Before you begin this exercise ask yourself why you chose this topic. Find a quiet spot inside or outside for this exercise. Turn off your phone and other devices. Focus for a moment on the items in the list below and repeat this again at the end of the exercise to note any differences that may have occurred.
Please pay attention to:
➤ how your belly, chest, and head each feel when you reflect on this topic
➤ the emotions that you can associate with these visceral feelings
➤ the positive or negative impact of any stories you believe in regarding this topic
➤ the fact that others are feeling similarly about this topic as you
➤ how you might feel with increased awareness around this topic
➤ when you can apply increased mindfulness to this topic in your day-to-day life
Instead of moving through the body, resting on specific parts, this is more of an open awareness that lays the foundation for feeling the emotions in the body and responding with compassion.
Find a comfortable meditation posture.
You can lie down during this practice, but if you find yourself growing tired or falling asleep, sit up straight while meditating.
Notice where in the body you can feel the breath.
Pick one spot where the sensation of breathing is strongest and collect the mind onto this part of the body.
You may try using a simple mantra of “In, out.”
For the first minute or so, give the mind space to settle into practice. Expand that awareness to the whole body.
From head to toe, acknowledge whenever something grabs your attention.
You don’t need to seek anything special.
Wait patiently along with the breath for a feeling in the body to emerge.
When something comes forward, observe what you feel. It may help to use a one-word label, discerning where in the body the sensation is occurring.
For example, note “knee” when you feel a pain in the knee or “chest” when you notice the sensation of the breath in the chest.
Don’t label what the feeling is; label where it is.
Tend to the sensation for a few breaths and return to the spot in the body where you are focusing on the breath.
Continue to observe the breath until another sensation pops up.
Maintain this practice of alternating between the breath and other sensations in the body.
Each time your attention is drawn elsewhere in the body, stay with it for a few moments before returning to the breath.
Get to know your body and explore its experiences with curiosity.
