(MBSR) Shorter Body Scan

A briefer body scan by Mindfulness Northwest's teacher Karen Schwisow. This is a great practice to stabilize attention and develop an awareness of the body. The body scan can also be helpful for sleep. Enjoy.

Transcript

Coming into a comfortable position for the practice of guided body scan.

Often this is done lying down,

But can also be done seated or even standing.

If you feel like you'll quickly fall asleep lying down,

Then sometimes a more upright posture can help to keep the mind alert.

Taking a moment here to adjust so that you feel supported as comfortable as you can be.

And then noticing,

Seeing if there's a general feeling tone in the body right now.

Maybe some part of the body is talking or perhaps a sense of nothing in particular.

And then drawing the attention down into the feet without moving them even.

How do you know they're there?

Perhaps there is some pressure,

Some contact with wherever the feet are resting.

It might be the soles of the feet or the heels.

Perhaps the feel of a sock or the air.

Sensing into the feet as they are right now.

Not so much thinking about them as simply being with them.

Open to whatever raw sensation is here in the feet and including the ankles.

And then bringing the attention further up the legs to feel the lower legs,

The shins in front and calves and back.

You might notice the mind going from leg to leg,

Switching back and forth.

It might be possible to feel both lower legs at the same time.

Sometimes it's helpful to imagine breathing into and out from whatever region of the body we're paying attention to.

You can play with that and see if it's useful or not.

Right now the attention being in the lower legs.

And then letting that region of the body move to the background of your awareness and drawing the attention to the knees.

Is there anything to be felt here in the knees,

The kneecaps,

The soft fold behind the knee?

As we move through the body we may come to areas that have added or altered or missing parts.

And then the suggestion is just to note what if anything is evoked as you bring your attention to that area.

I'm not working hard to find something in particular and not pushing anything away.

I'm simply allowing whatever's here to be here,

Seen,

Noted,

Felt.

Now letting the attention move farther up into the upper legs,

The thighs,

This long bones of the thighs,

Muscles around bone,

Flesh and skin around that.

We may come across a sense of holding in a muscle,

Contracting that we didn't realize was there.

Sometimes this is a time when imagining the breath can enter and exit from this place encourages a little bit of softening or letting go.

To whatever degree it's willing.

And allowing whatever might remain to just be there.

This is how it is right now in the thighs in this moment right here.

And then moving up into the hips,

Both hips where the legs attach to the pelvis.

And allowing that as we travel through the body,

If we come to any place that has significant pain,

That there's no need to stay there.

It might be skillful to just touch into that place for a breath or two.

Always the option exists to move the attention back to a place that feels more neutral.

Maybe the soles of the feet or the palms of the hands.

Opening the eyes perhaps.

Coming back into the practice wherever my voice is guiding you,

Whenever you feel ready.

Always you in control of the practice itself.

And for now checking in,

Noticing what is here to be known in the hips.

And around to the buttocks.

And perhaps pressure here,

The weight of the body resting somewhere on something.

And then encouraging the attention to come to the pelvis.

This bony bowl that houses organs of elimination,

Reproduction,

Sexuality.

Feeling what if anything is here to be known in the pelvis,

The genitals.

Just moving the attention up into the low belly and the navel center.

Feeling into the whole of the abdomen.

There may be movement here as you breathe,

Perhaps a gentle rise and fall of the belly as you inhale and exhale.

And underneath that organs of digestion,

Assimilation.

And perhaps a gurgling sense of movement,

Maybe even a sound,

Or maybe an absence of sensation.

Resting the attention here in the abdomen as it is right now.

And then letting the attention move into the chest,

Ribcage,

Sternum.

Holding and protecting the heart and the lungs within it.

There may be a sense of movement here.

Is it possible to feel a heartbeat?

And then releasing from our awareness the front part of the torso and drawing the attention around to the back.

Starting down at the base of the spine where it rises up out of the pelvis.

Feeling into the low back.

As it is right now today,

Sometimes we have areas of chronic challenge.

And we think we already know what's there.

And here's an opportunity to be curious about what's here right now.

Maybe the same,

Maybe slightly different.

Moving up to the mid and upper back,

Shoulder blades.

Feeling the whole of the back,

The whole of the spine.

And then drawing the attention.

Further up to the shoulders,

The upper arms,

Across the elbows,

Lower arms,

Wrists,

Palms of the hands,

Backs of the hands.

Thumbs.

Is it possible to sense into each finger one by one?

Is there any sensation here?

Maybe a tingling or a pulsing.

A feeling of dryness or damp.

A temperature perhaps.

A feeling both hands as they are right now.

Gently directing the attention now back up the arms,

Shoulders,

Up into the neck,

Throat.

A feeling into the mouth,

Lips,

Teeth,

Gums,

Roof of the mouth,

Tongue,

The jaw.

Is there any tension or holding here that could be softened,

Let go of?

Feeling the cheeks,

Lips,

The nose,

Perhaps the breath flowing in and out of the nostrils,

The eyes,

Eyelids,

Eyeballs and the sockets,

Eyebrows.

Forehead,

Perhaps smooth,

Maybe furrowed.

Whole of the scalp.

Temples.

And the ears.

Earlobes.

Soft folds of the ears,

Deeper into the ears.

As if you could travel inside of the skull.

A sense of the brain.

Feeling your face from underneath.

Your face in neutral.

No need to be anything.

Project anything.

Yourself.

Your body.

Your breath.

Here as it is right now in this moment.

Staying here,

Resting in this place of just being for as long as you like.

And coming out of it only when you're ready.

Reviews

I live a good, classic mbsr body scan, and this brief one was very nice. Thank you.

A useful practice for quickly getting close to direct experience of the body and immersing awareness within it.

Very effective and enjoyable

Thank you for addressing people with missing body parts. I used to work with people who don’t have all their body parts. Not being acknowledged was always a block for them.

This was really pleasant, nice and clear voice, too

Thoughtful and accepting

I particularly like the part about feeling your face from inside/underneath. Very relaxing!

Loved your voice and guided shorter MBSR Body Scan. Thank you

Wonderful! Thank you!