Mindfulness Of The Body

Welcome.

What follows is a short talk and a body scan meditation,

Written by Maggie Stevens and entitled Mindfulness of the Body.

Living in our body seems like a no brainer.

You think,

Well,

Where else would I be?

But reflect on this.

Have you ever been driving and then suddenly arrived at your destination with zero recollection of having how you got there?

Or perhaps you sat down to a meal and in the next moment you notice your plate is empty.

Scary,

Huh?

This happens to all of us all of the time.

Partially because our minds can live in the past,

The present and the future.

We can remember the past and plan for the future.

Our bodies,

However,

Live only in the present.

Have you ever watched children on a playground or a baby learning to walk or a dog chasing a ball?

They are all in.

They are focused on the present and at home in their bodies.

As we grow out of childhood and get older,

We often disconnect from our bodies.

We use them more like trans-persuasion vehicles to carry our minds around.

We disassociate from our bodies for a number of reasons.

We are culturally conditioned that our bodies need to look a certain way or have a certain kind of perfection that exists only in photoshopped ads.

We may experience illness,

Disease,

And trauma.

And all of us will experience aging.

Sometimes we don't trust our bodies because we expect them to behave in a certain way or possess abilities that they don't.

These unrealistic expectations and judgments further remove our bodies from ourselves and from accepting ourselves just as we are.

Now discussing bodies may have already raised some anxiety in us.

So just for a moment,

We're going to take a few deep breaths.

Breathe in through your nose if that's comfortable.

Feel the breath as it enters your nostrils.

Feel your chest rise,

Your ribs and belly expand,

And then exhale and feel the movement in reverse.

Do that a few times.

Feel how the breath can bring some relaxation to the body all on its own.

Now for just a moment,

Think of a time when you were in your body experiencing your senses in a pleasant way.

Often these are small everyday moments where we're connecting with our vision,

Our hearing,

Our sense of taste,

Touch,

Movement.

Maybe it's the first smell and taste of your morning cup of tea or coffee.

Perhaps it's your hands working in the garden or at a craft you enjoy.

Maybe it's the sound and smell of a rain shower.

Perhaps it's a hug from someone you care about.

Maybe it's listening and dancing to your favorite music or going to bed on freshly laundered sheets.

Maybe it's making bread or some other comfort food.

Whatever memory brings you back to your senses,

Just be there for a moment.

Perhaps you noticed a calming in your body at the memory.

Our senses bring us back into our bodies and into the present moment.

In a way you can think of our bodies as containers that hold all of our experiences.

Being in the body can open us up to all the joys of being human.

Our bodies can also store our pains,

Both the small ones like twinges in our joints and more painful and traumatic events.

Being mindful of the body means being curious.

What sensations are happening in my body right now?

And then,

Can I be with it just as it is without any stories about it?

Sharon Salzberg,

The mindfulness teacher said,

Mindfulness isn't knowing that you're hearing something,

Seeing something,

Or even observing that you're having a particular feeling.

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention in a way that creates space for insight.

One way to explore mindfulness of the body is with a technique called the body scan,

And we will experience that next.

As I lead us to focus our attention on parts of the body,

See if you can feel a sensation in that body part and just be with it.

It's also perfectly normal to have no sensation at all.

If at any time you feel that it's too painful or too upsetting,

You can always return to an anchor to help calm yourself.

An anchor is a place of neutral feeling.

It could be returning to your breath or a part of your body that's easier to sense,

Like your hands or your feet or maybe your earlobes.

You can also open your eyes or change your position.

Remember,

You're always in charge of your experience.

As we begin this body scan,

Find a position that's comfortable for you.

You could be in a sitting position with your spine straight but not rigid.

Or if you prefer,

You can lie down on your back.

Remember,

If at any time you are too uncomfortable or find it too painful,

You can always return to your breath or another anchor.

I invite you to just close your eyes and take a deep breath.

You may be aware of the sensation of the breath in your body.

You may also be aware of the sensations from the movement you did to get in position.

Just bring your attention to those sensations.

Now,

Try drawing your attention to the top of your head and your scalp.

As you focus there,

What is it you feel?

Maybe you feel tingling or a vibration or a throbbing.

Maybe you can feel coolness or warmth.

Perhaps you notice no feeling at all.

Whatever it feels like is what it is.

It's okay.

We're just noticing.

Now try moving your attention to your forehead and your temples.

Imagine your cool inhalation going there and washing over your forehead.

Try moving your attention to your jaw.

Is it clenched or relaxed?

Just let your breath be there,

Experiencing it as it is now.

The sensation may change.

It may fade or become more intense.

It's just how it is at this moment and it's okay.

You might pay attention to the muscles around your eyes and your eye sockets,

Seeing if you can just let them relax.

See if you can bring your curiosity to the muscles in your neck.

You might ask,

How are they feeling right now?

The words aren't important.

It's the sensations that you feel.

If you like,

You can name them pleasant,

Unpleasant,

Or neutral,

Or you can just continue with your breathing.

Next,

I invite you to move your attention to your back.

You may feel the muscles move as you breathe.

Just be aware of any sensations there.

And if you feel no sensations in your back,

You can just attend to the movement of your breathing.

And you might try bringing your awareness to your shoulders,

Then your upper arms,

Your forearms,

Your wrists,

Your hands,

Your fingers.

Be curious.

What sensations are there?

Does one side feel different from another?

Does one part of your arm feel different from another part?

Whatever it is,

It's just what it is now.

Can you feel your belly move as you breathe?

And can you just be there in a soft breathing belly?

Centered and present,

You might feel where your body connects with your seat or the ground.

Can you feel how you're supported?

And how the support allows your muscles to rest?

And you can try sending your attention to your legs,

The large muscles in your thighs,

Your knees,

Your calves and shins.

Can you feel the sensations there?

Is one side different from another?

You might also draw your attention to your feet.

Maybe they're tingling or pulsing.

Maybe you can feel a temperature difference.

Whatever it is,

You're just noting it and paying attention.

Now try drawing your attention out so it takes in your whole body.

Instead of focusing on a body part,

You're aware of your whole body from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.

Feel its stillness and present in the moment.

If some sensation draws your attention,

Just allow it to go there.

See what happens to it,

If it remains or changes.

And if it fades,

Return your attention to your whole body.

See if you can breathe through your whole body.

When you inhale,

It fills your body and when you exhale,

It empties out.

And now return your attention to your breath,

Breathing in and out.

Three deep breaths.

You might reflect on how your body feels and if it's different from when you began this body scan.

You can return to a body scan anytime you need to rest and relax in your body.

Thank you so much for listening.

If you enjoyed this meditation,

I invite you to follow me so that you will be notified when I post additional talks and meditations.

Thanks again for listening.