Introduction to Mindfulness - Dean Amory

9. Continue to scan the body, lingering for a time with each part of
the body in turn: the left shin, the left knee, the left thigh; the right
toes and then foot and ankle, the right lower leg, the right knee, the
right thigh; the pelvic area – groin, genitals, buttocks, and hips; the
lower back and the abdomen, the upper back and the chest and
shoulders. Then we move to hands, usually doing both at the same
time. We rest fi rst with the sensations in the fingers and thumbs, the
palms and the backs of both hands, the wrists, the lower arms and
elbows; the upper arms; the shoulders again and the armpits; the
neck; the face (jaw, mouth, lips, nose, cheeks, ears, eyes, forehead);
and then the entirety of the head.
10. When you become aware of tension or of other intense sensations
in a particular part of the body, you can “breathe in” to those
sensations in the same way as you can to any others – using the inbreath
to gently bring awareness right into the sensations, and, as best
you can, have a sense of what happens in that region, if anything, as
each breath lets go and releases on the out-breath.
11. The mind will inevitably wonder away from the breath and the
body from time to time. That is entirely normal. It is what minds do.
When you notice it, gently acknowledge it, noticing where the mind
has gone off to, and then gently return your attention to the part of
the body you intended to focus on.
12. After you have scanned the whole body in this way, spend a few
minutes being aware of a sense of the body as a whole and of the
breath flowing freely in and out of the body.
13. It is also very important to remind yourself that if you, like most
modern people, suffer from low-grade chronic sleep deprivation,
since the body scan is done lying down, it is very easy to fall asleep. If
you find yourself falling asleep, you might find it helpful to prop your
head up with a pillow, open your eyes, or do the practice sitting up
rather than lying down.
Take some time everyday to learn to steady your mind by attending to
your breathing mindfully, and practice drawing your attention back
to the present moment.
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