15 Minute Body Scan

This is a gentle exploration of the body, exercising your capacity to notice. This guidance is more about warming up your ability to tune into what's here, even when no sensation is felt. The body is the convenient map, the scan is the journey.

Transcript

This is a 15-minute body scan meditation.

Our intention with the body scan meditation is not necessarily to feel sensations,

But to exercise the capacity you have to pay attention and notice,

Even if there's no sensation at all.

You can do this practice seated in a chair,

On a cushion,

Or lying down.

Find a position that is comfortable for you that you can hold for about 15 minutes of relative stillness.

Once you get settled into whatever position the body is in,

Just doing a light check-in and noticing what sensations are showing up and already here right now as you start to notice.

Might be contact with the chair or the floor supporting you.

The texture of cushion or carpet on the floor,

A pad on a hard wooden chair.

Perhaps feeling a contact of clothing on skin or an itch or an ache,

Maybe making itself known.

This is a gentle check-in,

Not an interrogation.

So just notice what's here right now.

Perhaps there are subtle movements in the body as you take in air and let it go.

There may be areas of tension that you notice.

If you'd like,

You can intentionally release that tension.

Warming up this capacity you already have to notice to pay attention.

Focus that attention on your left foot.

Not having to move anything to create sensation,

But just in stillness,

Paying attention to the left foot.

In step,

Toes,

Bottom of the foot.

As you look closely,

As you feel closely,

There may be no sensation at all showing up or perhaps now there is contact with the floor or something else.

Take a few moments just to receive whatever might be showing up,

Even if it's no sensation at all.

Now move that sensation up,

Drawing it out of the foot and up into the lower left leg from the knee down to the ankle.

Pausing there,

What sensations are showing up on the surface of the skin?

Perhaps further into the lower left leg,

A sense of the length of the bone.

And highlighting for just a few moments,

Brightening that awareness of the left knee.

Perhaps noticing some thoughts showing up too,

Some memories of old scrapes,

Bruises.

Perhaps some soreness is showing up as well.

And as you notice these sensations making themselves known,

Is it something you can sit with?

Something you can experience without having to change or move,

But just be with them for a few moments.

Challenge yourself,

But not get overwhelmed.

You don't have to power through intense pain or discomfort.

If it begins to show up,

Move the body a little bit,

Or if you need to,

You can stop the meditation entirely.

Come back to it later.

Now drawing attention up into the upper left leg from the knee to the hip,

And just pausing there with attention in the shape of the upper left leg.

Inside the length of the big bone,

The muscles,

The skin,

Contact with clothing,

Temperature in the room.

With a little curiosity,

Imagining what is it like to highlight just this part of the body for a few moments and embody it.

Performing up the attention even a little bit more,

Now pouring it across over to the right side,

Down the leg,

And pooling all of your bright attention on the right foot.

Pausing there for a few moments.

Just noticing some similarities or differences to how it was with the left foot,

Some other sensations.

Same floor,

Same room,

Maybe a slightly different experience,

Or maybe just the same,

And maybe no sensation is felt.

That's okay.

This is about attention,

Not sensation.

It's like listening when it's quiet.

You are listening with the body in the body scan.

Drawing that attention up and out of the lower right foot and into the lower right leg,

Ankles up to the knee,

Including the knee.

Aware of that full length of the lower right leg.

Less of the shin and maybe more softness of the calves.

Any points of touching if you are perhaps lying down and feel the ground beneath you,

Or if you're in a chair and there's not much sensation there,

But listening even a little more brightly to that possible sensation.

And you're too aware of anything else that may be coming up than just physical sensation,

Maybe some surprising emotions or thoughts.

The history of a lifetime written on the body.

It's an expected part of this practice that emotions and thoughts may also show up.

Just bring attention back to experiencing the part of the body you're on.

Allow that to be the focus.

And again,

If you need to move or stop the practice entirely,

If it gets to be too much,

You have that choice.

Be challenged,

Not overwhelmed.

Drawing that attention up and out of the lower leg into the upper right leg.

Knee to the hip.

What is noticed there,

What might be showing up?

Really working this now very fluid and flexible attention,

Pouring it across and filling both legs all the way up to the hips,

All the way from the toes to the waist.

And what is it like to be embodied in both legs?

Noticing any sensations that might be showing up and inhabiting that bright awareness.

And with the next breath,

The next inhale,

Drawing that attention up out of the legs and into the belly and chest,

The back.

What movements might be showing up?

Or tensions if they have shown up again?

And if you like,

You can choose to release.

You don't have to.

And here too,

Perhaps some emotions or thoughts make themselves known.

What's it like to not pick those up,

Just to bring attention back to listening with the body?

Drawing that attention up and out of the chest and pouring it down into the shape of the left arm,

All the way from the tips of the fingers to the shoulder.

What is felt in the tips of the fingers or the wrist?

The inside of the elbow,

The shoulder is gently aware of anything in the left arm.

Guiding that attention out of the left arm and across the body and down into the right arm,

Tips of the fingers to the shoulder.

Checking in,

Listening here too.

What are the fingertips whispering?

Is the shoulder experiencing sensation or the elbow or something else?

Drawing that attention out of the right arm up into the neck and head.

Aware of the scalp,

Orbits of the eyes,

The nose,

And sensations as you take in air,

And different sensations as you breathe out.

Guiding the tongue and the jaw.

Now expanding that awareness throughout the entire body,

Just allowing it to fill the shape of this body.

Top of the head,

The tips of the fingers,

And the tips of the toes,

The whole body gently held in your awareness.

When it's comfortable for you,

You can open your eyes if you've had them closed.

Very slowly,

Very slowly,

Just starting to move the body a little bit in a way that's comfortable for you to do so.

We are completing this guided meditation.

Know that you can still be present with the body after this.

Thank you for your time,

Your dedication,

And your practice.