Body Scan Meditation

The body scan meditation is a mindful way to slow down and connect to your body. It's first of all a mindfulness practice that trains the mind to keep focus. If practiced regularly, the Body Scan supports stress reduction and deep relaxation.

Transcript

Welcome to the body scan practice. Think of this time as an opportunity to be with yourself, To give yourself space to experience on how you feel in each moment. During this time there is nothing to do, Just rest and feel into your body. This practice is often done in a laying down position. You can lay on your back, On a mat or blanket or in your bed. But of course you can do this in a variety of postures including sitting down or even standing if lying down doesn't work for you. So once you've taken your position, Let's take the first couple of moments to just arrive. If you're lying down, Just notice the place where your body is making contact with yours. Be aware of any sensations in your body, Anything that makes itself known. Also note any thoughts or emotions that might be present. Just notice what's here. There's no need to get rid of anything. Just notice how things are. We will then shift focus to some mindful breathing. Beware of your natural breath as it comes and goes. Feeling the belly rising on an inhale, Feel the belly descending on an out-breath. Breathing in with awareness and breathing out with awareness. There's no need to control your breath or to count it. There's also no need to analyse it in any way. Just the simple knowing awareness of the breath coming in and out. In the quiet stillness you might notice that your mind is wandering from the breath and this isn't a problem at all. Simply acknowledge whenever that happens and you guide the mind gently back to the breath. Do that again and again and again. Even if you lose the breath a hundred times in five minutes, Simply come back to it a hundred times. Now let's shift the focus onto the body scan meditation. We will move our attention through the body part by part. Just be aware of what you feel in each part of your body. This may include feelings of numbness, Blankness or even no sensation at all. That's okay. As we anchor our attention in each part of the body, We also want to acknowledge whatever else is arising in the field of awareness, Thoughts or emotions. Acknowledging whatever is being felt, Whatever is being experienced and letting it be. So now direct your attention to your left foot. Left foot, Feel where the foot is making contact with the ears. Just be aware of whatever can be felt in your left foot. What can be felt in the spot where the foot makes contact? Maybe there's a feeling of pressure, Pulsing heat or perhaps no sensation. Whatever you experience as you sense the place where your left foot makes contact. And shifting your attention into the toes of your left foot. Sensing the large toe. Noticing whatever you can feel in the large toe. Sensing into the small toe of the left foot. All the toes in between. And just being aware of all the toes of the left foot. Notice whatever can be felt or not felt. And bringing your attention to the bottom of the left foot. Sensing into the ball, The arch and the heel of the left foot. Open yourself to whatever can be felt in this part of the foot. Feel the top of the left foot. Feeling into the parents, The tenants and the muscles. Perhaps you notice the difference in sensation between this part of the foot and the bottom of the foot. Be curious. Now sense into the Achilles Tenon, Your left ankle. Sensing into the bone, The joint. Just experience your entire left foot, Toes and ankle. Being with the things as they are. See if you can let go of the tendency to want things to be a certain way. And just allow things to be as they are. Now we guide our attention up the left leg, Into the lower left leg. Sensing the calf muscle and the shin bone. Don't just sense them on the surface, But sense inside. Notice whatever can be felt in the lower left leg, The calf, The shin. And bringing your attention to the left knee. Sensing the kneecap, The side of the knee, The back of the knee. And sensing inside the knee joint itself. Experience your left knee exactly as it is. Maybe there's a sensation of tingling or vibration. Maybe there's no sensation. Just being present and aware of whatever you are actually experiencing. Bring your awareness now into the upper left leg. Sensing into the large muscles and bonds of the upper left leg. The inner thigh, The outer thigh. The large bones of the upper left leg, Including the connections with the left hip. Just experience whatever is being felt in the upper left leg. Acknowledge whatever is arising in the field of awareness, Thoughts, Emotions, Sounds. Acknowledging whatever is being known and letting it be. You're sensing into the upper left leg and hip joint. Notice your entire left leg. Moving the attention from the hip down the leg to the left knee, To the lower left leg, The calf, The chin, And to the left foot, The ankle, The toes. We'll gently shift the focus to the right foot now. Again pinpointing that place of contact where the foot is being supported. Just notice whatever can be felt at this spot. Maybe you notice a difference between the right foot and the left foot. You do not need to think about that. Just notice, Be curious. And then sense into the toes of the right foot. Sensing into the large toe, The small toe, And the toes in between. Just be aware of whatever is being felt in the toes of the right foot. And then bringing your attention into the bottom of the right foot, Sensing the ball of the foot, The arch, The heel, Opening to whatever is being felt in the bottom of the right foot. Shift now to the top of the right foot, Sensing into the bones and the tendons, The muscles. Moving through these parts of the body that we often take for granted. We don't even notice them most of the time unless we're having a problem with them. Shift now to the Achilles tendon of the right foot. And now notice the entire right foot, Toes, And ankle. And then bring your attention into the lower right leg, Sensing the calf muscle and the shin bone. Notice whatever is being felt in the lower right leg, Calf and shin. Shift the focus now to the right knee, Sensing into the kneecap, The size of the knee, The back of the knee and the inside, The knee joint itself. Just be with your right knee exactly as it is. And then bringing your attention into the upper right leg, Sensing into the large muscles and bones of the upper right leg. Include the connection with the hip. Again, Just noticing errors being felt in the upper right leg and hip of what's present in this moment. We'll shift our attention now, Beginning to sense into the area of the pelvis, The pelvic girdle, Cooling the bones of the hips and the pelvis itself. Sensing into the home of our reproductive system, The genitals, Buttocks, Anal region. Just notice whatever is being felt in the pelvic girdle. Move on to the abdominal area, The belly, Home of our digestive system. You sense into the intestines, Up around and into the stomach, The diaphragm. Become aware of the entire abdominal cavity. Again, Just notice whatever is being felt in this part of the body. Many people experience tightness or tension in this part of the body. So just acknowledge whatever is true for you as you sense into the abdomen, The belly. We'll now shift the focus to the back of the body, Beginning by sensing into the lower back, The spine. This can also be an area of tightness or tension. Just acknowledge whatever is true for you as you sense into the lower back and spine. Remember there's nothing to change, Just let things be as they are. And then moving upwards into the middle back and spine. Do you know it? Become aware of the entire length of back and spine. Notice whatever is being felt in this region of the body. And we'll shift our focus again, Coming back to the front of the body. Sensing into the chest, Sensing into the skin of the chest and the breast. Sensing into the bones of the chest, The sternum, The ribcage. Sensing through the bones and to the heart and lungs. Notice whatever is being felt in the chest. Become aware of whatever is happening. Become aware of whatever is present, Exactly as it is. Now we'll gently shift the awareness to the left hand, Sensing the place where the left hand makes contact with the ears. Sensing the thumb, The pinky and all the fingers in between. Sense the back of the hand, The palm of the hand and the wrist. Just being aware of the left hand, Fingers and wrist. Now sensing into the left forearm, Including the connection with the left elbow. And noticing whatever is being felt in the left forearm and elbow. This again is another part of the body that we often take for granted. As you shift the awareness, Notice what's currently present. And then sense into the upper left arm, Including the connection with the shoulder above, The armpit below. What do you feel the upper left arm, Shoulder, Armpit? Let things be as they are. Notice the upper left arm, Shoulder, Armpit and sense down into the elbow, The forearm, The left hand, Wrist and fingers. Feel the entire arm. And then shift the focus to the right hand now. Again pinpointing that place of contact with the ears. Sensing the thumb, Pinky and all the fingers in between. Feel the back of the hand, Palm of the hand and the connections with the wrist. Just be aware of that right hand, The fingers and the wrist. Noticing whatever is being. Noticing whatever is currently present. And then shift into the right forearm, Including the connections with the elbow. Being aware of right forearm and elbow. And the upper right arm, Including the connection with the shoulder above and the armpit below. And then open up to whatever is being felt in the upper right arm, Shoulder and armpit. And notice the upper right arm, Shoulder and armpit, Including elbow, Forearm and the right hand with wrist and fingers. The entire right arm. And then bring your attention along the top of the shoulders, Spanning the distance between the right shoulder and the left shoulder. Sensing into the collar bones, The back of the neck and the throat. Sense the connection of neck with shoulders. Feel the head on the ears. Feel how it supports the head. Shift your attention now into the jawline of the lower teeth and down the chin, The inside of the mouth, Roof of the mouth, Sides of the mouth. Sensing the back of your mouth. Notice your tongue and sense into it. Sensing into the teeth and the gums. Becoming aware of your lips, Cheeks, Your nose. The sinus passages that go deep inside into your head. And sensing your eyes, Muscles around the eyes, Eyebrows, The space in between the eyebrows. Sense into the forehead. Becoming aware now of your entire face. Perhaps you notice your face in some sort of expression. You can soften it if you like or you just notice how that face currently is. And then sense into the skull, Top of the skull, The back of the skull. Sensing into the sides of your skull, The temples, Into the ears. Now go deep inside into your head and into your brain. Feel your brain pulsating. And shift back to the connection of the head to the neck, Connection of the head to the neck, Neck to the shoulders, Shoulders to the arms, Arms to torso, The back, The chest. Weighs down each of the legs. And from there expand the field of awareness to include the whole body. Feeling your whole body from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Sense the breath going through your whole body, Awakening it, Making you feel alive and complete. Just be with your whole body. Before you move take a moment to thank yourself for taking the time and the space to feel and to take things as they are. Remember at any time in your life you can return to tune into your body and mind to return into the present moment just as we did during the body scan practice. So when you're ready begin to take a couple of deeper breaths letting movements return into your body and slowly returning into the world.