Physique Scan: Mindfulness of the Physique

Some time again, I wrote a put up on mindfulness of the physique, centering the observe on breath consciousness. Within the Theravada custom, breath consciousness is the place to begin, the inspiration of starting to stabilize the thoughts. Breath consciousness offers us a steady course of on which to relaxation the thoughts. After all, that doesn’t imply that the thoughts received’t get lost into its personal worries, reminiscences and reveries whilst we intend to stabilize our minds on the respiration course of. However it’s within the means of regularly recognizing that the thoughts has wandered off, and redirecting it again to the breath, that we start to domesticate a brand new behavior of thoughts. In at the moment’s put up, I’d like to ask you to play with increasing consciousness into the remainder of the physique, using a physique scan.

How Does a Physique Scan Work?

Physique scans are foundational in Mindfulness-Primarily based Stress Discount (MBSR) and Goenka-style Vipassana meditation. Shifting consciousness systematically by the physique is integral to Yoga Nidra observe. I’m certain there are different methodologies that use a type of physique scanning as a solution to stabilize consciousness as effectively. Training a physique scan may help us join with the physique internally, and as an entire.

In physique scan observe, we systematically transfer consciousness by the physique. This will embody deliberately enjoyable areas as we acknowledge them. It is also merely visiting these areas with no explicit agenda.

In some types of the observe, we begin with the toes and transfer up the physique. In others, we begin with the top and work our means all the way down to the toes. It’s merely a matter of choice. Within the observe I’ll introduce beneath, I begin with the top. That’s as a result of, not less than for me, visiting the anatomy of the top appears to have a softening impact on all the pieces beneath.

Breath Consciousness vs. Open Consciousness

Since breath consciousness is normally the place mindfulness observe begins, we might are inclined to suppose that it’s an “elementary” observe, and that open consciousness of the physique as an entire is extra “superior.” Joseph Goldstein addressed this at an Perception Meditation retreat I attended just a few years in the past. When requested which type of physique mindfulness observe was preferable—breath consciousness or open consciousness—he paused for a second, after which mentioned “no matter works.”

Which observe you select on a given day will depend on the state of your physique/thoughts. In case your thoughts appears scattered and unfocused—aka “monkey thoughts”—breath consciousness may help you stabilize it. For those who’re working towards breath consciousness and discover that your physique and thoughts are feeling tense and caught, you would possibly need to invite the remainder of your physique into consciousness. The observe that’s greatest for you on a given day would be the one which permits you to be most conscious.

There’s Greater than One Strategy to Apply a Physique Scan

Earlier than I counsel the observe beneath, I need to reiterate that this isn’t the one solution to observe a physique scan. That is merely what I’ve used that has appeared to work with my mindfulness college students. The observe beneath makes an attempt to tune us into a few of our inside anatomy, in addition to basic classes reminiscent of arms, legs, torso, and so on.

You would possibly need to document a voice memo in your telephone so that you simply don’t have to have a look at the textual content. Or, when you’re like me, and listening to your individual recorded voice is distracting, you possibly can have a buddy document the physique scan as a substitute.

Head-to-Toe Physique Scan

You’ll be able to observe this physique scan sitting on a Meditation Cushion, mendacity down or in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). For those who’re feeling drained, sitting or standing might enable you keep extra alert. For those who’re feeling tense or harassed, mendacity down would possibly work greatest.

Right here’s the right way to observe. Bear in mind that you may deliberately chill out these areas, or just concentrate on the sensations you’re feeling as you contact into them:

• Concentrate on your facial muscle groups and scalp.
• Your cranium
• Your mind contained in the cranium
• Eyes
• Cheeks
• Inside ears
• Outer ears
• Jaw
• Higher palate
• Higher row of enamel
• Inside cheeks
• Decrease row of enamel
• Throat
• Tops of the shoulders
• Higher arms
• Forearms
• Arms
• Fingers
• Ribcage
• Muscle tissues between and across the ribs
• Contents of the ribcage: coronary heart and lungs
• The diaphragm: Really feel the diaphragmatic motion because the muscle flattens downward on the inhalation, making room for the lungs to increase, and urgent on the belly organs, inflicting the stomach to increase. Then as you exhale, really feel the diaphragm doming upward to assist push air out of your lungs, permitting the belly organs to settle again into place. (You’ll be able to observe this consciousness for a number of breaths when you like.)
• Belly muscle groups
• Low again
• Pelvis
• Belly organs
• Perineum
• Thighs
• Knees
• Toes
• Toes

Be happy to reverse the method and make your means again up, from the toes to the top, or proceed to the following instruction.

Open Consciousness of the Physique

When you’ve completed your physique scan, you possibly can settle again and invite the whole physique into consciousness. Right here, you possibly can merely really feel all of the sensations arising—sensations of contact, temperature, rigidity, hardness, softness, pulsing, vibration—no matter is arising. If a specific sensation turns into predominant, you possibly can relaxation your consideration there, feeling its course of. Does it intensify after which wane? Does it come and go? If nothing particularly feels predominant, relaxation your consciousness in the entire physique, feeling the breath arising inside this bigger body.

As Joseph mentioned, there’s no hierarchy between breath consciousness and open consciousness. Use your individual meditation observe as a information to which observe works higher for you at a given second.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third guide is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.