This compassionate body scan is an exercise in loving,
Spacious awareness of the body.
It is a way of making friends with the body when there is discomfort,
Embodying the tender qualities of comforting,
Soothing,
And validating our experience.
And so please finding a comfortable position lying down,
Resting on your back with your hands about six inches from your sides,
Your feet shoulder-width apart if that feels right for you.
And you can also remain seated if that feels better,
And you can change positions at any time you need.
And then placing one or two hands over the heart or other supportive,
Soothing place.
And we're doing this as a reminder to bring loving,
Connected presence to your body throughout this exercise.
Feel the warmth and gentle touch of your hands,
Taking three slow,
Relaxing breaths,
And then returning your arms and hands to your sides.
In this meditation,
We will be bringing warm-hearted attention to each part of the body in a variety of ways.
We'll move from one part to the other,
Practicing how to be with each part of the body in a kind and compassionate way.
We will be inclining our awareness towards the body with curiosity,
With tenderness.
If you feel ease and well-being in a particular body part,
You can invite some appreciation or gratitude to arise within you for that part of your body.
And if you have judgments or unpleasant sensations in a body part,
Perhaps you can let your heart soften in sympathy for the struggle.
You can also place a hand on that part of the body that's difficult as a gesture of compassion and support,
Imagining warmth and kindness flowing through your hand and fingers into that part of the body.
Our bodies have a story of their own,
And it's natural for some difficulties to arise,
Perhaps emotions to be evoked in certain places.
And if any area of the body is too difficult to stay with,
This is another opportunity to offer yourself compassion.
Feel free to move your attention to a different part of the body for a while,
Especially a part of the body that's emotionally or physically neutral.
You are free to do whatever feels right for you during this practice.
And if at any point you feel emotionally overwhelmed or beginning to get overwhelmed,
Please take care of yourself in whatever way you need.
You might ground yourself or even just take a break.
And if it feels okay right now,
Starting with bringing the attention to the toes on your left foot and beginning to notice if there are any sensations in your toes.
Are your toes warm or cool,
Dry or moist?
Just feeling the sensation in the toes.
Maybe there's ease,
Maybe there's discomfort,
Or perhaps nothing at all.
And letting each sensation be just as it is.
If your toes feel good,
Maybe giving them a little wiggle and a smile of appreciation.
And then moving the attention to the sole of the left foot.
Can you detect any sensations there?
The soles of the feet have such a small surface area,
Yet they hold up our entire bodies all day long.
They work so hard.
Feel free to send that left sole of the foot some gratitude if it feels right.
And if there's any discomfort,
See if it feels okay to open to that discomfort in a more tender way.
And now sensing into the whole left foot.
If your foot feels comfortable,
You can extend more gratitude for the discomfort that you don't have.
And if there is any discomfort,
See if it feels okay to allow that area to soften as if it was wrapped in a warm towel.
And if you'd like even validating the discomfort with kind words,
You could say something like,
There's discomfort here.
May I give myself what I need?
Or may I hold this discomfort with compassion?
And you could picture yourself holding it.
And now gently moving the attention up the leg one part at a time.
Noticing whatever body sensations are present.
Sending some appreciation if a part feels fine and sending some compassion if there's any discomfort.
Moving slowly through the body,
Focusing on the left side,
The left ankle,
Shin,
Calf,
The knee.
And when you notice your mind has wandered,
As it often will,
This is an opportunity for kindness with the mind.
These wandering minds we all have and then very gently and kindly asking the mind to the return to the part of the body that you were attending to.
You might even add some words of kindness or compassion.
Something like,
May my knees be well?
Or may I hold these knees with compassion?
And then returning your attention to the simple sensations in each part of the body.
Allowing this entire process to be exploratory,
Playful,
Being curious as we gently work our way through our bodies.
Moving to the hip and the thigh.
And if you feel uneasy or judgmental about a particular body part,
Seeing if you can offer yourself some supportive touch.
Breathing gently.
And maybe imagining that kindness and compassion are flowing through your fingers into your body.
And if you feel at ease,
Offering an inner smile of appreciation,
If that feels right for you.
And now bringing loving awareness to your entire left leg.
Making room for whatever you might be sensing or feeling.
And now gently guiding the attention to the right toes,
The right sole of the foot.
And then the entire right foot.
Moving up to the ankle,
The shin,
The calf,
The thigh,
The hip.
Noticing all the sensations in the entire right leg.
And remembering that you can skip any body parts if too much physical or emotional discomfort arises.
And perhaps moving your attention to a different body part that's more neutral.
And if it feels okay,
Bringing your awareness to the pelvic area,
The strong bones that support the legs.
Perhaps feeling the buttocks on the floor or on the chair.
These large muscles that help you climb stairs and also allow you to sit softly and comfortably.
And now moving the attention to the lower back.
Our lower backs can hold a lot of stress.
And so if you notice any discomfort or tension,
You might imagine your muscles relaxing,
Melting like they're in warm water with tenderness.
And feel free to shift your posture if an adjustment will make you more comfortable.
And then moving the attention to the middle and upper back.
Noticing anything that's here to be noticed.
And now moving the attention to the front of the body,
To the abdomen.
The abdomen is a complicated part of the body with so many organs and bodily functions.
If it feels right,
Maybe sending some gratitude or appreciation to this part of the body.
And if you have judgments about this part of the body,
Seeing if you can say some words of kindness.
Of acceptance,
If that's possible.
And now moving this attention up to the chest,
The center of our breathing,
And also the heart center.
Perhaps putting a gentle hand on the center of your chest,
Allowing yourself to feel whatever you're feeling right now.
Perhaps infusing your chest with appreciation,
With acceptance.
Continuing to incline your awareness towards your body with the same quality of warmth you might have towards a young child or a little animal.
And now feeling the sensations in your left shoulder,
The left upper arm,
The elbow.
Bringing tender awareness to each part of the body we're focused on.
Your lower left arm,
The left wrist,
Left hand,
Fingers.
Perhaps even wiggling the fingers if you like,
Savoring the sensations that arise when you move your fingers.
Your hands are uniquely designed to hold and move fine objects,
And they're very sensitive to touch.
And now scanning your whole left arm and hand with loving and compassionate awareness.
And now beginning to move the attention to the right side,
The right shoulder,
The right upper arm,
Elbow,
Lower arm,
Wrist,
Hand,
Fingers,
The whole right arm and hand.
And now moving the awareness towards the head,
Beginning with the neck.
And if you'd like,
You can even touch your neck with your hand,
Remembering how the neck supports the head throughout the day,
Offering appreciation and kindness to the neck,
Either mentally or with physical touch or both.
And if your neck feels good,
Continuing to offer this kindness,
And if there's tension or discomfort,
Seeing if you can send some compassion to the neck.
And now moving to the head,
Beginning with the back of the head,
The hard surface that protects our brain.
And if you'd like,
Even gently touching the back of the head,
Or you can just touch it with your awareness.
And then moving to the ears,
These sensitive organs of perception that tell us so much about our world.
And if you feel glad about the capacity to hear,
Allowing this appreciation to arise in your heart.
And if you're worried about your hearing or have trouble hearing,
Perhaps offering yourself some soothing or supportive touch and giving these ears some compassion.
Holding them with your loving,
Compassionate awareness.
And now moving the attention to the eyes,
The nose,
The lips,
The cheeks,
The jaw,
The chin,
These places that help us eat,
Speak,
And smile.
And then moving to the forehead,
The crown of the head.
And now taking a moment to offer your whole body a final shower from head to toe of appreciation,
Compassion,
Gratitude,
And respect.
Whatever you feel is called for,
Even if you can't name it or label it.
And as we begin to come out of this meditation,
Perhaps dropping in the question,
What way of moving would feel most supportive in coming out of this meditation?
Maybe wiggling the toes,
Moving the hands,
Perhaps rolling the shoulders,
Gently moving the neck,
Maybe stretching.
Coming out of this meditation with gentleness in whatever way is most supportive to you.
And then whenever you're ready,
There's no rush,
Gently opening the eyes.
