Physique Scan: Mindfulness of the Physique

Some time again, I wrote a publish on mindfulness of the physique, centering the follow on breath consciousness. Within the Theravada custom, breath consciousness is the place to begin, 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, reminiscences and reveries whilst we intend to stabilize our minds on the respiration course of. However it’s within the technique of frequently 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 in the present day’s publish, 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 means of the physique is integral to Yoga Nidra follow. I’m positive there are different methodologies that use a type of physique scanning as a technique to stabilize consciousness as nicely. Working towards a physique scan might help us join with the physique internally, and as an entire.

In physique scan follow, we systematically transfer consciousness by means of the physique. This could embody deliberately enjoyable areas as we acknowledge them. It is also merely visiting these areas and not using a explicit agenda.

In some types of the follow, we begin with the toes and transfer up the physique. In others, we begin with the top and work our approach right down to the toes. It’s merely a matter of choice. Within the follow I’ll introduce under, 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 every thing under.

Breath Consciousness vs. Open Consciousness

Since breath consciousness is often the place mindfulness follow begins, we might are inclined to suppose that it’s an “elementary” follow, 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 follow was preferable—breath consciousness or open consciousness—he paused for a second, after which stated “no matter works.”

Which follow 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 might help you stabilize it. In case you’re working towards breath consciousness and discover that your physique and thoughts are feeling tense and caught, you may need to invite the remainder of your physique into consciousness. The follow that’s finest for you on a given day would be the one which lets you be most conscious.

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

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

You may 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, when you’re like me, and listening to your individual recorded voice is distracting, you may have a buddy document the physique scan as a substitute.

Head-to-Toe Physique Scan

You possibly can follow this physique scan sitting on a Meditation Cushion, mendacity down or in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). In case you’re feeling drained, sitting or standing might make it easier to keep extra alert. In case you’re feeling tense or harassed, mendacity down may work finest.

Right here’s find out how to follow. Bear in mind that you may deliberately calm down these areas, or just pay attention to the sensations you’re feeling as you contact into them:

• Pay attention to your facial muscle tissues and scalp.
• Your cranium
• Your mind contained in the cranium
• Eyes
• Cheeks
• Internal ears
• Outer ears
• Jaw
• Higher palate
• Higher row of tooth
• Internal cheeks
• Decrease row of tooth
• Throat
• Tops of the shoulders
• Higher arms
• Forearms
• Arms
• Fingers
• Ribcage
• Muscle mass 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 broaden, and urgent on the stomach organs, inflicting the stomach to broaden. Then as you exhale, really feel the diaphragm doming upward to assist push air out of your lungs, permitting the stomach organs to settle again into place. (You possibly can follow this consciousness for a number of breaths when you like.)
• Stomach muscle tissues
• Low again
• Pelvis
• Stomach organs
• Perineum
• Thighs
• Knees
• Ft
• Toes

Be happy to reverse the method and make your approach 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 may settle again and invite the 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 particularly feels predominant, relaxation your consciousness in the entire physique, feeling the breath arising inside this bigger body.

As Joseph stated, there’s no hierarchy between breath consciousness and open consciousness. Use your individual meditation follow as a information to which follow 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 Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook 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 Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.