The Body Scan

[Gareth]

I did a body scan yesterday for the first time in ages, and while my attention was wandering, I thought back to this topic that I started ages ago. I thought I'd revisit it and see what had changed.

The body scan was much the same yesterday as it was back then: I find the attention so much harder to hold than when I am sat in the lotus position. Funny isn't it? I'm pretty sure that the reason is a lack of anchor to the present moment. Due to MS and a lack of body awareness, I don't get a lot of signals from my body, so my attention naturally wanders off, having nothing to hook on to. This all relates to the choiceless awareness stuff posted by Suryacitta I think.

What was different this time was a great deal more self-compassion. Instead of laying there thinking "why can't I hold my attention," I just brought my attention back whenever it went. It certainly made for a more peaceful experience.