Body Scan (mPEAK)

This meditation will help you cultivate interoceptive awareness (body wisdom) to help you improve your health, enhance your performance and decrease your stress

Transcript

Begin by making yourself as comfortable as you possibly can by lying down on your back using either a mat or maybe a rug or on your bed.

And if lying is not comfortable for you,

Then please feel free to use a chair.

A chair is also a good option if you feel particularly tired today.

Whatever posture you choose,

Make sure it's in a place where you'll be warm and undisturbed.

And once your body begins to settle into stillness,

Allowing your eyes to gently close.

As a reminder,

The aim of this practice is,

As best you can,

To bring awareness to any sensations you detect as you focus your attention on each part of the body.

The practice is not about trying to feel any different,

Relaxed or even calm.

This may or may not happen.

The main intent is simply about being present to your body exactly how it already is.

Begin by gathering up all your attention and bringing it to whatever sensations you're feeling in the body in this moment.

Possibly feeling the physical sensations of touch or pressure where the body makes contact with the chair or the bed.

Also aware of the contact between clothing and skin.

Sensing the outline of the whole body in space.

Now moving attention to the breath and becoming aware of the breath in the lower abdomen,

Feeling it in the ribs and in the chest.

And staying here with the breath for a few moments.

There will be times during this practice where you'll become lost or distracted by thoughts,

Sounds or maybe sleepiness.

When you've noticed this has happened,

Which it will,

Simply bring yourself back to the breath and then continue with the body scan when you're ready.

So now let's begin the body scan by bringing your focus or the spotlight of your awareness into the right and left feet.

Touching in with sensation of the heels that are in contact with the surface you're lying on.

Moving into the toes.

The soles of the feet.

The tops of the feet.

Bringing a gentle and curious attention to whatever sensations you find.

Perhaps noticing more subtle sensations such as tingling,

Warmth or coolness,

Or maybe no particular sensations at all.

Now letting go of the feet completely and allowing the focus of awareness to move into both lower legs.

Sensing the ankles.

The calves.

The shins.

And the whole of the lower legs.

Testing here for a moment.

Starting to move up into the knees,

Circling the knee joint with your attention.

Exploring the kneecaps.

The underside of the knees.

And aware of any other sensations here in the knees.

Now coming up to the right and left thighs.

Feeling aware of the skin and the muscle.

Perhaps feeling the deep sensations of pulsing of circulation.

Or maybe a feeling of heaviness.

Or the feeling of the contact between the thigh and the surface you're lying on.

Seeing if you can sense the thigh from the inside out.

Now moving attention to the pelvic region.

The hip bones,

The pelvic bowl.

Possibly aware of the organs held in this body part.

The intestines,

The reproductive organs,

The bladder.

And on the other side noticing the contact between tailbone or the buttocks and the surface you're lying.

Continuing to notice any sensations here.

And now moving attention to the lower back.

Continuing to scan up the spine.

Aware of each vertebra.

Aware of the back of the rib cage.

And the sensations of subtly expanding and relaxing with each inhale and exhale.

Sensing the back of the heart and lungs.

Looking into the shoulder blades in contact with whatever you're lying on.

Now expanding awareness to include the entire back.

And then wrapping attention around to the other side of the torso,

Becoming present to the abdominal region.

Aware of the stomach.

Maybe feelings of digestion,

Hunger,

Or fullness.

Aware of the abdomen as it rises and falls with each breath.

Continuing up now to the chest.

Aware of the beating of the heart.

Sensing the muscles of the chest.

The breasts,

Collarbones,

And skin.

Now placing your attention all the way down towards your fingertips on both your right and left hands.

Sensing the contact or space between fingers.

Expanding your awareness to include the palms of your hands.

The backs of your hands.

And your wrists.

You might feel the energy of the hands pulsing,

Tingling.

Continuing to move up,

Feeling the forearms.

The elbows.

The upper arms.

All the way up to your armpits and shoulders.

Continuing attention to the neck and throat.

Continuing up to the back of the head.

Aware of the scalp.

The top of the head and forehead.

Simply scanning the entire face,

One part at a time.

Now that we've scanned each individual part of the body,

Let's spend a few minutes sensing the body as a whole.

Then becoming aware of the outline of the body in space.

The breath flowing freely in and out of the entire body.

Aware of any physical or energetic sensations from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet.

And before today's practice comes to an end,

Acknowledging yourself for having spent this time cultivating greater awareness and ease,

And for increasing your capacity to live and perform mindfully.

Reviews

Perfect pacing and soothing boice

Fantastic, so great what clear and calm practice you can put in just 16 minutes.

Very precise and straightforward body scan practice...exactly what I needed! Thanks, Pete.

Fabulous! for me a well paced body scan perfect for winding down. Gentle calming voice too.

Best body scan for me as it moved at a good pace but allowed me enough time to get it bro each individual area.

i really enjoyed that, thank you :)

My latest favourite :)

Excellent body scan meditation. Will put it into regular practice!

Wonderful
Direct and simple but powerful

Short but full and unhurried

I like this a lot. Clear and precise...no music which is 😊❤️

Best body scan guided meditation to which I've listened. Excellent pace and tone help in getting to a calm and contemplative state.
Very good, thank you.

Very clear and concise directions
Will bookmark!
Namaste🙏

I am a big fan of body scans and this is an excellent one!

Nice pace and voice! When time is short this is an effective body scan. Thank you.

Very clear and concise. I would love a longer body scan occasionally from this mentor.