MBSR Body Scan (20 min)

The Body Scan is a core practice of the free 8-week MBSR course found at Palouse Mindfulness.

Transcript

This body scan meditation is designed to bring greater awareness and attunement to body and to mind. We'll be doing this in a state of relative physical stillness, So it's best to arrange a time and a place in which you'll be comfortable and you won't be disturbed, Dressing in loose and comfortable clothing which won't restrict your way through your breathing. This meditation is usually done lying on the back, But it can be done in any posture that's comfortable and easy for you. It can be done in a rug, A mat or a bed, Or it can even be done in a reclining chair. You may want to use a light covering to help stay warm, And a flat pillow can be helpful for the head if it's more comfortable that way. If you are lying on your back, Letting your arms lie alongside your body, Palms up towards the ceiling if that's comfortable for you, Heels on the floor allowing your feet to fall away from each other. And as you're lying here, Allowing yourself to notice whatever comes up in your awareness, Simply accepting what is happening in the body and the mind, Experiencing it clearly and as it is in this moment. Noticing where your body makes contact with the floor or the mat. You may have sensations of touch or pressure on your heels, Your calves, Your legs or buttocks, Your upper back, Your arms. And as you're becoming aware of these sensations, Bring your awareness now to the fact that you're breathing. Noticing the actual physical sensations of breath. Just noticing the rhythm of your breath as it moves your belly. There may be slight movements of your chest. You may be aware of how the air enters through your nostrils and through your windpipe and into your lungs. Allowing that natural movement of your breath to continue without really having to do anything about it at all. There's a tendency to want to control the breathing when we bring attention to it. Just noticing how it is, Whether it's short or fast or long and deep. Just allowing it to move at its own rhythm. And when you're ready on your next in-breath, Allowing the breath that comes in and fills the lungs and moves your belly up, Imagining that your entire body is hollow and accepts the air as it comes in through the lungs. As the body accepts the air through the nostrils and into the lungs, Imagining it going all the way down, Down into the belly and into the legs, All the way down to the toes. You may notice tingling or temperature or coolness or throbbing. Or you may not be aware of anything at all, If that's the case, Just being aware that that's where your attention is. And as you breathe out, Allowing your awareness to move from your toes to the balls of your feet. Allowing your awareness to the balls of your feet to dissolve as you move your awareness to include the whole flat part of your foot, All the way down to the heel, That long triangular area, That meaty part of your foot that has contact with the ground as you walk. And noticing just where your heel may be touching the mat or the floor right now. And whatever you may be noticing there is just what you're noticing right now. There's no right or wrong feeling or sensation to have. And letting your awareness move to the ankles. The surface of the skin to the inner parts of the ankle that allow your foot and your ankle to move so smoothly and support you as you're walking. And on your next out-breath, Moving your awareness to the calves of your legs, Including the meaty part that may be touching the mat or the floor. The muscles or tendons that run alongside the shin. And when you're ready, Moving your awareness to your knees, Including the back of the leg, The kneecap itself, The joint inside, The skin around the whole circumference. And moving from your knees to your thighs. And being aware of the entire circumference of your thighs around the top and along the bottom side. The muscles and tendon and bone interior to the thighs, Saying what it's like to have your awareness in this part. You may feel weight or throbbing or heaviness or tingling or pressure, Whatever comes to awareness. And as you're ready to do this, Moving your awareness higher to the hip, The pelvic area, The buttocks where they touch the mat or the floor. And moving your awareness from the pelvic area to the lower back. And being aware of how the movement of breath affects this part of your body. As on each in-breath, Your belly expands a little bit. And the out-breath gets flattened somewhat. And seeing if it's possible to maintain awareness of your breathing and how it's physically moving with your abdomen, All the way from in-breath to the pause at the end of the in-breath as you're ready to go the other direction through the out-breath. Noticing how the expansion and contraction affects the sensations on your skin from clothes or from pressure. And bring your awareness higher in your body to the area of the diaphragm and both above and below that, Where some of the internal organs are, In your lower rib cage, Your middle back. And as we do this, If you're noticing any holding or tension in any part of your body, Just noticing that that's there. Letting your breath move through that part of your body if your breath is affecting it. Imagine your breath going into that part of your body. Imagine it leaving at its own rhythm. And when you're ready, Bring your attention, Your awareness, Into the cavity of your chest, Your rib cage, Around your upper back where it touches the mat or the floor. Noticing just how the chest may be expanding or contracting just slightly with each breath. Being aware of how the entire torso area moves very subtly with each in-breath and out-breath and the pause between. Being aware of how your shoulders may be affected with the movement of breath, Including your upper shoulders, The sides, The upper back. Moving your awareness from the shoulders themselves to where they attach to your neck. And sensing into those areas of connection, Starting from a broad base to the top of the shoulders, Narrowing to the neck itself. With your next in-breath, Allowing your awareness to move from your shoulders through your upper arms all the way down to your fingertips. Imagine the breath going back out from that area and shifting your attention now to the back of the hands, And the palms of the hands, The base of where your thumb connects to your hand itself. Shifting your awareness to your wrists, Moving to your lower arms, Extending from the wrist all the way to the elbow. Moving your focus from your elbows to your upper arms. And back up into the shoulders and the base of the neck. And moving from the base of the neck to your jaw, Your throat area, Including sensations you may have of the interior of your mouth. Are you ready shifting to your gums and to your lips? Being aware your lips have both an interior part and an exterior part. And moving to the cheeks, To the nose and the nostrils. Noticing here how the breath comes in through the nostrils and how it leaves. Moving to include the eyes themselves, The muscles around the eyes, In the upper cheek, In the eyebrow, In the corners of the eyes. And moving to the brow above the eyebrows. The entire scalp area from your brow across the top of the head and all the way down to the ears. And when you're ready, Sensing into the entire body, From the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Allowing and noticing whatever sensation may appear as you include all of the body. Head and shoulders, Arms, Torso, Buttocks, Thighs, Calves, Feet. Allowing things to be just as they are. Beyond tendencies of the mind to want everything to be a certain way. Beyond liking and disliking. Seeing ourselves as complete and whole right here, Right now. Just exactly as we are. Noticing and experiencing the fullness of life. Acknowledging our ability to be present with whatever presents itself. And as this segment ends, You might want to wiggle your toes and fingers. Stretch in whatever way feels comfortable right now. If your eyes have been closed, Allowing them to let the light in. And as you're ready, Re-establishing contact with the entire world outside your body. This ends the body scan meditation.

Reviews

This meditation has been key in recovering from chronic pain.

Loving this course and so grateful that the recordings are available here.

This practice made me aware of how often my mind was wandering throughout. I will get back regularly to work at it.
Thank you 🌷

Such a comfortable, soothing voice. I love how your words flow to guide me from one body part to the next, and how you connect the breath with such ease to the entire experience in my body.
Thank you

A great, relaxing body scan. Thank you for sharing your gift, Dave. 🙏💛