Body scan

Body scan. This is a daytime practice for noticing the body as it is. You are not trying to relax anything or change anything. You are only paying attention, one region at a time, from the head down to the feet. Sit in a chair with both feet on the floor, or lie down if you prefer. Eyes open with a soft gaze, or closed. Whichever helps you stay with it.

Take one slower breath out. Then let the breath go back to normal.

Begin at the top of the head. The scalp. Notice whatever is there. Warmth, pressure, tingling, or nothing much at all. Nothing much is also an answer.

The forehead and the eyes. Is there any holding here? You do not have to let it go. Just notice it.

The jaw, the mouth, the tongue.

The neck and the throat.

The shoulders. Notice where they sit. High or low, even or uneven.

Down the arms to the hands. Notice the fingers. Notice whatever they are touching.

The chest. The movement of the breath here, however small.

The belly.

The back, from the top down to the base of the spine. Notice where it is supported and where it is holding itself up.

The hips and the seat, pressing into the chair or the floor.

The thighs.

The knees and the calves.

The feet. The soles, the heels, the toes. Notice the floor under them.

Now the whole body at once, sitting or lying here, breathing.

If the mind wandered off during that, it does not matter. That is what minds do. Each time you notice, you have come back, and that is the practice.

Sit with the whole body for a little longer.

When you are ready, take a deeper breath in and let it out. Move the hands and feet. If the eyes were closed, open them. Look around the room. Then carry on with your day.