing and allowing things to be as they are in that area of the body.
Bringing awareness to the face and jaw.
Noticing the skin now on your cheeks.
And the muscles beneath the skin.
Bringing awareness to the lips.
Noticing where the lips meet.
Noticing how that feels.
Bringing awareness to the nose.
Perhaps the sensations of air as you breathe in and out and noticing those sensations.
And maybe the cooler on the in-breath and warmer on the out-breath.
Bringing curiosity to that and noticing how that feels.
Noticing the eyes now and where the eyelids meet if they're closed.
Maybe noticing the skin around the eyes if they're open.
Gathering your attention and bringing it to the forehead.
Noticing any sensations in the forehead.
Maybe the air temperature on the skin.
Now coming to the scalp and the ears and just noticing and allowing sensations to be as they are.
And now gathering your awareness to get a sense of the whole body.
A broad expansive awareness of the entire body sitting or lying here.
And perhaps noticing the gentle rise and fall of the body with the breath.
The body swelling with the in-breath and falling away on the out-breath.
And now as this practice comes to an end,
Beginning to stretch.
Wriggling your fingers and toes and listening to the body and doing whatever it needs to stir and gather itself.
When you're ready,
Opening your eyes and perhaps noticing the sights around you and bringing yourself back into the room where you are.
Back into this moment of your day.
