Compassionate Body Scan

The compassionate body scan, a core practice from the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, invites you to bring loving, appreciative awareness to the various parts of your body - to meet them with both compassion and gratitude.

Transcript

This meditation is called the Compassionate Body Scan.

It is one of the core meditations,

The core practices in the mindful self-compassion program.

So please,

Finding a comfortable position,

Lying down maybe on the floor,

On a thick rug,

Or on a mat,

Making yourself comfortable,

Making sure you're warm enough,

Resting on your back with your hands about six inches from your sides,

Palms,

Maybe facing upwards if that's comfortable,

And your feet shoulder-width apart,

And placing one or maybe two hands over your heart or another soothing place,

Doing this as a reminder to bring loving,

Connected presence to your body throughout this exercise,

Feeling the warmth and gentle touch of your hands,

And taking through slow,

Relaxing breath,

And then returning your arms to your sides if you like.

In this meditation,

We will be bringing warm-hearted attention to each part of the body in a variety of ways,

Moving from one part to another,

Practicing how to be with each part of the body in a kind and compassionate way,

Inclining our awareness toward the body with curiosity and tenderness,

Perhaps as you might incline toward a young child.

If you feel ease and well-being in a particular body part,

You can invite or allow some appreciation to arise within you toward that body part of yours,

Toward that part of your body.

And if you have judgments or unpleasant sensations regarding a body part,

Perhaps you can let your heart soften in sympathy for the struggle.

Maybe also placing a hand on that part of your body as a gesture of compassion and support,

And imagining warmth and kindness flowing through your hand and fingers right into your body.

And if any area of your body is too difficult to stay with,

Feel free to move your attention to another body part for a while,

Maybe a body part that is emotionally or physically neutral,

Allowing this exercise to be as comfortable as possible.

Now starting with 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 sensations in your toes.

Maybe ease,

Maybe discomfort,

Or perhaps nothing at all.

And letting each sensation be just as it is.

And if your toes feel good,

Perhaps giving your toes a wiggle and a smile of appreciation.

Then moving on to the sole of your left foot.

And can you detect any sensation there?

Your feet have such a small surface area,

Yet they hold up your entire body all day long.

They work so hard.

Feel free to send your left sole a bit of gratitude if that feels right.

And if there is any discomfort,

Open into it in a tender way.

Now sensing your whole foot.

If your foot feels comfortable,

You can also extend gratitude for the discomfort that you don't have.

If there is any discomfort,

Allowing that area to soften,

And if it were wrapped in a warm towel.

If you like,

Acknowledging your discomfort with kind words,

Such as,

There is a little discomfort there.

It's okay for now.

And gradually moving your attention of your leg,

One part at a time,

Noticing whatever body sensations are present.

Sending some appreciation if the part feels fine.

And sending compassion if there is any discomfort.

Moving slowly through the body,

Still focusing on your left side,

To your ankle,

Noticing the sensation in your shin and calf.

Noticing the sensation in your left knee.

And when you notice your mind has wandered,

As it will,

Just returning to the sensations in the part of your body you were just attending to.

And you might also wish to add some words of kindness or compassion,

Such as,

May my knees be at ease,

May they be well.

And then returning your attention to the simple sensations in each body part.

And you can allow this entire process to be an exploration,

Even playful,

Gently working your way through your body.

Moving on to your left thigh,

Noticing the sensations in your left hip.

If you feel uneasy or judgmental about a particular body part,

Try putting a hand over your heart and gently breathing,

Imagining that kindness and compassion are flowing through your fingers and into your body.

Or if you feel ease of wearing an inner smile of appreciation,

If that feels right to you.

Now bringing loving awareness to your entire left leg,

Making room for whatever you may be sensing or feeling.

And moving on to the right leg,

To your right toes,

To your right sole,

To your right foot.

Noticing the sensations in your ankle,

In your right shin and calf,

In your right knee,

In your right knee.

Please feel free to skip any part of the body if too much physical or emotional discomfort arises.

Now on to your right thigh,

Your right hip.

The entire right leg.

Now bringing your awareness to your pelvic area,

The strong bones that support your legs and the soft tissue too.

Perhaps feeling your buttocks on the floor or on the mat,

Large muscles that help you climb stairs and also allow you to sit softly and comfortably.

Now feeling into your lower back,

A lot of stress is stored in the lower back.

If you notice any discomfort or tension,

You might imagine your muscle relaxing,

Melting with tenderness.

And feel free to shift your posture a little if an adjustment will make you more comfortable.

And then after seeing the sensations in your upper back,

Moving your attention to the front of your body,

To your abdomen.

Your abdomen is a very complicated part of the body with many organs and body functions.

Perhaps sending some gratitude and depreciation to this part of the body.

If you have judgments about your belly,

Seeing if you can say some words of kindness and acceptance.

And then moving up to your chest,

The center of your breathing,

And also your heart center.

Infusing your chest with awareness,

Appreciation,

And acceptance.

Perhaps putting a gentle hand on the center of your chest,

Allowing yourself to feel whatever it is you're feeling right now.

Please feel free to touch any part of the body as we go along,

Even gently stroking that part.

Whatever feels right to you.

Continuing to incline your awareness toward your body with the same quality of warmth you might have toward a young child.

Feeling the sensations in your left shoulder,

In your left upper arm,

In your elbow.

Bringing tender awareness to each part of your body,

To your left arm,

To your left lower arm,

To your wrist,

To your hand.

To the fingers of your left hand.

Feeling free to wiggle your fingers if you like,

To the right side.

Sabering the sensations that arise when you move your fingers.

Your hands are uniquely designed to hold and move fine objects,

And they are very sensitive to touch.

And now scanning your whole left arm and hand with loving and compassionate awareness.

And moving to your right side,

To your right shoulder,

To your right upper arm.

Noticing the sensations in your right elbow,

In your right lower arm,

In your right lower arm,

In your wrist.

Scanning your right hand with loving and compassionate awareness.

Your fingers.

And the whole right arm and hand.

And now proceeding with awareness toward the head,

Beginning with the neck.

If you like,

Touching your neck with your hand,

Remembering how the neck supports your head throughout the day,

How it is a conduit for blood to the brain and air to the body.

Offering appreciation and kindness to your neck,

Either mentally or with physical touch.

If your neck feels good,

Or sending compassion if there is any tension or discomfort there.

Finally,

Moving on to your head,

Beginning with the back of the head,

The hard surface that protects your brain.

If you like gently touching the back of your head with your hand,

Or simply touching it with your awareness.

And then your ears.

Those sensitive organs of perception that tell us so much about our world.

If you are glad for the capacity to hear,

Allowing appreciation to rise in your heart,

And if you are worried about your hearing,

Perhaps putting a hand over your heart and giving yourself some compassion.

And then offering the same loving or compassionate awareness to your other organs of perception,

Such as your eyes,

Your nose,

And your lips.

And don't forget to recognize your cheeks,

Your jaw,

And your chin for how they help you eat and speak and smile.

And finally,

Your forehead and the crown of your head,

And underneath,

Your brain.

Your tender brain is comprised of billions of nerve cells that are communicating with each other all the time to help you make sense of the world.

If you like saying thank you to your brain for constantly working on your behalf.

And now holding your whole body and loving or compassionate awareness.

Maybe offering your whole body a final shower,

Head to toe,

Of appreciation,

Gratitude,

And respect.

And when you hear the sound of the singing bowl,

Slowly and gently opening your eyes,

And maybe opening them with a sense of curiosity,

Wondering what might it feel like to carry that compassionate and kind quality of attention into the rest of your day.

Reviews

Thank you so much. It’s so easy to be judgmental of the body at times or take it for granted. This meditation reminded me to be grateful for all of the wonderful things my body does for me.