The Body Scan - Practice
Find a comfortable place to lie or sit
for about 30 minutes. Settle into your position, adjusting so that you
can stay still in this position for the whole practice.
Begin by
becoming aware of your surroundings, then bring attention to the
sensation of your body in contact with the floor, or your seat if you
are sitting, or anywhere that your body is in contact with the outside
world. Then for a short while bring attention to the rhythm of your
breath entering and leaving the body.
Starting with the left
foot, focus your attention on your toes, noticing the sensations there.
Notice whether sensations are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. You may
have no sensations where your attention lands, but that is okay too.
Move attention to include the sole of your left foot, noticing what
sensations are there in the same way. In this way the guidance will take
you all the way through your body, at each stopping point just noticing
sensations without trying to change them.
Throughout the
exercise, inevitably your mind will wander. That is natural, and if you
are listening to guidance just resume where the guidance is at the point
that you noticed your mind wandered. Mind wandering is natural. If you
are lying down, you may drift off to sleep too. That too is natural. Do
not judge yourself negatively for any of these.