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 start line, the muse of starting to stabilize the thoughts. Breath consciousness provides us a steady course of on which to relaxation the thoughts. In fact, that doesn’t imply that the thoughts received’t wander away into its personal worries, reminiscences and reveries whilst we intend to stabilize our minds on the respiration course of. But it surely’s within the technique 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 this time’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 via the physique is integral to Yoga Nidra apply. I’m positive there are different methodologies that use a type of physique scanning as a strategy to stabilize consciousness as effectively. Practising a physique scan may help us join with the physique internally, and as an entire.

In physique scan apply, we systematically transfer consciousness via the physique. This could embrace 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 apply, we begin with the ft and transfer up the physique. In others, we begin with the pinnacle and work our method all the way down to the ft. It’s merely a matter of desire. 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 the whole lot beneath.

Breath Consciousness vs. Open Consciousness

Since breath consciousness is normally the place mindfulness apply begins, we could are likely to suppose 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 a number 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 is determined by the state of your physique/thoughts. In case your thoughts appears scattered and unfocused—aka “monkey thoughts”—breath consciousness may help you stabilize it. If you happen to’re working towards breath consciousness and discover that your physique and thoughts are feeling tense and caught, you may wish 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 aware.

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

Earlier than I recommend the apply beneath, I wish to reiterate that this isn’t the one strategy 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 inner anatomy, in addition to common classes reminiscent of arms, legs, torso, and so forth.

You may wish to report a voice memo in your telephone so that you just don’t have to take a look at the textual content. Or, for those who’re like me, and listening to your individual recorded voice is distracting, you may have a buddy report the physique scan as an alternative.

Head-to-Toe Physique Scan

You’ll be able to apply this physique scan sitting on a Meditation Cushion, mendacity down or in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). If you happen to’re feeling drained, sitting or standing could provide help to keep extra alert. If you happen to’re feeling tense or burdened, mendacity down may work greatest.

Right here’s the best way to apply. Bear in mind that you may 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 tissue 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
• Palms
• 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 stomach 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 stomach organs to settle again into place. (You’ll be able to apply this consciousness for a number of breaths for those who like.)
• Stomach muscle tissue
• Low again
• Pelvis
• Stomach organs
• Perineum
• Thighs
• Knees
• Toes
• Toes

Be at liberty to reverse the method and make your method again up, from the ft to the pinnacle, or proceed to the subsequent 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, stress, 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 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 Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed 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 Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.