The body scan

[Sensi]

Hi sensi, I would never encourage someone to sit with prolonged suffering but maybe this is something you could be with for a minute or two. Simply observe the sensation without naming it, allow it to be, try not to wish it away. See what happens.
Cheers,
Jon

Thanks Jon
Last night I went with a guided meditation, not a body scan and all went well, I was very calm, no squirming, no restless legs...nothing. I will try the body scan again tonight to see if there is a difference.

[DJLSFC]

I love the body scan now and there is nothing more I enjoy than doing one at the end of the day after work, exercise and a shower ! Perfect. But they did annoy me to start with.

Anyway, recently I realised that when I do the body scan, although my eyes are closed, I move my eyes around and direct them to the part of the body I`m scanning, almost trying to touch it with my eyes I suppose. Anyone else do this ?

I've figured out that doing this makes it almost automatic to think about the actual body part and to make me look for and try and make sensations happen, which from all the guided practices I've done, is not what the body scan is about. So recently, I have tried the scan whilst keeping my eyes from moving about (bloody hard btw ) and as I become more used to it, purely using that process of knowing where our hands are when our eyes closed (whatever its called?) has really helped with acceptance of current experience. The good thing is I have been able to carry this over into other practices such as sounds and thoughts.

Cheers Dave.

[FeeHutch]

I've posted elsewhere about this before but I'd like to share my experiences again if I may.
When I first started on my mindfulness journey I found the body scan difficult, second only to practising self compassion. But I stuck with it and it was actually during a body scan that mindfulness really clicked for me. I was recovering from a life threatening illness which had damaged pretty much every part of my mind and body as well as living with a bone disease and chronic pain. I realised I'd been deliberately cultivating a disconnect between my mind and body in part because I found experiencing the reality all the changes that had happened profoundly distressing.
I don't know what was different with that particular medication that day, maybe I didn't prime myself beforehand with the thought that I hated this particular practice and it was pointless. Anyway the first time I fully engaged with the body scan openly it was a very powerful experience for me and contributed to massive changes in how I related to and treated my new body.
Is it easy every time? No. I've tried many different types of guided mindfulness meditation and on one day a particular one seems to click on the next day I can't seem to get into the zone. I remember reading somewhere that the only had meditation is the one you didn't do and that's always felt very true to me
So during the initial 8 weeks of following a course and the 4 or so years since then I have sat and practiced and not always enjoyed it or got it but I've done it anyway because I know it is all useful.

[Sensi]

[quote]Last night I went with a guided meditation, not a body scan and all went well, I was very calm, no squirming, no restless legs...nothing. I will try the body scan again tonight to see if there is a difference.
Sensi[quote]

I tried it again a couple of times and still had all the unpleasant sensations and was unable to continue; went back to other types of meditation.

Last night however, I tried a guided body scan that guided us to send compassion to each body part. I found this one very relaxing and had none of the restlessness come up. But at one point, when I got to my shoulders, a great sense of grief came up, quickly and powerfully, but it went away almost as quickly. This brings me to a question I have.

I know what the grief is about. Someone very close to me is ill, with a life threatening disease. When I got to my shoulders, I ''saw'' this person and how she tells me her shoulders are always tight. I then remembered the conversation I had with her yesterday and how she was so afraid and crying. I've had these flashes before, they are intense, and feel like a kick that resonates throughout my whole body, and usually brings sadness & grief. But I'm unable to stay with the feeling, explore it or hold it. It goes away as fast as it comes, very much life a terrible wave that crashes into and through me.

I've wondered if this is a way of pushing away the grief, supressing it because it is so difficult or if it is something else. I realize writing this that often in books they sometimes talk about feelings, thoughts and sensations coming and going, so maybe it's a part of what is supposed to happen, but in my mind, I wonder if I just block away the feelings because they are frightening.

Any ideas?

Thanks much
Sensi

[Jonaaaa]

I must admit I am not a fan of it. I find the 'breathe into x part of the body' contrived. I also can't see how that is consistent with the 'not trying to get anywhere' nature of meditation as surely we are striving to imagine what is a result?

[JonW]

' I also can't see how that is consistent with the 'not trying to get anywhere' nature of meditation as surely we are striving to imagine what is a result?'

In what way are we we are striving to imagine what is a result? The body scan is just about noticing what is happening in our bodies in the present moment.
Perhaps the confusion arises from unclear or ambiguous instructions in the guided meditation. Is there a particular phrase or specific instruction/invitation you find problematic?
All best wishes,
Jon

[DJLSFC]

"I must admit I am not a fan of it. I find the 'breathe into x part of the body"

Would I be right in saying that this would be an important part of the body scan when dealing with chronic pain?

Personally I enjoy this bit especially when breathing into the legs or head.

[Jonaaaa]

' I also can't see how that is consistent with the 'not trying to get anywhere' nature of meditation as surely we are striving to imagine what is a result?'

In what way are we we are striving to imagine what is a result? The body scan is just about noticing what is happening in our bodies in the present moment.
Perhaps the confusion arises from unclear or ambiguous instructions in the guided meditation. Is there a particular phrase or specific instruction/invitation you find problematic?
All best wishes,
Jon

We are not striving in terms of an end result 'I want to feel x after this'. But we don't normally feel the breath in body parts not involved in breathing - are we not striving to achieve that?

[JonW]

Ah, yes. I see what you mean.
I can see that this might involve an element of striving for some people, especially those who find it difficult to visualise the breathing into a certain body part. If it doesn't come easy for someone I can see how it might seem like a rather contrived exercise.
Perhaps herein lies the difference between goal and intention...
I'd be interested to hear other comments on this. It's a really interesting area.
Cheers,
JW

[Jonaaaa]

A similar thing I am confused about is when people discuss, say, doing the washing-up mindfully. You are striving for a result - to get them done! So how is this consistent with the non-striving aspect of mindfulness?

No other practitioners seem to have issues with this so I wonder if I am misunderstanding?

Or does the non-striving really only apply to the attitude to bring to formal practice?