Body scan practice is commonly completed in a lying down position.
So getting comfortable,
Ensuring that you're going to be warm,
Placing a pillow beneath your head.
If lying down is going to cause added discomfort or pain for you,
Then choosing a seated position that works for you instead.
And we begin by just taking our attention and noticing the points of touch and pressure where our bodies make contact with the surface beneath.
Sensing in to these points of contact,
Maybe noticing temperature.
Warmth,
Coolness,
Sensations,
Tingliness,
Throbbing,
Numbness,
Whatever's here.
And the intention here with this body scan practice is purely this,
To notice what's going on in the body part by part and having this non-judgmental attitude.
So not trying to judge what's here or change what's here for you,
Just trying to be with it as best you can.
As we start by just noticing the breath in the body,
Placing hands on the belly if this feels comfortable for you.
Becoming aware that the lower abdomen rises and falls with each in-breath and each out-breath.
Seeing if you can rest your attention on this movement of the breath.
And above the lower abdomen,
The diaphragm lowers and opens out with each in-breath and closes and pulls back up again with each out-breath.
Imagining this like an umbrella opening with each in-breath and closing and withdrawing with each out-breath.
And seeing if you can get a sense of that within your own body.
As now we take our attention to the sensations on the scalp.
This is zooming in and seeing if you can discover what's here.
It may be difficult at first to notice anything.
If you don't notice any sensations on the top of your head,
That's okay,
Just notice an absence of sensation.
As you move down to the forehead,
Softening if there's any tension here.
Moving down to the eyelids and the muscles around the eyes.
And seeing if you can let go of any tension,
Soften the muscles around the eyes.
Moving down to the nose.
Sensing in to the movement of the breath where the air enters the body through the nostrils and exits the body via the nostrils.
Perhaps noticing how the air is slightly warmer as it exits the body compared to as it enters the body.
Moving your attention to cheekbones,
To your cheeks,
Lips.
There's a lot of sensory activity around the lips.
Becoming aware of where your tongue is placed,
Your teeth.
Scanning through the cavernous region of your mouth.
Mouth.
Thumbs.
Moving down to the jaw and just softening any tension if there is any here for you.
As we now take a moment to become aware of sensations throughout the face and head in its entirety.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Taking our attention down the back of the neck,
In front of the neck,
And noticing sensations within.
And again using our breath to soothe and soften with the in-breath and let go of tension with the out-breath.
Moving down to the shoulders.
Perhaps a place where we carry lots of tension.
There might be some holding on still here for you and if so softening with the in-breath,
Letting go with the out-breath as you scan through the sensations found here.
Travelling now down the tops of your arms and through to the lower arms and the end of your arms.
If there are any intense sensations here,
Kind of see if you can observe,
Not get tangled up in the sensations themselves,
But remain as a calm observer,
Just noticing what's here.
Breathing in,
Breathing out through it all.
If at any point sensations are too powerful and too intense,
You can always distract away,
Focus on the rise and fall of the breath in the belly or open your eyes and distract away from the practice altogether if it feels too much returning at a later time.
As we now take our attention to the chest.
Feeling sensations in the ribcage,
Lungs.
Is it tight?
Is it open?
Can you feel the beating of your heart?
Can you notice the movement with the breath?
Moving down to the diaphragm,
Opening and closing like an umbrella with each in-breath,
Each out-breath.
As we scan through the stomach and lower abdomen.
What's here for you?
Take your attention now up to the top of the back,
Around the shoulder blades,
Softening and allowing with the breath.
Breathing in to any discomfort and out from it.
Wrapping down the spine,
The middle of the back.
Exploring what's here for you in the lower back.
And again just seeing if you can be with whatever's here.
There may be some discomfort,
Some intensity.
If there is for you,
Using the breath to soothe and nurture.
Breathing into the site of discomfort,
Breathing out from it.
Being with what's there,
Not becoming it.
Moving your attention down to the sitting bones.
Noticing the contact with the surface beneath you.
Points of touch,
Pressure,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Whatever's here.
Scanning throughout the pelvic region and down to the thighs.
Sensations on the tops of the thighs.
Sensations on the bottom of the thighs and within.
That's a complex pattern of varying sensations here.
Kind of seeing what's here for you.
Tingliness,
Itching,
Pulsating,
Warmth,
Coolness.
Whatever's here,
Just notice.
Moving downwards at the lower and the lowest part of your legs.
Scanning through the lower region.
And again if there's any intensity here,
Seeing if you can be with it the best you can.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
But if it's too much,
Turn your attention to the breath in the belly,
Your hands rising and falling or distract away completely,
Coming back at a later time.
But if you can remain with the discomfort and the intensity here in the lower region of the body.
Breathing with it,
Breathing out from it.
And see if you can be curious about the sensations.
Heat,
Rodding,
Stinging,
Stabbing,
Whatever it is,
Just notice.
As we now pull away and notice the full body.
Heads down to the lowest part of your body.
Full body alive and awake.
Breathing into all parts of the body now.
Get a sense of the breath throughout the entire system.
And noticing sensations rise and fall as you survey the full landscape of your body.
Sensations rising and falling like waves lapping at your awareness.
Being with it all,
Being with the breath.
And when it's right for you,
Making some preparations now to move the body.
So gently stretching,
Nodding,
Yawning perhaps,
And opening the eyes when you feel ready to do so.
