Body Scan

This is a classic body scan meditation, recorded in 2006. It guides the listener through awareness of bodily sensations which can be relaxing. A caution is expressed that awareness of body sensations can be uncomfortable for some people. If this occurs simply put the recording aside and try a different meditation. Otherwise this meditation can be experienced as being calming and healing. It has been used extensively with people experiencing depression and anxiety with good success.

Transcript

Body scan instructions.

Listen to these instructions and use them to help develop mindfulness of body.

Listen up any tight clothing or other constrictions and allow yourself to be as comfortable as you can,

Either lying face up or sitting on a chair or cushion.

Make the intention that for the next 20 or so minutes you'll try not to fidget or move unnecessarily.

Also make the determination that for the period of this exercise you'll not be too concerned about anything other than being here now and bringing attention to your bodily sensations.

If thoughts,

Emotions,

Sounds or other experiences pull your attention away from physical sensations,

Do not struggle.

Let these experiences arise and pass away but have them on the periphery of your awareness and let physical sensations be the central focus.

Bring attention to your body as a whole,

Lying or sitting there and be with the physical sensations.

As you bring attention to your body,

Also be aware of your breath and with every out-breath it is as if your body relaxes and lets go of tightness,

Becoming heavier and heavier.

Be aware of your legs and the go of tightness and let them relax with the out-breath.

Be aware of your arms and let them relax with the out-breath.

Be aware of your torso and let it relax with the out-breath.

Be aware of your head and let all the muscles in your head relax with the out-breath.

Now bring awareness to the top of your head with a curious,

Composed and open-minded quality.

Be curiously attentive to physical sensations as they are without trying to change them.

There may be tingling or pressure or tightness or lightness or vibration or no particular sensation at all.

Whatever is there,

Let it be.

Be open and inquisitive.

Now shift your attention to your forehead.

Feel the sensations in your forehead,

Whatever sensations there may be and let them be.

There may be tightness or straining or there may be looseness.

Whatever is there,

Be open to that experience without condemnation or judgment.

It is as if when you bring awareness to your forehead,

Whatever tightness or distress that was there seems to dissipate and it relaxes.

Now bring awareness to your face,

Your eyes,

Your nose,

Your cheeks,

Your mouth,

Your jaw and your whole face.

Feel this experience as you bring mindfulness to your face as it is.

It is as if without trying whatever tightness that may have been there melts and falls away.

Be mindful now of the physical sensations at the back of your head and the top of your neck.

Scanning,

Be aware of your neck and your throat and the top of your chest and the top of your shoulders.

Slowly,

Systematically and thoroughly moving your attention from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

Be aware of your shoulders.

Move attention,

Moving attention around every corner and every curve and aspect of your shoulders,

Letting awareness touch upon the sensations.

Notice,

Experience,

Be with and move on.

Now bring awareness to your arms,

The inside of your arms,

The outside of your arms,

Your biceps,

Moving down your arms to your elbows,

To your forearms,

Your wrists and your hands.

Slowly and systematically touching upon every sensation,

Every vibration.

Be aware of your hands,

Feel your hands.

There may be vibration or lightness or tingling.

Whatever is there,

Let it be and let it be known with a curious and open mind.

It may feel as if your hands are far away or that they're very large or that they're pulsating.

Whatever the experience,

Do not struggle with it but allow a curious and detached but caring interest to emerge.

Notice and be with the experience.

Now bring mindfulness to the top of your chest,

Your upper back,

Your whole chest and move and scan with your awareness through your upper torso,

Being open to experiences as they are.

There may be pain or there may be pleasure.

Embrace whatever is there with a tender,

Gentle and compassionate mind.

If there's distress embedded or disconnected in various parts of your body,

It is as if when you bring awareness to these experiences,

The distress becomes whole,

Becomes healed.

Touch upon the sensations.

Be open,

Compassionate,

Kind,

Be mindful and let your attention continue.

Let your attention continue to scan,

Moving from one part of the body to the next,

Embracing all aspects.

It is as if as awareness moves from one part of the body to the next,

It is connecting the various parts of the body and the mind.

Be mindful of your upper abdomen,

Midsection of the back,

Lower abdomen,

Lower back,

Hips,

Groin,

Being with whatever experience that is there,

Being open and accepting,

Being kind and compassionate.

Now,

Be attentive to the sensations in your thighs,

Inside of the thighs,

Outside of the thighs,

The whole of the thighs,

Moving progressively down to your knees,

Moving attention systematically and consistently to every part of the body,

Touching upon each and every sensation,

Noticing,

Being aware,

Being open,

Not avoiding any part.

Now,

Let your attention shift down to your shins,

Your calves,

Your heels,

Your ankles,

Down the top part of your feet,

Your toes and the base of your feet,

Feeling whatever sensations that are there without feeling that you need to change them,

But being with the sensations in an open,

Accepting and compassionate manner.

Feel the sensations,

Let them be,

Don't try to change them,

Let them change by themselves.

Now,

Bring attention to your whole body,

Your body as a whole,

Lying or sitting there,

And bring attention to the quality of aliveness in your whole body.

It is as if every cell has life and this life can be experienced.

You may feel this aliveness as vibration or energy.

Bring attention to the whole of your body as a whole and endeavor to be aware of the body's vibration or vibrance If you can,

Also be aware of the mind that knows the vibration experience of your body.

This knowing may seem very deep,

Still and peaceful.

Knowing the vibrant experience of your body.

Be aware of the knowing and the deep,

Still and peaceful nature of this knowing.

You may choose to rest with this awareness or you may choose to scan your body with awareness one more time.

For example,

You could go from the feet to your head or one side to the other or you may choose to end the exercise.

Before you end the exercise,

Assess how you are feeling right now.

If this feeling is peaceful,

Calm and relaxed,

Be aware that today or throughout other days in the future,

You can remind yourself of this state of being by bringing attention to the sensations of your body in the here and now.

If you have chosen to end the exercise,

Firstly move your fingers and toes,

Then your hands and feet.

Become aware of the room that you are in and open your eyes.

Give yourself a stretch and start to go about your daily activities with the understanding that you can access and take refuge in your awareness whenever you need.

Reviews

Terriffic

Wonderful and calm voice. I was really alert, but relaxed.

My favorite body scan

That was wonderful. Feeling the energy high thank you 🙏

Excellent

Thank you for a wonderful deeply relaxing body scan Mal. Your voice is so calming.

Loved the wild birds calling in the background- a great counterpoint to the calm steadiness of the instructions. I was able to really stay with my body sensations. I really enjoyed this experience!

Malcolm’s voice is calming and also sufficiently engaging to keep your mind attentive and also focused on your body. My favorite body scan meditation so far.

lovely! thank you 🌻

Wonderfully relaxing, thank you

Really good detailed body scan for those who need more focus during meditation. Pulls you into your body away from your mind. Wonderful.

The first time, I found the birds distracting, but the second time, I loved it! I like the level of detail- the last third was more general than the beginning, but this is a relatively short body scan, which is perfect to have as an option.

Excellent body scan, great way to bring me back to my body- thank you!🙏

Quick but tons of information. Great emphasis on experiencing the sensations of the body.

I’ve been listening to Malcolm’s body scan since, oh, 2004? So excited to see it on this app. Hope we get more Mal Huxter!

This one is a regular go- to for me. He could read a dictionary and I’d relax. It’s more than his voice, though. His cadence, word choice, and calm make this a beautifully kind body scan meditation.

Very good. It’s as though shining a light on how I’m feeling brings it to the surface.

Very easy to stay with. Clear instructions, communicated without faltering.