Body Scan Meditation Body scan practice helps us come into our senses and our bodies.
Practicing body scan will reunite our body and mind and pay attention to whatever we can notice happening with and inside our bodies.
This is a shorter version of the body scan and it is guided assuming you are in a sitting position.
The recommended sitting posture is upright and alert with a sense of dignity.
During the practice pay attention to the body parts as guided with an attitude of non-judgment and beginner's mind.
Close your eyes if comfortable.
And start by noticing your breath entering your body.
Your feet on the floor,
Your body on the chair.
Notice how your body feels.
And gently focus on the top of your head.
Pay attention to any sensations there.
Your forehead,
Eyebrows,
Area in between your eyebrows,
Area around your eyes.
Can you notice any tension there?
Your cheeks,
Nose.
Can you notice the air entering your nostrils?
Your lips,
Chin,
Inside your mouth.
How does your gums feel today?
And your tongue?
Go deeper inside your throat.
Can you feel anything there?
Your neck.
Notice any sensations in your shoulders?
Maybe there is some tension?
Your upper back,
Your chest.
Can you notice your chest expanding?
With every in-breath?
Just observe your breath for a couple of seconds.
Can you feel your lungs moving?
Your ribcage expanding?
Now move on to the sensations in your belly.
What can you feel there?
Maybe you can feel the clothes?
Or maybe your breath moving your tummy area?
Now let go of the tummy area and pay attention to your lower back.
How does your lower back feel today?
Try not to judge any sensations or make stories about those sensations.
Just notice and observe everything there is to observe.
Your hips,
Thighs,
The touch point with your chair or your floor,
Your hands on the lap,
Any sensations in your hands,
In between your fingers.
Can you feel the air on top of your hands?
Your arms,
Elbows,
Armpits.
What can you feel there?
Now let go of the focus in that area and move your attention to your knees,
Inside your knees,
Behind your knees,
Your calves.
Can you go deeper and notice any sensation in your muscles?
Or maybe even your bones?
Or you could notice the fabric,
Your clothes,
Or the temperature of the air.
Just observe and immerse yourself into anything that occurs.
Your ankles,
Top of the feet,
Big toes,
Rest of the toes.
Is there any gap in between your toes and how does it feel?
In the sole of your feet,
On the ground?
Just stay with the sensation of your feet on the floor.
And now gently scan backwards,
Back to the top of your head,
And notice any areas of comfort or discomfort that are the most profound or the ones that you might have missed.
And just acknowledge you sitting here and noticing all the sensations,
Paying attention to your body.
Just acknowledge the fact that you're just being.
Pay attention to your breath and how the body moves.
Your whole body breathing.
