In this gut brain training exercise,
We're going to be doing a body scan practice to hone our connection and awareness with our physical body.
In order to begin to hear messages that our body is sending us,
We have to kind of open those lines of communication with our body.
And the way that we do that is by practicing listening to different parts of our body and allowing our body to communicate with us.
So throughout this practice,
Allow as much time as you need or want to really experience and investigate each area of the body.
Find a comfortable place to sit,
Either on a cushion or a pillow or in a chair,
Sitting up nice and straight.
And begin to first just bring your attention to your breathing.
So noticing the air moving in the nostrils on the inhale,
Feeling the temperature of that air as it enters your body and feeling the air move out of the nostrils or out of the mouth on the exhale.
Take another deep breath in,
Your own time,
Bringing that awareness once again to the air moving into your body and exhaling,
Watching it move out.
Allow yourself to find your natural breath.
Whatever the state of your breath,
Just noticing and observing.
Noticing if you feel any restriction as you're breathing in your chest,
Or any pauses.
Noticing if your exhales are long and deep or short and tight,
But without changing or resisting your body's natural breath.
Just observing your own experience of breathing in this moment.
Noticing your attention wander,
Just bring it back to your breath,
Do this natural phenomenon of the body breathing.
Begin to notice the state of your body as it performs this task of breathing.
When you're ready,
There's no rush,
You begin to move your attention to whatever part of the body you would like to investigate.
You might choose to do a systematic body scan beginning at the head or the feet,
Or you might choose to explore sensations that are calling your attention.
Sensations that might be calling your attention might include tingling,
Feeling,
Or pressure,
Tightness,
Or a difference in temperature,
Or buzzing,
Or anything else you might notice.
Notice any part of your body that's feeling any of these sensations.
Bring your breath to that part of your body,
Breathing into that area of your body,
Allowing that sensation to be exactly what it is without resisting it.
If you don't notice any strong sensations or feel neutral,
That's something that you can notice as well.
We're just tuning into our body and the state that it's in right now.
Don't you hone in on any sensations,
Or you're feeling any tightness or pain.
Maybe you might feel compelled to send it some love and compassion.
Speaking to your body as if you were a loving friend,
Saying,
May you be content and free of suffering.
Maybe asking that part of your body a question.
How are you feeling?
And then bringing your attention and presence and just holding that part of your body and listening.
Again,
Bringing the breath,
The healing life force to any area of your body calling your attention.
Saying I'm here,
I'm listening.
I'm going to sit with you for a moment.
Standing with that part of your body with full understanding as if you really understand on a deep level why it's suffering or why it's feeling the way it's feeling.
Send all my love and compassion.
Even if you don't have a logical or rational explanation for why it is the way it is,
There's a deep knowing and understanding in your body,
Wisdom,
Or simply allowing that sensation to be as it is in its own natural way.
Just observing and listening.
As you bring your breath to that same area of the body or maybe a different area of your body is calling your attention.
Repeat internally,
I'm listening.
I'm here.
I'm listening.
Continuing to breathe and feel your breath filling the part of your body calling your attention,
Filling your whole body.
Breathing.
Inhale,
Bringing that healing breath to an area of your body calling to you.
On the exhale,
Saying I'm here.
Inhale again,
Breathing,
Bringing that breath again to that same point in your body.
On the exhale,
I'm listening.
Continue to breathe into that same part of your body.
I'm here.
I'm listening.
I'm here for you.
Speaking to your body again as if it was a close friend,
Saying it's okay to feel whatever it is you're feeling in this moment.
I'm here for you.
Here to listen.
Give you all of my attention.
I'll sit with you as long as you need me to.
Anytime your attention wanders,
Just simply notice that this is happening and gently and kindly direct your attention back to exploring sensations in the body.
There's no large obvious sensation calling your attention and see if you can listen to each specific part of your body and hear what it has to say,
Starting again with your neck or your back,
Your head,
Your chest,
Your belly.
Moving through the different areas of your body,
Sending in your love and compassion,
Saying I'm here,
I'm listening.
If you are focused on one strong,
Maybe overwhelming sensation in the body,
Bring your breath to that part of your body.
And if it's hard,
It is difficult to sit with that part of the body.
Sometimes it can be helpful to commit to sitting with that part of your body for 10 breaths.
So in the inhale,
Bringing your breath to that part of the body and on the exhale,
Counting one.
Inhale again,
Bringing the breaths to the same part of the body and exhale,
Counting two.
Inhaling,
Counting three.
I'm here,
Listening,
Staying with that exact same spot,
Counting four.
Going to do this for 10 full breaths.
Child.
After 10 breaths,
Notice if there's any change in that sensation.
If you'd like to do another 10 breaths in that same spot,
Feel free to do so.
Maybe it's a tightness in your chest or in your back,
In your hips,
Neck,
Head.
Bringing your breath and counting on the exhale.
