The body scan is one of the most common mindfulness practice.
It is a great practice for developing awareness of your body,
Deepening your concentration,
Managing stress,
Anxiety or insomnia.
You can practice the body scan in any posture,
Either lying down or seated.
Just be relaxed without being rigid,
At ease without collapsing or falling asleep.
You might like to keep your eyes closed or gaze softly at a space in front of you.
If you like,
You can start by taking three slow deep breaths to allow yourself to arrive gently.
As you breathe out,
Allow yourself to experience some relaxation in your body.
Check your frame of mind.
There is nothing special you need to do here,
Nothing you need to accomplish or achieve.
It is enough that you are here,
Present with your body,
In a relaxed and natural way.
During the rest of this guided practice,
I will be inviting you to move your attention to various parts of your body,
Starting from your feet and up to the top of your head.
With each body part,
Please feel any sensations that might be there.
And just notice.
So let's begin.
Start by placing your attention on the left foot,
Perhaps the sole of this foot.
Feel the left big toe and then spend some time with each toe.
Feel the top of this left foot,
Noticing if there are any sensations.
Feel the sides of your left foot and notice perhaps that once you bring awareness to the area,
Sensations change.
Now shift your attention to the right foot,
Starting perhaps with the sole of your right foot.
Does it feel tingly or numb,
Restless or perhaps there is no feeling at all?
Notice your big toe and each of the other toes on the right foot.
Move your attention to the side of your right foot and gently to the top of the foot.
Put your attention now on your ankles,
Feeling any sensations there and noticing what is present.
Whatever you feel,
Pleasant or unpleasant or unpleasant,
Is as you feel.
Move your attention slowly up to the left shin,
Feeling any sensations in the front of your leg.
Feel the left calf,
The muscles in it.
Notice your right shin and then your right calf.
Shifting attention now onto the knees,
The front,
Side and back of your knees,
Pausing and gently noticing if there are any subtle feelings of movement while you're remaining still on your left knee and then your right knee.
Bring your attention to the large muscles of the thighs.
Feel the tops of your thighs,
The sides and the back.
Notice the contact of your clothing,
Perhaps it feels cool or warm,
Soft or rough.
And taking this moment now to take a few natural breaths,
Staying vigilant yet relaxed as you continue this body scan and feel your bottom and feel your bottom and the contact it makes with your seat,
Cushion or the floor.
Notice your hips and the pelvic area.
Spend some time with sensations as you move up your lower abdomen and into the area of your belly,
Exploring each subtle or obvious feeling that may be occurring in this lower trunk of the body.
Now feel into the area around your waist,
The front and side and the back of your waist.
Moving your attention slowly up the sides of your torso,
Feeling any sensations along your rib cage,
Moving up to the chest area,
Noticing perhaps your body temperature in that space,
Movement,
Rise and fall,
Rise and fall,
Tingling or any tight spots.
We now pay attention to the back and the area along the spine,
Noticing that when you pay attention to this area,
You might be able to relax or release any tension or tightness.
It is common for there to be blank or numb areas in our body,
So just allow yourself to notice even this blankness or lack of sensation.
Traveling along the upper part of your back,
Feeling any sensations there,
Relaxing and releasing wherever possible.
And now shifting your attention to your shoulders.
What do you notice there?
Many of us tend to hold some tension in this region.
Is there any heaviness,
Tightness or soreness that you notice?
Can you relax or soften the area,
Letting your shoulders drop slightly?
Now feeling sensations in the upper arms and the bicep area,
The elbows and down the forearms.
Next,
Feel your wrists and now the hands.
Feel the back of your hands,
Feel each of your fingers,
Notice any sensations in the palms of your hands or your fingertips,
Any warmth,
Tingling,
Restlessness,
Just whatever there is to notice.
And at this point,
You may like to take three deliberate breaths.
As you shift your attention to the neck,
Feel the skin along the side and the front of the neck,
Not trying to feel anything special,
Just feeling what is present.
And if it is blank or neutral,
Just to feel that.
Next,
Feel your jaw and notice any sensations there.
See if you can release some muscles in your jaw and you might find that your mouth just opens slightly,
Relaxing.
Bring your attention to your lips.
Are they touching?
Can you feel your tongue resting inside your mouth?
Sometimes there are small sensations,
A gentle weight,
Some moisture or dryness,
Some tingling or pulsing.
Moving to the cheeks and the cheekbones,
Just allowing yourself to notice any sensations as you feel your ears,
The sides of your head,
Your forehead,
Your eyebrows.
And now to your eyes.
You may feel the slight weight of your eyelids,
Some warmth,
Or even some burning sensations if you're tired,
Some flickering or movement.
Can you soften and relax these tiny muscles in your eyes or eyelids by just becoming aware of that area?
Feel your temples and the sides of your head,
Letting the muscles just relax.
Pay attention to the top of your head.
Can you feel your scalp?
Any itching or tingling,
Subtle feelings?
Or you may not feel any sensations,
Just a blankness and that's just fine.
Just notice that.
We're not looking for any special or particular sensation,
Just to feel or notice whatever is present,
Pleasant or unpleasant,
And noticing what happens when we feel or bring awareness to the various parts of our body.
So let's take a few moments to feel our entire body,
Noticing any sensations that may be naturally present.
Just to be aware,
Just to spend time with your body.
And as you take a natural breath,
Allow yourself to complete this practice of the body scan.
If you'd like to continue,
You can now start from the top of your head and move back down to your feet,
Passing your attention throughout the body.
You can do this body scan at your own pace.
You can go more slowly,
Taking time in areas of your body.
Be careful not to strain or to strive,
Taking care not to rush,
But just to spend time with you.
Thank you for joining us and good luck with your practice.
