Week 1: Why Mindfulness
Here are some important tips about practicing the Body Scan
The most important things to remember is that you can’t do it wrong!
Body Scan
Lie with your back on the floor or a bed and close your eyes.
Move your awareness through your body, focusing on one area at a time.
Stop whenever you find an area that is unusually tight or sore and focus your breath on this area until it relaxes.
You can use a calm and healing visualization at this point as well (e.g., a ball of white light melting into the sore spot).
BODY SCAN TIPS
“You don’t have to like it – you just have to do it.”
1. Regardless of what happens – you fall asleep, lose your concentration, keep thinking of other things to do or not feeling anything at all – just do it! These are your experiences in the moment. And the practice is not to change what is into something else. Simply be aware of whatever arises.
2. Let go of what expectations about what the Body Scan might do for you. As a seed buried in the ground needs to be left alone in order to sprout, don’t disturb your practice with expectations. Just give it the right conditions – diligent attention, patience, an attitude of openness and curiosity.
3. “Okay, this is just the way it is right now.” Try approaching each moment with this attitude. Be aware, non-striving, accepting things as they are in the moment.
4. If your mind is wandering a lot, simply note the thoughts as passing events and then bring the mind gently back to the Body Scan.
5. If you fall asleep you just might be tired. Do it at a time when you are more rested. Sitting up or even standing might also keep you from dozing off.
6. If at any time you have strong or overwhelming emotions coming up, either around a particular area of the body or unrelated, feel free to move to the attention to the breath or open your eyes and become aware of what you see. Continue with the Body Scan when you feel ready.
7. If you experience pain in the body and your attention is repeatedly drawn to that area, just notice that and gently bring the attention back to the area where you left.
Modified from Bob Stahl, Ph.D.
You can either view the information here on line, or download the Week 1 lesson pages