Trauma-Sensitive Body Scan (MBSR)

This is a body scan as practiced in the Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course. Tim guides you to an attention practice through the whole body. Learning to be with the body as it is, and to accept whatever is present.

The recording is trauma-sensitive guided and is suitable for beginners.

Transcript

30 minute body scan.

The intention of the body scan is to step out of the thinking mode of the mind and to be with the body just as it is in the present moment.

We will practice to redirect our awareness to several parts of the body,

One after each other,

And we will experience physical sensations and we will become aware of how we pay attention to them.

When we notice that the mind wanders,

Which it definitely will,

We will redirect our awareness back to the place in the body where we were.

We will not force anything.

If something doesn't feel right for you,

You can always come back to your anchor,

To your breath or the felt sense in your body.

We will open up to this experience with kindness and curiosity,

Allowing the experience to be just what it is.

Know that there is no wrong or right way to practice.

There's no specific way to feel or goal to achieve.

Allow your body to be in a comfortable position.

The intention is to stay awake during the practice.

When sitting,

Choosing an alert sitting position,

Keeping your back straight,

Connecting to the sensations of a body,

Touching the chair,

Our feet touching the ground,

Allowing the hands to rest in natural position.

When you lay down,

Choosing to lay down,

On your back or on your side,

Connect to the sensation of your back,

Touching the mat or the bed.

Allow the arms and the legs to rest in a natural position.

Maybe bending your knees if it feels more comfortable.

If you haven't done so,

Maybe closing your eyes,

If it doesn't feel right for you,

You can keep them open and gaze a little bit in front of you,

On the ground.

Connecting now with the felt sense of the body,

The whole body sitting here or laying here.

Starting by choosing an anchor for today.

Bringing your attention to the breath now.

His hands aredevice is unique.

Remember if the bread is not your anchor for today,

Feel free to choose something else.

Be it a contact point with your feet in the ground,

Or your back in the mat.

Noticing the sensation of the bread,

Rolling in,

Rolling out.

Maybe noticing the physical sensation of the movement in the belly,

Or the chest.

When you notice during the practice that your mind wanders away from the body,

Into thoughts,

Thinking.

Then gently but firmly bringing back our attention to the part of the body where we are.

So as you move to the body,

There's no need to make sensations happen.

If what you're feeling is subtle,

Then that's what's there to be noticed.

If there are no sensations,

That's what there to be noticed.

Simply investigating the body in its present moment.

It's wrapping into our senses.

When our mind wanders away,

Maybe in the past or in the future.

Not judging anything,

It's normal.

Then gently bringing back our attention to the part in the body where we were.

So when you're ready,

Bringing the attention to the feet.

Feeling both feet right now.

Feeling how the feet touch the ground.

Maybe feeling the toes.

Some tingling,

Numbness.

Space between the toes.

Contact with the socks.

Not thinking about what you feel,

Not visualizing.

Just bringing your attention to the felt sense of the feeling of the feet.

Then moving on,

Bringing your attention to the ankles.

What can we feel here?

Maybe contact with the clothing.

Moving on,

Bringing your attention to the lower legs.

What can we feel in the lower legs?

Maybe feeling the touch of the calves and the mat or the chair.

Touch of the clothing.

Maybe you feel nothing,

It's also okay.

When you realize you caught up in thinking,

Then gently confirming,

Redirecting the awareness back to the place in the body where we were,

The lower legs.

Choosing to move on,

Bringing your attention to the knees.

Feeling the inside of the knees.

The outside of the knees.

Touch of the clothing.

When sensations become too intense,

Remember it's always okay to come back to our anchor.

The movement of the breath in the body.

Letting go of the knees and moving your attention to the upper legs.

What can we feel here?

Maybe feeling some tingling,

Some numbness.

Just allowing it to be what it is without any judgment.

And when you notice that your mind wanders away,

Maybe in the past,

Future,

Planning,

Dreaming and gently but firmly bringing back the attention to the place in the body where we are,

The upper legs.

Letting go of the lower part of the body now and moving our attention up to the trunk,

Starting with the belly.

Maybe noticing gentle movements in the belly from the breath.

Maybe you feel tension inside from the digestion system.

Just allowing it to be what it is.

Moving your attention to the chest.

So here we can notice the breath in the body.

Maybe you feel a light feeling in the chest or some tension.

Moving in,

Moving out of the breath.

Letting go of the front of the trunk and bringing the attention to the back of the trunk.

Starting with the lower back.

Lower back is place where we often have tension.

Maybe you feel tension.

Maybe you have a light feeling.

Feeling the contact with the mat or the chair.

And moving the attention up to the upper part of the back.

Just noticing how it feels here.

Being supported by the mat or the ground beneath us or the contact with the chair.

Maybe noticing how our neck supports our head.

Moving the attention to the hands.

Maybe feeling the space between the fingers.

The air,

Temperature,

Warmth,

Cold.

Feeling the insides of the hands.

In the outside.

Moving up to the wrists.

Can we feel in the wrists?

Bringing the attention to the lower arms.

Maybe noticing any sensations here.

Sensation of touch of the clothing.

Maybe no sensation.

Maybe intense sensation.

Just accepting whatever is present here.

Remember if sensation doesn't feel right for you,

It's okay to return back to the anchor.

The sensation of the breath in the body.

Moving the attention up to the elbows.

Can we feel in the elbows?

Every touch with the mat.

The legs they're resting on.

Moving up again.

Moving up again to the shoulders.

Can we feel in the shoulders?

Shoulders is also a place where we often have tension.

Just observing with curiosity.

Also the place between the shoulders.

And the neck.

Moving to the head.

Just balancing on the trunk.

Feeling into the scalp of the head.

How does the face feel?

The forehead.

The eyebrows.

The eyes.

Cheeks.

The nose.

The lips.

The inside of the mouth.

Tongue.

The lips.

The cheeks.

The eyes.

The forehead.

The whole head.

Then in your own time when you're ready,

Moving the attention from the head to the whole body laying here or sitting here.

Including the movement of the breath and the felt sense of the body.

Feeling the whole body from the top of the head to the feet.

Feeling the contact of the body in the chair or the mat supporting us.

Maybe take a moment to reflect on our experience of the body scan.

Maybe we found places in the body where we should look after.

Take care of.

Maybe we had a lot of sensations.

Maybe a little.

Allowing it to be just as it was.

There's no wrong or right way to feel or to practice.

So whenever you're ready.

If it feels right you can maybe introduce a little bit of movement in the body.

Gentle stretch.

Small movement in the hands,

The feet.

Whatever feels right for you.

If your eyes have been closed,

Gently opening them again.

Going back into the room.

Now we're seeing the colors.

The vision.

People around you.

Maybe hearing the sounds.

Take your time,

There's no hurry.

This meditation is now complete.

Reviews

🙏🏼 very calming voice and great pace