A shared practice
Introduction to the Body Scan
S
Created bySean Fargo
From Sean's body scan collection — recorded in his own voice.
In Sean Fargo’s own voice16 min
Read along — the full script
Welcome. I'm Sean Farco. We'll do a brief body scan that's helpful for alleviating anxiety, depression, insomnia, and pain. The body scan is a mindfulness practice that will allow you some time to be in your body fully, to get to know how it's feeling with your awareness, to promote a sense of ease and relaxation, and invite a sense of well-being.
It also offers a time to be with whatever bodily sensations are present, whether it's discomfort or tension or lightness and ease. The focus of this body scan is not to try to change anything about your experience. There's no right way to feel in the moment.
The key to this practice is actually to simply notice and accept whatever's present in the current moment. As we go through this practice, I'm going to guide you to focus on different areas of your body, just noticing whatever arises. If you realize that you've become distracted or if your mind just wanders off, simply tune back in to the sound of my voice and pick up with the practice.
You can begin this practice by finding a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. You might find that if you lie down while doing this practice that you become tired or sleepy. The goal of this practice is to try to stay present and awake in your experience.
So if you do find that you've become drowsy, it might be best to find a comfortable sitting position. But what's most important is that you feel comfortable. So please take a moment to find a comfortable position and allow your body to come to stillness.
When you're ready, just close your eyes softly and take a moment to feel your body as a whole. Bring attention to the fact that you're breathing in this body right now. Allow yourself to experience your breath in and out, not trying to change or deepen it in any way, just simply noticing it.
And try following the full cycle of your breath, the in breath and the out breath. Relax into this natural rhythm and flow of your breath. Allow it to bring you more deeply into this moment. And on your next out breath, I'd like you to direct your attention and the breath down through your body, through your left leg, into the toes of your left foot.
Simply noticing any sensations that might arise. Noticing the space between your toes. Any feelings of tension or tingling. And perhaps noticing the temperature. Expand your awareness through your foot into your ankle. Noticing the point of contact, the bottom of your foot, the surface and the structure of your foot and ankle.
Now rest your complete attention on your lower leg. Again, simply becoming aware of all the sensations and just noticing. No need to change anything about what you experience. And now through your knee and the underside of your knee.
And expand your attention to include your thigh and up through your hip. Again, just noticing any sensations, tingling, achiness, tension. Perhaps you're noticing a sensation of greater relaxation. And whatever sensation you experience in this moment, attend deeply to it and allow it to be.
And now breathe into the toes of your right foot. Again, allowing your attention to rest lightly. Simply noticing the point of contact, perhaps the muscles or tendons. And bring your attention to your right shin and calf and the whole lower leg, up through your right knee, right thigh, and up through your hip.
Perhaps you can notice temperature in some of these places of heat or cold. And as you attend deeply to your body, you may notice sensations that feel strong or uncomfortable. Allow yourself to be open with this experience and to breathe into the feeling of discomfort, simply noticing and allowing whatever you experience in this moment.
Notice through your waist and your abdomen any tension or holding, simply bringing your awareness to this area of your belly. And now move up your body to focus on your lower back, noticing the position of your spine, muscles along your spine. Noting the sensation of your rib cage as it rises and falls as you breathe.
And now bring awareness to your chest. Are you aware of the sensation of your lungs expanding and contracting? Or perhaps the beating of your heart. Focus your attention on your collarbones and your shoulders. And continue down your right arm through your elbow, your wrist, fingertips, spaces between your fingers.
And now come to the left side of your body from your left shoulder down through your left arm and elbow. Wrist and fingertips. Just bring awareness to whatever sensations you're experiencing in this moment. Now focus your attention on your neck.
And your jaw. Your face. And the crown of your head. And take this moment now to feel the body as a whole. From the crown of your head down to the tips of your toes. Scanning for any sensation that might pull your attention.
Just opening to that sensation. And as you sit with this experience of your body as a whole, bring your attention to your breathing. Simply notice your breathing body awake, tuned in, relaxing into this rhythm and flow of your breath as it allows you to sit deeply in this moment.
And now as this practice comes to a close, take the moment to acknowledge the time that you spent intentionally nourishing your body by resting in this awareness. Congratulate yourself for the energy and the effort it took to stay aware. And form an intention to continue this practice in your everyday life with a wish that the benefits of this practice can flow into your experience of your everyday life.
And when you're ready, you can take a nice deep breath and open your eyes.
More from Sean Fargo
Make one of your own
This practice was written and narrated with Mindfulness Exercises Pro. Yours takes a few minutes to make.
$0 today · cancel anytime · your work stays yours
Or describe one in the composer — the trial composes it
Just here to listen? You can ask for a practice made for what you’re carrying — a hard week, a racing mind, a night you can’t sleep — and hear it back.
Tell us what you need →Free · no account