MBCT-L Body Scan

32 minute body scan from the Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L) course developed by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. This version is shorter than in MBCT-D and focuses more on appreciation.

Transcript

This is a 30 minute body scan practice which can be done lying on your back, On the floor, Or on a bed or sitting on a chair. Feeling free to use cushions and a blanket in order to be comfortable and warm. If you're lying on your back, Letting the arms be on the floor or bed alongside the body, The palms facing the ceiling if that's comfortable. The legs can be stretched out with the feet falling away from each other. And allowing the eyes to gently close, But knowing that they can be opened at any time, Especially if you find yourself getting sleepy. In this practice, We're not trying to achieve a special state or to quieten the mind. We're not even trying to relax. Perhaps seeing if it is possible to let go of our usual habits of monitoring our experience and comparing it to how we think it should be. Instead, As best you can, Bringing openness to your experience and allowing it to be whatever it is from moment to moment. So now, Having a sense of the body as a whole as it lies here. Noticing the space that the body takes up and noticing that the body is breathing. Bringing awareness to the sensations of breathing in different parts of the body. Perhaps feeling the air move in the nostrils and in the back of the throat. Movements of the chest as you breathe and sensations in the abdomen. The belly as it rises on the in-breath and falls away on the out-breath. Allowing the body to breathe naturally. And tuning into sensations, Breath by breath, Moment by moment. And when you're ready, Moving the focus of your attention down the left leg and all the way down to the toes of the left foot. Bringing awareness to the sensations in the toes. Perhaps noticing tingling or numbness. Feelings of warmth or coolness. There's no need to create sensations. Just tuning into sensations that are already here. And allowing them to be just as they are. And as you explore the sensations in the toes, You might want to see if it's possible to be aware of these sensations and also to be aware of the breath in the background as you breathe in and as you breathe out. So that you're breathing with the sensations in the toes. And if there are no sensations to feel, Just being with the experience of nothing much to feel. Breathing with this experience. Now when you're ready, Perhaps on an out-breath, Shifting the focus of attention away from the toes, Moving it to the other parts of the left foot. The sole, The heel, The arch, The top of the foot. Breathing with the sensations that you find. Sensations from the surface of the foot and from inside the foot. Investigating sensations here in the foot with interest. And at a certain point, Perhaps on an out-breath, Letting go with the foot and moving the attention to the ankle. What sensations are here in the ankle right now? Part of the body we often take for granted until something goes wrong. Sensations from the skin and sensations from the joint. Sensing the left ankle. Experiencing it and breathing with this experience. Noticing what's here. Or noticing an absence of sensations. When you notice that the mind has wandered, Just registering where it went to and then patiently escorting it back to sensations once more. When you're ready, Perhaps the next time you breathe out, Letting go of the ankle. Moving the focus of your attention to the region between the left ankle and the knee. Noticing sensations from the left calf and the left shin. Perhaps sensations of contact with clothing and with the floor. Noticing sensations from the inside. Noticing sensations that are already here and breathing with them. Not thinking about this part of the body but experiencing it directly. Feeling it. Sensing it. And when you're ready, Perhaps on the next out breath, Letting go and moving the focus of your awareness to the left knee. Opening towards here. There's no need to make it different from how you find it. Simply sensing the front of the knee, The back of the knee and the sides of the knee. Perhaps bringing a sense of appreciation to this complex joint that serves us so well, That enables us to do so much. And when you're ready, Perhaps on an out breath, Letting go of the knee, Letting it fade in awareness. Now bringing awareness and interest to the left thigh. A large muscle, A heavy bone sensing the weight of the thigh. What sensations are here? No need for thinking. No need for judgement. Just investigating what's here. Receiving sensations with no right way for the thigh to feel. And perhaps being with the sensations from the thigh in the foreground and the breath in the background. And when you're ready, This time taking a slightly deeper in breath. And on the out breath, Letting go of the left thigh. Moving your awareness now to the right leg. All the way down the leg and out to the toes of the right foot. Moving to sensations here. Not thinking about what your toes should feel like, But noticing what is actually here right now. Care of tingling or numbness, Feelings of warmth or coolness. Not creating sensations. Just tuning into sensations that are already here. And allowing them to be just as they are. And as you explore the sensations in the toes, You might want to see if it's possible to be aware of these sensations and also be aware of the breath in the background. So that you're breathing with the sensations in the toes. And if there are no sensations to feel, Just being with the experience of nothing much to feel and breathing with this experience. And when you're ready, Perhaps on an out breath, Shifting the focus of attention away from the toes and moving it to the other parts of the right foot. The sole, The heel, The arch, Top of the foot. Breathing with the sensations that you find. Sensations from the surface of the foot and from inside the foot. Investigating sensations here in the foot with interest. And at a certain point, Perhaps on an out breath, Letting go of the foot, Moving attention to the right ankle. Noticing sensations here in the ankle right now. Sensations from the skin and sensations from the joint. Sensing the right ankle, Experiencing it, Breathing with this experience. Noticing sensations or an absence of sensations. And when you notice that the mind has wandered, Just registering where it went to. And then patiently escorting it back to sensations here in the right ankle. And when you're ready, Perhaps the next time you breathe out, Letting go of the right ankle and moving the focus of your attention to the region between the ankle and the knee. Noticing sensations from the right calf and the right shin. Perhaps sensations of contact with clothing and with the floor. Exploring sensations from the inside. Exploring sensations that are already here and breathing with them. Not thinking about this part of the body, But experiencing it directly. Sensing it. Sensing it. And when you're ready, Perhaps on the next out breath, Letting go and moving the focus of your awareness to the right knee. Seeing what is already here, Sensing the front of the knee, The back of the knee, And the sides of the knee. Perhaps bringing a sense of appreciation to this complex joint that serves us so well. And when you're ready, Taking a slightly deeper in breath, And on the out breath, Letting go of the right knee, Letting it fade in awareness, And now bringing awareness and interest to the right thigh. A large muscle, A heavy bone, Sensing the weight of the thigh. Investigating sensations here in the thigh. Receiving sensations. With no particular way for the thigh to feel. Perhaps being with sensations from the thigh in the foreground, And the breath in the background. When you're ready, And on an out breath, Letting go of the thigh, Bringing attention now to the whole region of the pelvis, The hips, The buttocks, The genital area. Sensing what is here on the surface, And also within. Breathing with the sensations, Not trying to change anything, Allowing the sensations to be just as they are. And of course, Whenever you notice that the mind has wandered, Just gently bringing you back. Coming back to the sensations in this moment. When you're ready, On the next out breath, Letting go, Moving awareness to the lower back. This part of the body is a place where tension and stress can store. So now allowing the low back to open and soften. Allowing any tension to leave on the out breath, If it will. And then when you're ready, Taking a deeper breath, And on the out breath, Letting go and moving to the abdomen. Tuning into the patterns of sensations that arise as you breathe. Rising of the belly on the in breath, And falling away on the out breath. Breathing into and out from the abdomen. Open to sensations from the wall of the abdomen, To sensations from within. Perhaps giving particular attention to any sensations in this part of the body that feel pleasant or smooth or comfortable in the moment. And if you wish to, Moving in close to those sensations, Breathing with them, Feeling them more fully, Savoring what is here. And at a certain point, Letting go, And moving now to the chest. Holding the chest in a gentle awareness. Feeling the movements of the chest wall as you breathe. Perhaps sensing the beating heartbeat. Breathing into and breathing out from the chest. And at any time during the practice, A variety of feelings and emotions may arise, Both pleasant and unpleasant. When this happens, As best you can, Simply notice the feelings. Allow them to be here as they are, And continue with the practice. There's no need to chase away difficult feelings, Or hold on to pleasant feelings. Just letting them come, And letting them go. And on an out breath, Shifting awareness to the upper parts of the back, The shoulder blades, And the shoulders. This is another region of the body where tension is often stored. A part of the body that often reacts to stress by tightening or bracing. As best you can, Simply opening to whatever sensations are here. Breathing with them. Being with them. And when you're ready, As you breathe out, Letting go of this part of the body, And moving the focus of awareness now to the hands. Both hands at the same time. Tuning into the sensations of the tips of your fingers and thumbs. What's here right now? Maybe tingling, Pulsing, Coolness. Simply tuning into what's present in this moment, Just as it is. Letting the awareness expand to the rest of your fingers and thumbs. Then to the palms of the hands, And the backs of the hands. These hands that usually serve us so well. Giving them some time, Some quality attention. Now letting the field of awareness expand to the wrists and to the lower arms. Bringing a friendly and curious attention to whatever is here. And expanding again to bring awareness to the elbows, Upper arms, Shoulders. Working with the sensations that you find. Coming now to the neck, The front, The sides, The back. Muscles at the back of the neck. Softening and opening to whatever is here. Perhaps sensing the air passing through the throat as you breathe. On an out breath, Letting go of the neck. Opening to the face and head, Beginning with the chin and the jaw. What sensations are here in this part of the face? Now also the cheeks, The lips, Inside the mouth, The teeth, Gums, The tongue, The roof of the mouth, Where the mouth meets the throat. Now expanding awareness to the surface of the nose, The nostrils inside the nose, Where the nose meets the throat. Sensing what's changing from moment to moment and what is staying the same. Now also the temples, Eyelids, Eyeballs, The eyebrows, And sensing the forehead. Sensing any tightness in the forehead and relaxing it if you choose to. Now expanding the field of awareness again to the sides of the head and the ears. What sensations are here? Opening to them being with them, The back of the head, Including the part of the head that is resting on the floor. Noticing any intensity here, Moving in close if you choose to. Now to the top of the head and then when you're ready, Taking a slightly deeper breath and letting go. Now seeing if it's possible to hold the whole of the body in awareness from the top of the head, Out to the fingertips, And down to the toes. Opening to sensations from any and all parts of the body. Now of the body as a whole, The landscape of sensations and breathing with this awareness. And if you choose to, Bringing awareness to a part of the body that feels comfortable, Pleasant, At ease, And moving in close to that place. Breathing with these pleasant sensations, Opening to them, Savouring them, And enjoying them for a while. And then coming back to a sense of the body here as a whole. Just lying here, Breathing. And as best you can, Allow your body to be exactly as you find it. Honouring the body. Coming home to the body. Right here, Right now. Thank you.