This is the body scan practice.
In this practice we focus our attention on specific parts of the body,
Paying as much attention as we can to what's happening in the body in terms of how it feels,
To any sensations we might become aware of,
And then once we've focused on a given area for a few moments you'll be asked to redirect your attention to another part of the body.
This is a mindfulness practice which means we're intentionally focusing our attention in the present moment and relating to whatever we discover with attitudes of friendly curiosity,
Non-judgment,
And acceptance.
This practice can be done seated or lying down.
If you're seated,
Assume a comfortable but alert posture in your chair.
Your feet should be flat against the floor.
Your back should be upright while preserving the natural curve in the spine.
Your arms can rest on the chair's armrests or you can rest your arms in your lap.
Wherever feels comfortable to you is fine.
Your head,
Neck,
And face should be relaxed and aligned.
Imagine a string at the very top of your head,
Gently pulling the back of your head slightly upwards,
Then tuck your chin slightly down,
And release any tension in your face or jaw.
Once you're seated comfortably,
You can gently close your eyes or look down in front of you with a soft gaze.
Throughout this practice,
When you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Note where you've been and gently bring your attention back to the present moment,
Back to the sensations and felt sense of your body,
Wherever the instructions are directing you to pay attention and begin again.
You may find that there are certain areas of the body where you feel no sensation and that's completely normal.
Simply be interested in what you find.
If there are no sensations,
Note that there are no sensations.
We're not trying to make anything happen or to find anything that isn't there.
We're just meeting whatever we find with friendly curiosity.
If you notice yourself judging or worrying about how you're doing the practice,
Try to let these thoughts go and return to the instructions.
It's the nature of the mind to wander and it may wander many times.
Remember that this is completely normal.
Simply acknowledge where you've been and when you're ready,
Return your awareness back to the body in the present moment.
With your eyes closed or gazing softly down in front of you,
Move your attention to your feet.
Feel your feet against the floor,
Noticing the points of contact between your feet or your shoes and the floor.
If you're wearing socks or shoes,
See whether you can feel the sensation of your socks against the soles,
Sides,
Or tops of your feet.
Move your awareness to the tops of your feet,
Noticing any sensations there.
Maybe pressure from your socks,
Boots,
Or shoes.
And then move awareness to the toes.
See if you can feel each big toe individually.
Whatever you notice is fine.
Sensing into your other toes,
Notice whether you can feel them individually or whether you can only perceive them as a combined unit.
Just be interested and open to whatever you find.
Now move your awareness up to your ankles,
The ankle bones,
And your lower legs.
Sensing into the shins,
The calves,
Moving awareness up to the knees,
And the backs of the knees.
You might notice the sensation of your clothing making contact with the skin on the tops of your knees.
Feeling into the thighs,
The tops of the thighs,
The hamstrings,
And up to the connection between your legs and your hips.
Move your awareness to where your lower body makes contact with the chair if you're seated,
Noticing any sensations of pressure there.
Moving awareness up to the hips,
The lower body,
And the pelvis,
Noticing any sensations that may or may not be present there.
When you notice that your mind has wandered off from sensing the body,
Simply know where it's been,
Whether it's moved into thoughts,
Feelings,
Worries,
Memories,
Or plans,
Or anything else,
And gently bring your attention back to the body right now.
Bringing your awareness up now to the belly,
The lower body,
And the belly,
Noticing any sensations there.
Maybe you can feel the breath in your belly and feel it rising and falling with each inhale and each exhale.
Moving awareness up to the upper torso,
The chest,
And the back,
Moving your awareness now to the upper torso,
The chest,
And the back,
Being present with any sensations you might find there.
Feeling the shoulders,
The shoulder blades,
And noticing if you feel any pain or tension there.
Not trying to change anything,
Just noticing whatever is present right now.
Now moving to the tops of the arms,
The armpits,
The backs of the arms,
The elbows,
The forearms,
The wrists,
Moving along to the hands,
Noticing any sensations in the tops of your hands,
The palms,
Noticing whatever your palms are in contact with,
Sensing into the fingers,
The fingertips.
Maybe you can feel the sensation of air against the skin on your hands.
Now moving awareness back up along the arms to the collarbone,
Up to the neck and the throat,
The back of the neck,
The chin,
And the jaw.
The lips,
The teeth,
The tongue.
Not trying to change anything,
Simply noticing any sensations or lack of sensations you might find.
You might be able to sense your tongue resting or pushing against your teeth,
Simply noticing.
Bringing awareness now to the face,
The cheeks,
The forehead,
The chin,
The nose,
The forehead,
Moving to the top of the head,
The back of the head,
The ears.
Now expand your awareness to the felt sense of the entire body right now.
From your feet against the floor,
Up through your legs,
Your lower body,
Your torso,
Up through your chest,
Shoulders,
Your back,
Along your spine to the top of your head.
We're not trying to think or analyze or figure anything out.
We're just connecting with the sensations in our bodies.
Sitting in the chair or lying down,
Aware of your whole body,
Paying attention to the sensation of your feet against the floor,
Your arms and your lap are on the chair,
Preparing to end this practice.
Take a few nice deep breaths and when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes and bring your full awareness back into the room where you are right now.
