Body Scan Express Version

Welcome,

My name is Chantelle Walker,

A registered psychologist in Alberta,

And this is the body scan,

20-minute body scan for the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program.

So just take a few moments to settle in,

Either lying on your back or in a chair,

And just recognize that whatever surface you are on is doing the work of holding you up,

Perhaps bringing attention to the body and the points of contact,

Noticing pressure,

Also noticing where the body is not in contact with the surface you're resting on.

Settling in as best you can,

Bringing your attention as best you can to this moment,

Recognizing this is time for yourself,

Bringing your attention now to the entire body,

The front body,

The back body,

The sides and everywhere in between,

Just noting what's happening as best you can,

What's happening in this moment,

Accepting whatever is here,

Perhaps there's a feeling of calm,

There may be tension,

Restlessness or ease.

Your task is simply to notice the body as it is in this moment,

Without judgment,

As best you can with acceptance.

Now gently bringing your attention to the breath and the body,

Seeing if you can be aware of where the sensations of breathing are most prominent.

This may be at the nostrils,

Noticing the warmth of the air as you breathe out and the coolness as you breathe in.

Perhaps you're noticing your breathing at the throat or even the rise and falling of the chest or the belly as there is an inhalation and an exhalation.

Allowing the breath to do what it does naturally without manipulating it or changing it.

As best you can,

Just being with the physical sensations of the breath just as they are,

Breathing in and breathing out,

Being here right now in this moment.

Now on the next out-breath,

Letting go of this primary attention on breathing and on the next inhalation,

Gently shifting your attention to the back,

Top and sides of the head,

Allowing it to freely float in this area,

Detecting any physical sensations that present themselves.

Knowing that sensations can present themselves as warmth,

Coolness,

Tingling,

Moisture.

As best you can,

Be fully present and experience the top,

Back and sides of the head.

And on the next out-breath,

Releasing the focus of attention from the head and on the next in-breath,

Bringing attention to the face,

From the forehead to the chin,

From ear to ear,

Allowing your attention to move in and around the face.

Experience sensations that arise and bring your attention in that area as best you can,

Investigating it,

Getting to really know all the qualities of each and every sensation that emerges and perhaps then changes and moves away.

Attending to the chin,

The lips,

Inside the mouth,

The tongue,

Teeth,

Noticing your cheeks,

The eyes,

Eyebrows,

Ears,

Forehead,

Just noticing whatever sensations arise and being with them as best as you can,

Letting your attention linger,

Noticing sensations as they change if they do.

As a sensation arises,

Allow your attention to penetrate the area,

Really getting to know it in detail,

Where the sensation begins and ends,

The edges of the sensations,

Movement if there is any one.

Noticing sensations as they arise on the skin or perhaps deeper in the body,

Getting really curious about sensations just as they are,

Whatever is arising in the moment as you examine the face.

And now on the out-breath,

Gently moving the attention away from the face and on the inhalation,

Directing your attention to the neck and throat,

Allowing the attention to hover in this region of the body,

The front of the neck,

The back of the neck,

The sides,

Noticing any sensations and giving them your full undivided attention.

Perhaps noticing where your neck is and is not in contact with the surface that you're resting on,

Knowing that it's perfectly normal for the attention to be pulled away by thoughts,

Sounds,

Other sensations in the body.

This is just what our minds do.

And if this happens,

Then just gently and kindly escort your attention as best you can back to where we are in this moment,

Which is focusing on the neck and the throat.

And on the next exhalation,

Guiding the attention away from the neck and on the next in-breath,

Establishing your attention as best you can on both shoulders,

The right and the left shoulder joint,

The top,

Front and back of the shoulders.

And again,

Just focusing on any sensations,

Large or small,

That may be arising,

Or perhaps the absence of sensations.

And if there's more intense sensations,

Seeing if you can attend to them by exploring and opening up to them rather than resisting or fighting them as you attend to the front,

Sides,

Backs of the shoulders,

Moving deeply into the shoulder joints,

Becoming aware of what is already here in this moment as best you can with kindness and curiosity.

And on your next exhalation,

Letting go of this focus of the shoulders and on the inhalation,

Moving the attention down the right arm all the way to the right hand,

Exploring its position,

Tending to sensations that crop up,

Exploring the hand in its entirety.

There may be tingling,

Pressure,

Numbness or warmth.

Really getting curious about the sensations in the hand.

And again,

If attention is pulled away by thoughts or other sensations in the body,

See if it's possible to let these move into your background of awareness and letting the foreground of your awareness be on the sensations that are happening in the right hand,

Exploring the palm,

The fingers,

The thumb,

The back of the hand.

And on your next exhalation,

Letting your attention move up the right hand and all the way up into the wrist of the right arm,

The forearm,

Front and back,

The elbow joint,

The upper arm.

Exploring deeply into the joints as well as the muscles,

Noticing the position of the right arm,

Where it's making contact with the body or whatever structure you're laying or sitting on,

Perhaps noticing air,

Reminding yourself that sensations can show up like tingling or pulsing,

Coolness or warmth.

If more than one sensation comes up,

Feel free to attend to the one that really piques your curiosity,

Maybe noticing the sensations of clothing against your skin.

Exhaling now,

Releasing your attention to the right arm and on the next inhalation,

Moving the attention across the chest all the way over to the left arm,

Allowing your attention to travel down the left arm.

Tending to sensations that arise and then letting your attention rest as best you can with the left hand in its entirety,

Its shape,

Curve,

Its position.

There may be moisture,

Dryness,

Coolness or warmth.

Really getting curious about these sensations as they arise as you investigate the left hand.

Checking out the front of the hand,

The palm,

The creases of the fingers and thumb,

The back of the hand,

Its shape,

The back of the fingers and nails.

Maybe pulsing or tingling,

Warmth,

Coolness.

And on the exhalation,

Letting go of your attention to the left hand and on your inhalation,

Moving attention to explore the wrist joint,

The forearm on the left side,

The front and back,

The elbow joint and the upper arm.

Exploring deeply into the joints and muscles,

Noticing the position of the left arm and where it's making contact with the body or mat or chair,

Perhaps being aware of clothing or air upon the skin.

And again,

Getting curious about the sensations,

The sides,

The ridges,

The edges of the sensation.

Whether or not the sensation is static or solid or if it switches and changes.

Now on the out breath,

Moving the attention away from the arm and on the in breath,

Bringing it to the upper back and surveying this area.

There may be sensations of pressure or temperature as you explore the shoulder blades,

Muscles and spine.

Letting your attention now move to the mid and lower back,

Drawing your attention to sensations that come and exploring them in detail.

The lower back is a region that for many of us can create some challenging sensations and if these are present,

As best you can,

Be open up to these,

Allowing whatever sensations arise and let them follow their course as you bring curiosity to the experience.

Perhaps breathing with whatever sensations happen to be arising in this moment.

Now on your next exhalation,

Moving your attention away from the back body and on the next inhalation,

Shifting it around to the sides of the body and coming to rest as best you can into the chest as it rises and falls.

There may be sensations made by the clothing against your skin as your chest moves with each breath.

You may even be aware of the subtle sensations of your beating heart.

Letting your attention fully penetrate into each sensation as it arises,

Allowing it to do what it does,

Observing moment to moment as you examine the chest and ribs.

Letting your attention now move to focus on the abdomen,

Your belly,

Attending to it as it rises and falls on each inhalation and each exhalation.

As best you can,

Just observing this gentle rise and fall,

Rise and fall.

Knowing that it's perfectly normal for your attention to be taken away and as best you can,

Just coming back to the belly and the sensations of the rise and the fall as you breathe in and out.

And on your next exhalation,

Releasing your attention to the belly and on your next inhalation,

Letting your attention move into the pelvic region,

The front backs and sides of the pelvis,

Including the organs of reproduction and elimination.

Noticing now your right hip joint and thigh,

Exploring the top sides and backs of the thigh.

This is a large muscle group,

So noticing pressure,

The sensation of clothing,

The position of the leg.

Deeply exploring now the right knee and kneecap and its position,

Investigating the calf,

Shin and ankle joint.

Really getting to know the right leg and any sensations that present themselves,

Exploring them to the best of your ability.

Being with whatever is presenting itself in this moment,

Moment by moment.

Waiting patiently for sensations to attract your attention and then giving them center stage.

And on the next exhalation,

Releasing your attention to the right leg and now letting your attention move into the right foot,

The top of the foot,

The toes,

The nails,

The sole and the heel.

Getting to know sensations,

The top of the sensations,

The contours,

The qualities such as moisture,

Dryness,

Tingling,

Pulsating,

Even numbness.

Attending to the foot moment by moment.

And on your next exhalation,

Letting your attention travel up the right leg across the pelvis and into the left hip joint,

Exploring any sensations here.

Letting attention now move to include the thigh,

The top sides and back of the thigh.

Noticing pressure,

Tension or ease.

Perhaps noticing the sensation of the hip joint.

A sensation of clothing or position of the leg.

Deeply exploring the left knee and kneecap and its position.

The calf,

The shin,

Moving deeply into the ankle joint and exploring it.

Really getting to know the left leg and any sensations that present themselves.

Getting really curious about them.

Being present as best you can with whatever is arising.

Getting curious now about the left foot,

The top of the foot,

The toes,

The nails.

Tending to the shape of the foot,

The points of contact of the foot,

The sole,

The heel.

You're wearing socks,

Maybe noticing the sensation of socks that are touching your foot or the sensation of air.

And on the exhalation,

Letting go of attending to the foot and on the in-breath,

Moving the attention along the back of the body.

The back of the heels,

Calves,

Thighs,

Buttocks,

The spine,

The lower back,

The middle and upper back,

Breathing in and out.

Noticing tension,

Ease,

Pain,

Comfort,

Vibration,

Whatever is present.

Resting in this exploration,

This scan of the entire back body.

Continuing to move your attention along the back of the arms,

Shoulders,

Neck,

Tending to the back of the head and the scalp.

Noticing any sensations that arise and fall moment by moment.

Now bringing your attention to the entire front of the body,

The face,

Neck,

Shoulders,

Chest,

Arms,

Hands,

Torso,

Pelvis,

Legs and feet.

So now you're attending to the body as a whole and letting the attention travel until sensations tug at your attention,

Checking in with the sensation and then continuing to move down the body all the way to your feet.

And now releasing your attention to your body and on your next inhalation,

Becoming aware once again of the physical sensations of the breath as it enters and leaves the body.

Moment by moment,

Breathing in and out.

And then just remembering what this state of clarity is available to you at any time simply by bringing your attention to your breath and your body.

And now in the next few moments,

Letting attention come to the sensation of sound,

Getting aware of whatever space you're in,

And then just coming to the end of this meditation.

Thank you so much for listening.

Have a wonderful day.

You