Let's do a mindfulness practice called the compassionate body scan.
You may want to sit on a chair with your back upright and yet relaxed.
Or else on a meditation cushion.
Or you may even want to lie on the floor in what's known as Savasana in yoga.
Once you get yourself situated,
We will begin.
Start by first getting in touch with your body.
How it feels right here in the present moment.
See if you can feel the weight of your seat on the cushion.
Or of your back on the floor.
Just notice the entire fields of the body sensation.
Any prickling,
Tingling,
Heaviness,
Pressure,
Lightness you may feel.
Just feel your body just as it is right now.
What we are going to be doing is moving our attention and awareness to different parts of the body,
Sweeping from the crown of the head down to the toes and back again.
As we go through different parts giving ourselves compassion for any pain or tension we may feel there.
Or perhaps for any shame or feelings we have about certain body parts.
Even with the crown of your head.
Just notice what sensations are there.
See if you can tune into that point just between the air above your head and where your skull starts.
Again is there any tingling or sensation there?
If so just notice it.
If not that's fine too.
And become aware of your facial muscles.
We have hundreds of muscles in our face.
They work very hard for us.
Expressing our emotions.
Some of which are quite painful.
If you feel any tension or stress in any of your facial muscles try relaxing,
Suiting them.
Maybe imagining caressing your face with your awareness.
Being grateful for how hard our face muscles work for us.
Then come beware of the back of your head.
Any sensations there?
If you have any sort of headache or pain just being kind,
Tender,
Compassionate to the fact that you aren't feeling perhaps as well as you'd like or if no sensation is there just feel whatever's happening right now.
Now become aware of how your neck feels.
Again any tension,
Burning,
Tightness.
Our neck often holds our,
Well first of all holds up our heavy head and it holds a lot of tension.
Especially if we sit at a computer all day.
So just relaxing the neck muscles and suiting and comforting any points of pain you may be experiencing.
Dropping down into your shoulders.
A lot of emotional tension,
Fear,
Stress is held in our shoulders.
We almost always feel some sort of pain and tension there.
Just notice what you feel.
What is the sensation like?
Hot,
Cold,
Tight,
Stabbing,
Dull.
Take a moment to have compassion for the stress of being shoulders in your body.
They take on a lot for us and just suiting,
Comforting any feelings of pain or discomfort you may have.
Again dropping down so that you are aware of your upper back,
Your shoulder blades.
Again feeling any tension that's there,
Any discomfort.
Allowing it be as it is.
Hot,
Cold,
Sharp,
Soft.
But using our awareness to acknowledge any pain and to soothe that area of our body.
I want you to mentally imagine cutting a little bit of a massage there in your shoulder blades.
Relax your shoulder blades.
Then become aware of your chest area,
The seed of our heart.
Where emotions are often felt very intensely,
Including difficult ones like grief and disappointment.
Try to notice how the physical sensations of your chest are manifesting.
Is the sensation moving?
Is it buzzing?
Is it tight?
Simply notice what's there.
Relax around it and comfort yourself for any pain you might be feeling in your chest.
Just as a mother might caress a child who's feeling discomfort.
Take the same attitudes with your awareness.
Then focus your attention on your stomach area,
Your gut.
A lot of difficult emotions get stored here,
Including fear.
We may have some judgments about our stomach.
Maybe it's not quite as thin as we'd like it to be.
First just focus on the actual sensations of your stomach.
Is there any movement?
Maybe you're digesting food,
Any tension,
Any physical discomfort.
And also are any feelings coming up of being non-accepting exactly who you are in this moment.
Whatever arises,
You're going to take a very calm,
Comforting,
Loving stance towards this part of our body.
We often have such a difficulty with.
Maybe even sending some appreciation for the very hard task of digesting our food.
Allowing us to be alive.
Just relaxing and softening.
Then turn your awareness towards your lower back.
Very big muscles there needed to keep us upright.
If you feel any tension,
Try to relax.
That part of your body.
And consciously soothe and comfort any pains you might feel.
It is hard to be in this human body with its limitations.
We can be kind to ourselves in this moment.
Then dropping down to our pelvic area.
Again,
A lot of tension often here we don't even pay attention to.
We often avoid paying attention to this part of our body.
Just notice what feelings are there.
Is there any discomfort or tension?
Try to relax.
If there are any emotions that come up for you that are difficult.
Again,
Take a very soothing,
Comforting approach towards this part of your body.
Just allowing it to be as it is.
Then dropping down to your seat itself if you are sitting.
This will be easy because you will feel the tension of your buttocks on the chair or cushion.
And also if you are laying down,
You will feel tension there.
You are just noticing what feelings are there.
If there is any tightness or tension.
Soothing and relaxing this part of your body.
And if there are any emotional feelings associated with perhaps not accepting this part of your body.
It not being exactly as you would like it to be.
Which I think is probably all of us.
Just having compassion for the fact that we are imperfect human beings.
Just accepting that with an open heart.
We are being perfect in our imperfection.
Let's move back up to our arms.
And we will do each of them individually.
Start with your right arm.
The top.
The shoulder blades.
The top of your arm.
The upper bicep.
But does your upper arm on the right side feel like right now?
We have big muscles there that often get strained lifting and holding things.
So soothing any tension or discomfort.
Relaxing.
Carishing with our awareness kindly.
Now your lower right arm.
Just gently noticing what you feel there.
Now your right wrist and fingers.
Your hands.
We have an amazing number of bones in this part of our body.
Especially with the increasing use of computers.
These get worked over and over and over again.
Just notice do you have any tension there?
Any feelings of discomfort?
If so,
Again,
Just soothe,
Comfort yourself.
Have compassion for any pain you might be feeling.
And if there is no discomfort,
Just rest in the peacefulness of being free of pain.
Then shifting your attention to focus on your left upper arm and shoulder.
Noticing how your muscles feel.
Any tension that's there.
Kindly stroking your arm with your awareness.
Noticing yourself.
And dropping down into the lower part of your left arm.
Allowing the sensations to be just as they are.
And your left hand and wrists relaxing your muscles.
Feeling how hard your fingers work for you.
The freedom it gives you.
Now shift your focus to your right upper leg.
Very big muscles here.
Our thigh muscle.
What do you feel right now in this area of your body?
See if you can relax the muscle.
If you notice any discomfort or tension.
Kindly soothing and comforting this part of your body.
Then moving down to your right calf and shin.
The lower part of your leg.
Feeling the muscles softening around any tension.
And then finally focusing on your right foot.
A surprising amount of tension and stress gets stored in our feet.
A lot of pressure gets put on them.
Take a moment to appreciate your right foot.
It allows you to walk,
Run,
Dance.
So relaxing and soothing any feelings of pain that arise.
Feeling yourself a mental foot massage.
Now move your awareness to your left leg.
The upper half.
The thigh muscle.
Softening around any tension.
As always if any emotional reactions come up of non-acceptance for a certain part of your body.
Giving yourself compassion for that.
Recognizing how hard it is to be in our competitive culture.
And dropping down to your left lower leg.
Your calf muscles.
Your shin.
Relaxing.
Soothing.
And then focusing on your left foot.
The ankle.
The sole of your foot.
Your toes.
Just be aware of any sensations that are there.
Tingling.
Burning.
Pressure.
And soothing and comforting any feelings of discomfort or pain that might be there.
Now widen your focus.
So that you are aware of both feet.
Moving up to both calves.
Both upper legs.
Love to your stomach.
Your chest.
Your neck.
And your head.
Just imagine the energy flowing out the top of your head.
Feeling the energy of life.
Feeling through you.
Resting in awareness of this magnificent body we have.
Of compassion for its pains and appreciation for its wonder.
And this concludes the compassionate body scan.
Take your time and slowly coming back.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
AsCommer attachments corresponding to 25 minutes of daytime is now established.
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