Physique Scan: Mindfulness of the Physique

Some time again, I wrote a publish on mindfulness of the physique, centering the apply 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 respiratory course of. However it’s within the strategy 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 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-Primarily based Stress Discount (MBSR) and Goenka-style Vipassana meditation. Transferring consciousness systematically by means of the physique is integral to Yoga Nidra apply. I’m positive there are different methodologies that use a type of physique scanning as a approach to stabilize consciousness as effectively. Practising a physique scan may help us join with the physique internally, and as a complete.

In physique scan apply, we systematically transfer consciousness by means of the physique. This will embrace deliberately stress-free areas as we acknowledge them. It is also merely visiting these areas with no explicit agenda.

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

Breath Consciousness vs. Open Consciousness

Since breath consciousness is often the place mindfulness apply begins, we might are inclined to suppose that it’s an “elementary” apply, and that open consciousness of the physique as a complete is extra “superior.” Joseph Goldstein addressed this at an Perception Meditation retreat I attended a couple of 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 stated “no matter works.”

Which apply you select on a given day depends upon the state of your physique/thoughts. In case your thoughts appears scattered and unfocused—aka “monkey thoughts”—breath consciousness may 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 wish to invite the remainder of your physique into consciousness. The apply that’s finest for you on a given day would be the one which means that you can be most aware.

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

Earlier than I recommend the apply beneath, I wish to reiterate that this isn’t the one approach 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 common classes equivalent to arms, legs, torso, and many others.

You would possibly wish to file a voice memo in your cellphone so that you just don’t have to take a look at the textual content. Or, should you’re like me, and listening to your individual recorded voice is distracting, you’ll be able to have a pal file the physique scan as an alternative.

Head-to-Toe Physique Scan

You possibly can 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 might allow you to keep extra alert. In case you’re feeling tense or careworn, mendacity down would possibly work finest.

Right here’s apply. Bear in mind that you could 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 tissue and scalp.
• Your cranium
• Your mind contained in the cranium
• Eyes
• Cheeks
• Interior ears
• Outer ears
• Jaw
• Higher palate
• Higher row of enamel
• Interior 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 develop, and urgent on the belly organs, inflicting the stomach to develop. 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 possibly can apply this consciousness for a number of breaths should you like.)
• Stomach muscle tissue
• Low again
• Pelvis
• Stomach organs
• Perineum
• Thighs
• Knees
• Toes
• Toes

Be at liberty to reverse the method and make your approach again up, from the ft to the top, or proceed to the following instruction.

Open Consciousness of the Physique

When you’ve completed your physique scan, you’ll be able to settle again and invite your entire physique into consciousness. Right here, you’ll be able to merely really feel all of the sensations arising—sensations of contact, temperature, pressure, hardness, softness, pulsing, vibration—no matter is arising. If a selected sensation turns into predominant, you’ll be able to 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 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 instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each printed 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.