At the second week of the MBSR course, we have been using the recorded meditations sent out by the teacher to guide us through the Body Scan Mindfulness Meditation. The Body Scan is done lying down, and can be done sitting, even standing if that is what is needed. The recording walks you through getting present to the sensations you feel in your body. Starting with your feet and working up to the top of your head.
At the start of our class we talk about how the fieldwork has been going. Some participants have fallen asleep every time they have tried to follow the recording. Others aren’t sure what is happening in between the recording talking to them about their knees to their head. “It’s like I catch myself totally thinking about work and I get lost, like I forget what body part I’m even supposed to be focusing on”.
All of these experiences are normal, even the “I don’t feel anything, anywhere?!” It’s all normal.
In the second week, the sitting meditation is introduced. We learn about shifting our awareness from different anchors…breath, sounds, sensations, and even thoughts. We talk about how noticing when our minds have wandered and coming back to our anchor, non-judgmentally. Accepting what is present because it is already here.
We do some meditation practices. We talk about the fieldwork, continuing to practice mindfulness using the recording the teacher has sent out, continuing to practice the body scan. We talk about becoming aware of the pleasant events in our days and committing to filling out a short worksheet on one pleasant event for that day. The pleasant event can be the feeling of the bed when you are ready to go to sleep, it can be the sunshine coming through the trees. The event can be simple or grand.
The gentle reminder is to keep noticing.
This is it.
