The body scam.
So first becoming aware of your body as a whole.
From the head right down to the toes.
Feeling the weight of your body against the mat or the floor beneath you or the chair if you're sitting on a chair.
Getting a sense of the whole of your body.
All the various sensations in the body.
Its weight.
Temperature.
How it feels to have a body right now.
And becoming aware of the breath.
Feeling the breath entering and leaving the body.
And now taking your attention to each part of the body and letting your awareness rest in each part for a while.
And as you become aware of each area.
See if you can accept whatever sensations arise.
Some parts might feel relaxed and warm and comfortable and others may feel tense or tight or held.
The practice is just to feel whatever sensations are there.
Just as they are.
So let's start with the head.
Become aware of sensations at the very top of the head.
Just being curious.
Sensations in the scalp.
The back of the head.
Just sensing the pressure of your head supported by a cushion.
Sensations in the forehead.
The eyes.
Noticing what it's like to have the eyes closed.
Feeling sensations in the cheeks.
The temples.
Just noticing whether the skin feels warm or cool.
Resting your awareness in the jaw.
And just noticing what's there and allowing our experience to be just as it is.
Sensations in the back of the neck.
On the surface of the skin and beneath the skin.
And the muscle.
The throat.
And coming down to the shoulders.
Sometimes the sensations of tightness or tension here.
Just noticing what's present with a gentle curiosity.
Breathing into any discomfort,
Tightness or holding.
Coming down to the back.
The blades,
The middle of the back,
The lower back.
Perhaps there's pleasant sensation here.
Sense of release,
Warmth.
So allowing the pleasant sensations to arise without holding onto them or detaining them.
So allowing pleasant sensation without holding onto it or trying to detain it.
Just allowing pleasant and unpleasant sensation to arise.
Noticing if the sensation changes or if it's constant.
Resting your awareness to the chest,
Front of the body,
The belly,
Sides of the body.
Noticing movement,
Temperature.
Coming down to the hips and the buttocks.
Backs and the front of your thighs.
The knees,
Noticing sensation on the surface,
The skin and inside the knees.
Noticing temperature.
Surface tension,
Being in the groin area.
Coming down to the chest and the back of your head.
Perhaps you can feel the material of your socks against the skin.
Just allowing sensation to unfold in your awareness.
Just as it is.
And once you've moved through the whole body in this way.
Allowing your awareness to broaden.
To include the breath.
Your torso,
Head,
Arms,
Hips and your legs.
Getting a sense of your whole body.
Again,
Lying here,
Breathing in and out.
And sitting or lying for a few moments.
Doing nothing at all.
Just resting in awareness.
And then mindfully getting up when you're ready.
And seeing if you can take this thread of awareness into the rest of your day.
