Physique Scan: Mindfulness of the Physique

Some time again, I wrote a put up on mindfulness of the physique, centering the apply on breath consciousness. Within the Theravada custom, breath consciousness is the start line, the muse 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, recollections and reveries at the same time as we intend to stabilize our minds on the respiration course of. Nevertheless 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 as we speak’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-Based mostly Stress Discount (MBSR) and Goenka-style Vipassana meditation. Shifting consciousness systematically by the physique is integral to Yoga Nidra apply. I’m certain there are different methodologies that use a type of physique scanning as a option to stabilize consciousness as properly. Working towards a physique scan may also help us join with the physique internally, and as an entire.

In physique scan apply, we systematically transfer consciousness by the physique. This will embrace deliberately enjoyable areas as we acknowledge them. It may be merely visiting these areas and not using a explicit agenda.

In some types of the apply, we begin with the toes and transfer up the physique. In others, we begin with the pinnacle and work our means all the way down to the toes. It’s merely a matter of choice. Within the apply I’ll introduce beneath, I begin with the pinnacle. That’s as a result of, no less than for me, visiting the anatomy of the pinnacle appears to have a softening impact on every little thing beneath.

Breath Consciousness vs. Open Consciousness

Since breath consciousness is normally the place mindfulness apply begins, we could are likely to assume that it’s an “elementary” apply, 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 apply was preferable—breath consciousness or open consciousness—he paused for a second, after which mentioned “no matter works.”

Which apply you select on a given day relies on the state of your physique/thoughts. In case your thoughts appears scattered and unfocused—aka “monkey thoughts”—breath consciousness may also help you stabilize it. In case you’re training 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 apply that’s greatest for you on a given day would be the one which means that you can be most conscious.

There’s Greater than One Method to Follow a Physique Scan

Earlier than I counsel the apply beneath, I need to reiterate that this isn’t the one option to apply a physique scan. That is merely what I’ve used that has appeared to work with my mindfulness college students. The apply 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 forth.

You would possibly need to document a voice memo in your cellphone so that you simply don’t have to take a look at the textual content. Or, for those who’re like me, and listening to your personal recorded voice is distracting, you may have a pal document the physique scan as an alternative.

Head-to-Toe Physique Scan

You may apply this physique scan sitting on a Meditation Cushion, mendacity down or in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). In case you’re feeling drained, sitting or standing could aid you keep extra alert. In case you’re feeling tense or harassed, mendacity down would possibly work greatest.

Right here’s how you can apply. Bear in mind that you would be able to deliberately chill out these areas, or just pay attention to the sensations you’re feeling as you contact into them:

• Concentrate on your facial muscle tissues and scalp.
• Your cranium
• Your mind contained in the cranium
• Eyes
• Cheeks
• Inside ears
• Outer ears
• Jaw
• Higher palate
• Higher row of tooth
• Inside cheeks
• Decrease row of tooth
• Throat
• Tops of the shoulders
• Higher arms
• Forearms
• Fingers
• Fingers
• Ribcage
• Muscle tissue 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 may apply this consciousness for a number of breaths for those who like.)
• Stomach muscle tissues
• Low again
• Pelvis
• Stomach organs
• Perineum
• Thighs
• Knees
• Toes
• Toes

Be at liberty to reverse the method and make your means again up, from the toes to the pinnacle, or proceed to the following instruction.

Open Consciousness of the Physique

When you’ve completed your physique scan, you may settle again and invite your complete physique into consciousness. Right here, you may merely really feel all of the sensations arising—sensations of contact, temperature, rigidity, hardness, softness, pulsing, vibration—no matter is arising. If a selected sensation turns into predominant, you may relaxation your consideration there, feeling its course of. Does it intensify after which wane? Does it come and go? If nothing specifically 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 personal meditation apply as a information to which apply works higher for you at a given second.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced educating in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third e book 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 folks sextet Purple Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.