The Compassionate Body Scan guided by Kathleen Cator.
The Compassionate Body Scan is from the Mindful Self-Compassion program.
The idea is to not only bring awareness to your body,
It is to bring loving kindness and compassion to your body.
So I invite you to lie down with your body in straight alignment,
Hands on your side facing open and upwards,
Your back straight.
If you have pain in your back,
You may like to bend your knees and let them turn inwards,
Rest and support each other.
During this practice,
If you have any physical,
Emotional discomfort or judgements or criticisms about that body part,
I invite you to send your breath to that part,
Remembering to give yourself kindness.
And if you find sensations to be too strong or intense,
You can return to the feeling of the breath.
Let this exercise be gentle and peaceful.
To begin,
Take a few deep relaxing breaths.
So moving your attention down to the soles of your feet and start on the right side,
And then slowly move your attention down to the soles of your feet.
And start on the right side,
Feeling the toes of your right foot.
What do you feel?
Is there any warmth,
Coolness,
Dryness or moisture?
Feel the sensations in your right foot.
There may be ease,
Discomfort or perhaps nothing at all.
You may like to give your toes an inner smile of recognition and appreciation.
Imagine the delight of a mother cutting ten toes on each foot of a newborn.
Coupled with appreciation for the soles of your foot,
This small surface area that supports the weight of our body,
This small surface area that supports the weight of our body.
Moving your focus to the right ankle.
If there's any achiness,
Can you allow yourself a tender response?
Move your awareness to your right lower shin,
Your right calf.
What is alive for this part of the body?
If you can't feel much,
Can you feel even a subtle sensation?
Focusing on your right knee,
There may be no sensation.
If there is pain,
It may be stronger sensation.
Are there any words of kindness that you can send to yourself and your knees right now?
If the sensation of pain is intense,
Imagine the edges of the pain to soften.
Perhaps saying some words to bring a sense of comfort.
May this pain pass.
May I be free of pain.
Kind words to comfort and soften.
Focusing on the right upper leg.
Allow yourself to feel from the inside.
Your right hip.
Can you bring some appreciation for the working of this joint that helps us walk?
Now turning your attention to your left foot.
The soles of your left foot.
Top of your foot.
Your left ankle.
Move your awareness to your left lower leg.
Your shin.
The calf muscle.
Your left knee.
Your mind might be comparing this knee with your other one.
Bring your attention back to this knee.
Allow yourself to soften and soothe this part.
Imagine it's wrapped in a warm soft towel.
Move your awareness to your left upper leg.
And your left hip.
You may feel mental states arising.
Impatience,
Restlessness,
Drowsiness or sleepiness.
Can you just acknowledge these states of mind and return your attention back to the breath and to your body.
Move your attention to your buttocks.
The weight of your body being supported.
If you have any judgements about this part of your body,
Just let them go as much as possible.
Perhaps bringing a sense of awe,
These large muscles in our bodies,
So important to move.
Taking your awareness to your groin and perineum.
A private and intimate part of our body.
What sensations do you feel here right now?
If you have any judgements,
Just let them go.
And bring your attention and your awareness to the feeling from the inside out.
Moving your attention to the lower back.
A common place for pain.
If you're feeling pain,
Can you imagine your breath soothing this part?
Moving to the upper back.
What is alive in this part of your body?
Moving to the front of the torso,
Starting with the belly.
So much activity here,
The digestion of our food.
If there's any discomfort here,
Can you say a few card words?
May my stomach be at ease.
Moving your focus to the solar plexus between the stomach and the heart.
Moving to your heart center.
I invite you to put one of your hands on your heart center.
As you feel the touch of your hand,
What sensations do you notice?
Maybe you feel your heart beating.
This muscle keeping us alive.
The center of our love.
As we tune into the chest area,
Notice the movement of your breath.
Feeling the body breathe as the breath nourishes our bodies with oxygen.
Sending energy to our entire body through the blood.
Turning our focus to the top of our right shoulder.
Commonplace to hold tension or stress.
Caressing this part with your awareness or maybe with the touch of your hand.
The shoulders are said to be the place where people carry the weight of the world.
Is there any heaviness?
Stress?
Tension?
Or do you feel free?
Moving your awareness to your right arm.
Your right elbow.
Your right forearm.
And your right hand.
Can you allow yourself to feel appreciation for the function of our hands?
Which allow us to write,
To create,
To communicate,
To touch with love.
The dexterity to play an instrument.
Cook food.
Create gifts of love and art.
What do you notice in your hand right now?
If there's any weariness,
Can you meet it with appreciation for the work that it's done?
Now moving your attention to your left shoulder.
What is present here?
This hard working joint.
Moving your attention to the left upper arm.
Your left elbow.
Your left lower arm.
Your left hand.
And your left fingers.
Bringing your awareness to your neck.
A common place for tension and stress.
The muscles and the bones of your neck that carry the weight of your head.
And you breathe into this place.
Feel your throat from within.
This part that gives you voice.
Moving your attention to your face.
Feel the sensations around your mouth.
Trace the shape of your lips.
You may like to bring a gentle smile to your lips.
Feel the warmth of your smile spread.
Taste in your mouth.
Pulling a saliva in your mouth.
Feeling of your tongue in your mouth.
Feel your cheeks.
The muscles around your eyes.
Feeling behind your eyes.
Bringing a sense of awe for your eyes.
To bring the gift of sight.
And for some whose sight is not as sharp as you would like it to be.
Can you bring kindness to yourself right now?
Turn your attention to the back of your head.
Turning your attention to your right ear.
Feeling the vibrations of sound in your right ear.
And then taking your attention to your left ear.
What do you feel in this left side?
Moving your awareness to your forehead.
If there's any stress or worry,
Imagine your forehead being stroked by a loving mother.
Or maybe you might like to take your own hand and gently stroke your own forehead.
Moving your attention to the crown of your head.
And now taking in your whole body with a sense of affection and tenderness for your body.
And for yourself,
Just as you are.
And as you rest in your body,
I'll read the words of Wild Geese by Mary Oliver.
You don't have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair,
Yours,
And I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes.
Over the prairies and the deep trees,
The mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese,
High in the clear blue air,
Are heading home again.
Whoever you are,
No matter how lonely,
The world offers itself to your imagination.
Calls to you like wild geese,
Hush and exciting.
Over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
