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

Make yourself as comfortable as you can by lying on your back,

On a mat or rug,

Or on the floor or your bed.

If lying's not comfortable for you,

Then please sit in a chair.

Choose a place where you'll be warm and undisturbed.

Once your body begins to settle into stillness,

Allow your eyes to close gently.

Taking the next few moments before we begin our formal body scan practice to anchor into your personal intentions for being here,

Reminding yourself of why this practice is important to you.

As a reminder,

The aim of this practice is not to feel any different,

Relaxed or calm.

This might happen,

But it might not.

So instead,

The practice is,

As best you can,

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

Now bringing attention to sounds in the room and following the sound of the bell.

Bringing awareness to the sensations in the body.

Feeling the physical sensations of touch or pressure,

Where the body makes contact with the chair or the bed.

Taking a few deeper than normal breaths,

Allowing yourself to let go and sink a little deeper on each out-breath.

When you're ready,

Allowing your breath to come back to its own natural rhythm.

Continuing noticing the changing patterns of sensation in the lower abdomen,

The ribs and chest as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

Not changing the breath in any way,

Simply experiencing the air as it comes into and out of the body.

Staying with the sensations of breathing for a few moments.

If you become lost or distracted by thoughts or sounds or sleepiness at any time during this practice,

Bringing yourself back to the breath.

The breath is the anchor for your attention.

Once you feel stabilized,

Then simply continue with the body part that we're on.

So now shifting the focus or spotlight of your awareness from the breath all the way down the left leg and into the left foot,

Out to the toes of the left foot.

Being a gentle curiosity to investigate the quality of the sensations you find.

Perhaps noticing the contact between the toes.

Noticing tingling,

Coolness,

Warmth,

Or maybe no particular sensations at all.

When you're ready,

Letting go of awareness of the toes and bring a gentle attention to the sole of the left foot.

The instep,

The heel.

Noticing the sensation where the heel makes contact with the mat or the bed.

Now allow awareness to expand into the rest of the foot,

To the ankle,

The top of the foot,

And right into the bones and joints.

Feeling into the whole of the left foot,

Sensing the foot as if from the inside out.

Now taking one deeper than normal breath and letting go of the foot completely on the exhale.

Now allowing the focus of awareness to move into the lower left leg,

The calf and the shin.

This is an area that likely doesn't get much attention unless it's hurt or injured.

Just feeling into whatever is there now.

Taking another deep breath down into the calf and letting go.

Now moving into the left knee,

Circling the knee joint with your attention.

Feeling the knee cap and the underside of the knee.

Aware of any sensations here.

Feeling into the knee one last time and then moving up to the left thigh.

Feeling aware of sensations,

The skin touching clothing,

The muscles of the thigh.

More subtly,

Feeling the pulsing of circulation.

There might be the feeling of heaviness or contact with the thigh and whatever surface you're lying on.

Feeling some awareness of the thigh bone as it rests in the hip socket.

The mind will inevitably wander away from the breath and the body from time to time.

That's pretty normal.

It's just what minds do.

So as soon as you notice the mind has wandered,

Gently return your attention to the part of the body you're intended to focus on.

Right now,

The left thigh.

Feeling conscious now of another in-breath and an out-breath before spanning your attention across the hips and all the way down the right leg into the right foot and out to the big toe of the right foot.

Noticing any sensations in the toes.

Just noticing coolness,

Dryness,

Moisture,

Tingling or numbness.

Moving into the sole of the foot,

The top of the foot,

And the heel in contact with the bed or floor.

Now feeling the right foot in its wholeness from the inside out.

And with the next out-breath,

Letting go of the foot and coming now to the ankle and the lower right leg.

Aware of the calf muscle,

The shin bone,

Possibly feeling pulsation or circulation.

Inhaling into the lower left leg and exhaling,

Continuing to move up,

Exploring now at the right knee.

Gathering all your attention if it's wandering and choosing again in this moment to be present to your body here at the right knee.

Feeling the sides and the back of the knee.

Dissolving attention on the knee with the next out-breath.

And now moving up,

Sensing the right thigh.

Exploring muscle and skin.

Aware of the thigh bone.

Feeling the thigh from the inside out.

If at any time you become aware of tension or other intense sensations in a particular body part,

Try breathing into them,

Using the inhale gently to bring awareness right into the sensations and at the best you can,

Softening around the sensations on the out-breath.

If the sensations become too much,

You can always choose to bring attention back to the breath or some place else in the body that feels safe.

Now bringing attention to the hip bones,

The entire pelvic bowl,

Possibly aware of the organs held in this part of the body,

The intestines,

Reproductive organs,

The bladder.

Feeling the contact of the tailbone and buttocks on the surface that you're lying.

Feeling any other sensations here in the pelvic region,

Perhaps feelings of weight or lightness.

Big breath in and out.

Moving attention now to the lower back and noticing any sensations there.

The lower back is an area of vulnerability for many.

It's normal if memories or emotions arise while attention is on a particular body part.

If this happens,

Simply notice them and when you're ready,

Letting go of thoughts and returning to the sensations in the lower back.

Now continuing up the spine,

Aware of each vertebra.

Feeling the muscles around the spine to ease and release with each breath.

Aware of the back of the rib cage and it's subtle expanding with each in-breath,

Relaxing with the out-breath.

Sensing the back of the heart and lungs.

Feeling into the shoulder blades in contact with what you're lying on.

Moving attention all the way up to the place where the spine meets the skull.

Now breathing fully into the entire back and as you exhale,

Letting go.

And moving attention now to the abdominal region.

Aware of the stomach.

Observing sensations of digestion,

Hunger,

Or fullness.

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

Also observing thoughts that might come up about different body parts or sensations.

And remembering to continue practicing non-judgment.

Letting go of thoughts and returning to sensations in the belly.

Moving attention now to the chest.

Feeling the inflation and deflation of the lungs with the breath.

The rib cage expanding in the front and in the sides,

In the back.

Aware of the beating of the heart and even the spaces between the beats.

Sensing the muscles of the chest,

The breasts,

Collarbones,

And skin.

Taking a big breath in and releasing sensation of the torso completely.

Moving your attention now to your fingertips of both the right and left hands together.

You might feel some pulsation from the blood flow or clammyness,

Warmth,

Coolness,

Or whatever else you might feel.

And your awareness to include the palms of your hands,

The backs of your hands,

Your wrists.

Now becoming aware of the forearms and the elbows.

Sensing the way the lower arms are in contact with what you're lying on.

Feeling the field of your awareness to include now the upper arms and then right up to your armpits and shoulders.

Now sensing both arms all the way from the fingertips to the shoulders.

Feeling your entire arms from the inside out.

Taking one last deeper than normal breath and letting go of the arms.

Having attention now up the back of the head,

Aware of the skull bones and the scalp,

The top of the head,

And forehead.

Feeling sensations in the eyebrows,

The eyeballs resting in their sockets.

Aware of the nose,

Its bones,

Cartilage,

And nostrils.

Taking a breath in,

Sensing the cool air coming in and leaving just a bit warmer on the out breath.

Aware of the cheeks,

The ears,

The jaw,

The chin,

And then the mouth.

Feeling the lips and the tongue inside the mouth,

Noticing wetness or dryness.

Now feeling the whole face.

All day this face is responsible for expression,

For communicating emotion and personality.

But now just letting the face completely relax,

Allowing yourself to just be.

Feeling in stillness,

Allowing everything to be as it is.

Now that we've scanned each individual body part,

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

Integrated,

Living system.

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

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

When you really tune into the body,

You'll find that it has its own wisdom.

This would be a good time to check in with the body,

Open to receiving any insights or messages.

Perhaps asking the body what,

If anything,

It might need.

More rest,

More activity,

A different diet,

Or anything else.

Just listening to the body.

This may also be a good time to silently express gratitude for all this body does for you.

And before today's practice comes to an end,

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

And for increasing your capacity to live and perform mindfully.

Reviews

Excellent quality recording, nice voice tone, not too much talking.

Great ! Namasté 🙏🙏😄

Was very relaxing. Good way to check in on your body.

very relaxing thank you