Compassionate Body Scan | Mindful Self-Compassion

So finding a comfortable position if you like resting on your back maybe you would like a cushion beneath the head maybe beneath the knees arms by the side and feet around shoulder width apart and then when you're ready perhaps gently closing the eyes or softening the gaze feeling the support of the earth beneath the body here always holding you and perhaps placing a hand or two hands over the heart or somewhere else on the body that feels supportive once again as a reminder to bring loving connected presence to your body throughout this exercise maybe feeling the gentle warmth and touch from the hands maybe imagining kindness streaming through the fingers into this body and perhaps inviting a few slow deep and relaxing breaths as a way to help settle yourself and your body and also maybe taking this moment to let your body and mind know that you have paused and that it's okay to rest and I'd like to begin by reading this quote by Nira Waheed and she writes and I said to my body softly I want to be your friend it took a long breath and replied I have been waiting my whole life for this so you can either keep your hands rested here or you can return them to your sides knowing that you can always return to supportive touch and for this meditation we'll be bringing warm-hearted attention to each part of the body in a variety of ways moving from one part to another and we're going to be practicing how we can be with each part in a kind and compassionate way and we'll be inclining our awareness towards the body with curiosity and a sense of tenderness perhaps as you might incline towards a young child and if you feel ease and well-being in a particular body part maybe you can invite some appreciation or gratitude for that part of the body if judgments or difficult sensations come up regarding a specific part maybe see if your heart can gently soften in response just in sympathy for the struggle and you can always place a hand on that part of the body as a gesture of compassion and support maybe imagining kindness flowing through your hand and fingers into your body and if ever any part of the body feels too challenging to stay with maybe seeing this as another opportunity to offer yourself compassion and feeling very welcome to move your attention to another body part for a while especially one that feels emotionally or physically neutral maybe the soles of the feet or the palms of the hands just allowing yourself to feel as comfortable as possible during this meditation so to begin we're going to start with the toes on your left foot so beginning to notice if there are any sensations in your left toes maybe a warmth or coolness is there any tingling just feeling the sensations in your toes any ease or discomfort maybe nothing at all just allowing any sensations to be as they are and if the toes feel pleasant maybe giving them a little wriggle and a smile of appreciation as you then move to the sole of your left foot are there any sensations there your feet have such a small surface area yet they hold up your entire body tirelessly all day long if it feels right to do so maybe offering your left soul some acknowledgement and if there's any discomfort seeing if you can gently open to it in a tender way now expanding your awareness to include the whole of your left foot and if the left foot feels comfortable you can extend it some gratitude and if there's any discomfort maybe seeing if you can allow the area to soften as if you are wrapping it in a warm towel inviting the muscles to release perhaps even validating any discomfort with kind words such as ah feels a bit uncomfortable but it's okay for now and then gradually scanning up through the left leg one part at a time noticing whatever sensations are present maybe sending some appreciation if a part feels fine or sending compassion if there's any uneasiness so beginning with the left ankle and up through the shin the calf muscle the left knee there'll be points where you notice your mind wanders as it will always do so but just gently returning to the sensations in the part of the body you are attending to you might want to offer some words of kindness or compassion maybe may my knees be at ease may they be well and then returning your attention to the simple sensations in each body part as you then move your attention to your left thigh your left hip allowing this process to be an exploration even playful and if you ever feel uneasy or judgmental about a particular part maybe offering yourself some soothing or supportive touch and just breathing gently imagining that kindness and compassion are flowing through the fingers into your body or if you feel at ease maybe offering an inner smile of appreciation if that feels right now expanding your loving awareness to include the entirety of the left leg making space for whatever you may be sensing or feeling as you now gently move your attention to the right leg starting with the right toes what's it like to have toes on the right foot as you move to the right sole the whole of the right foot and beginning to scan up through the right ankle the right shin and calf the right knee feeling welcome to skip any part that feels too much that feels too uncomfortable as you move your attention to the right thigh maybe getting a sense of the muscles bones as you move to the right hip and then bathing your pelvic area with your awareness this strong structure that supports your legs that protects the soft tissue in this area maybe even feeling your buttocks on the floor on the chair these large muscles that help you climb stairs and that also allow you to sit comfortably and now moving to your lower back we often carry a lot of tension in the lower back if you notice any discomfort or contraction maybe imagining that the muscles release a little almost like you're lowering yourself into a warm bath inviting the muscles of the lower back to melt a little with tenderness with care and feeling welcome to adjust your posture a little if it makes you that extra bit more comfortable as you then scan up through the backs in the middle of the back and the upper back and then moving your attention to the front of your body to your abdomen this is a very complex part of the body containing many organs having many functions if it feels right maybe sending some acknowledgement and appreciation for how much this part of the body does for you and if you have judgments about your belly seeing if you can say some words of kindness and acceptance may I begin to learn to appreciate you and then moving up to your chest the center of your breathing also your heart center and perhaps infusing your chest with this warm sense of awareness of appreciation of acceptance maybe even placing a gentle hand on the center of your chest simply allowing yourself to feel whatever it is that you're feeling right now feeling welcome to gently touch any part of the body as we go along whatever feels right to you and perhaps noticing the muscles in the shoulders this is often a place where we carry a lot of tension our shoulders hold so much for us physically emotionally maybe sending some appreciation to these two shoulders and if there's any tension just paving them with your warm loving awareness maybe inviting the muscles of the shoulders to melt a little into the ground below to share some of the burden that they carry continuing to incline your awareness toward your body with the same quality of warmth you might have towards a young child as you feel the sensations in the left upper arm the left elbow bringing this tender awareness to each part of your body including your left lower arm the left wrist the hand and the fingers and feeling welcome to wiggle your left fingers maybe if you like savoring the sensations that arise when you move your fingers your hands are uniquely designed to hold and move fine objects and are very sensitive to touch and now embracing your whole left arm and hand with this loving and compassionate awareness as you move to your right side starting at the right upper arm the right elbow the right lower arm the wrist and fingers and the entirety of the right arm and hand and then directing your awareness towards the head beginning with the neck and if you like you can touch your neck with your hand allowing warmth to infuse of the hand the neck and perhaps remembering how the neck supports your head throughout the day offering appreciation and kindness to your neck whether that's mentally or with this physical touch if your neck feels good if there's any tension or discomfort maybe sending the neck some compassion some care and moving on to your head starting with the back of the head this hard surface that protects the brain if you like gently touching the back of your head with your hand or simply touching it with your awareness and then moving to your ears these sensitive organs that tell us so much about our world and if you're glad for the capacity to hear maybe allowing some appreciation to arise in your heart and if you're worried about your hearing maybe offering yourself some soothing or supportive touch just giving yourself some compassion for that struggle and then beginning to offer the same loving or compassionate awareness to your other organs of perception including the eyes the nose lips I also may be taking a moment to acknowledge your cheeks acknowledge your cheeks,

Jaw,

Chin and all of the muscles of the face that allow you to eat and speak and smile and also taking a moment to notice any sensations in your forehead,

The crown of the head and also acknowledging what lies beneath is your brain.

So this tender brain that's composed of billions of nerve cells that are communicating with each other all the time that help you make sense of your world.

If you like saying a quiet thank you to your brain for constantly working on your behalf.

Then gently expanding your awareness out so that you hold your whole body,

You embrace this whole body in your loving awareness,

Feeling the entirety of this body lying supported by the ground,

Allowing your weight to be fully supported by the earth that's here always holding you.

Maybe you have a sense of your whole body breathing here and if it feels right to do so maybe offering some appreciation to this body that for whatever measure of health it holds that it's tried its best to be your loyal home ever since you are a tiny baby until now.

So if it feels right to do so maybe offering your body a final shower from head to toe maybe of appreciation compassion gratitude and respect whatever is called for even if you can't name or label it.

Maybe it's even offering your whole body a gentle inner smile of care perhaps allowing that sense of care to extend through the body permeating through the body so that no cell is left untouched.

Then just maybe taking in a few more deeper breaths and as you exhale gently releasing the practice perhaps bringing some life into the body by wriggling a few fingers or toes.

Maybe there are parts of the body that feel like they want to move or to stretch and whenever you're ready in your own time gently open your eyes and coming back to sitting.