Body Scan Mindfulness Meditation

Body scanning by Massimo Fontana. The next practice is a mindfulness practice whereby we go through the entire body one area at a time. We start with the feet and make our way up to the head. If you'd like, you can also lie down for the body scan. We'll be practicing this for about 15 minutes. Please take a mat to lie on. If you decide to lie down, it can be nice to put your legs up on the seat of your chair. This is completely up to you if you want to close your eyes or lower your gaze. Finding a comfortable posture. Now feeling into your body, lying or sitting here. Feeling into the areas of contact in this moment. Where the feet are touching the ground, the legs, your back, the arms, the head. Maybe also noticing your breath entering and leaving your body. Notice how the breath enters in through the nose and releases gently through the mouth. The intention of the body scan is to be present with our body without wanting anything at all, not even relaxation. Of course, it's nice to relax and it's great if it happens, but that is not the goal of this body scan. The goal is to be checking in with each area of the body in a non-judgmental way. We simply feel what is there to feel.

There's no need to stir up sensations by moving the body.

You will notice that there are a number of areas in the body that you might not be able to feel at all. This is completely normal and okay. I'd like you just to check into those areas as if you could feel something, almost be like a, a passive observer noticing. Starting with the feet. Feeling into both your feet right now. Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.

Feel.

Feeling into the areas where your feet are touching the ground. Maybe feeling your toes or not. Maybe feeling tingling or the temperature. Now moving the attention to your ankles and lower legs. What is here to feel, if anything at all? Pressure of your calves against the mat, perhaps the fabric against the skin. And if you notice that your attention is suddenly somewhere else, just gently and without judgment, return it to your legs. This is very normal and not a problem at all. The mind likes to wander. If you find it helpful, you can imagine that you are breathing into your lower legs, as if your attention could ride on the breath, or as if your attention would light up the area like it was a flashlight. Now letting go of the low legs and moving the attention to your knees and thighs. Ask yourself, what is here to feel? Again, maybe pressure, temperature, the position of your legs, or nothing at all. The feeling of numbness counts as a sensation in this practice. Noticing that thinking about an area or picturing it in your mind's eye is different from actually feeling it. Now letting go of the thighs and moving the attention to the lower trunk, the pelvis and the belly up to the belly button. Allow yourself a moment to notice any sensations in this area. Maybe feeling the breath in the lower belly, allowing the belly to rise and fall as you breathe in and breathe out. Then letting go. And now feeling into the upper trunk, the stomach area, the chest, feeling the sensations of the breath here. With each inhalation and each exhalation, feeling the spine against the floor or against the chair, simply noticing any sensations that are here, equally the absence of sensations. From here, now moving the attention into your hands, feeling your hands. You might notice how well you feel your hands without having to see them. Feeling the individual fingers, feeling the position of your hands. When you are ready, Moving the attention to the wrists and forearms. Now ask yourself once again, what is here to feel? Touch, pressure, warmth. Whatever comes up is perfectly fine. Now moving the attention to your elbows and upper arms. Noticing any sensations here. And if your mind wanders off, just bringing it back to wherever we are, simply starting again. This isn't a competition. It's learning to be with yourself. From here. Moving the attention to your shoulders, the back of your neck, and then to your head. Feeling into your jaw, feeling into your face. What does your face feel like? Your mouth, your nose, your cheeks, eyes, forehead, your entire face. Simply breathe and be present with all of these sensations. And now opening the awareness to include the entire body again, lying or sitting here, being alive, breathing. Taking in a deep breath and releasing it very slowly. If you like, imagining to be breathing from the crown of your head all the way down into your toes and up and out again. Noticing all of the sensations of the body and allowing them to be just as they are in this moment. All the while focusing on your breath. On the next breath in, Allowing some movement back into the body, like wiggling your fingers and toes. Allow your body to stretch in a way that it wants to, a way that feels good. And when you are ready, in your own time, Opening your eyes and allow yourself to take a moment to reflect on your experience in this new moment. Allow yourself to sit with all of the different sensations that came up during the session. There's no need for judgment. Or rationalizing the sensations. It's just simply noticing and being mindful and present.