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Mindfulness of Body Sensation

by Philip L. Jones

Mindfulness of body sensations begins to broaden the field awareness while also helping us to be more grounded in the reality of our experience, the reality of who we are. It helps us to move beyond the stories in our heads to what our life actually is at this moment.

Practicing Mindfulness of Body Sensations

• Settle into your sitting position with an erect but relaxed posture.

• Take several deep breaths. Then allow your breath to flow in its normal, ever changing manner.

• As you begin to follow your breath, attempt to bring the quality of spacious, non-controllingawareness to it.

• Choose to pay attention to your breath either at the tip/rims of your nostrils or in your chest or abdomen, wherever the sensations are most predominant. Once you make a choice, stick with it throughout the period of meditation.

• Allow your attention to rest in the feeling of the breath flowing in and flowing out.

• If a sensation or experience in the body is strong enough to pull your attention away from the breath, allow your awareness to rest in that sensation until it subsides or until a stronger sensation pulls the attention away. You can allow the awareness of these body sensations to help you stay in the present moment, just as awareness of your breath does. When the sensation subsides, return your awareness to the breath.

• Try to meet these physical sensations without judging them, holding on or trying to push away.

• If you find yourself struggling with a physical sensation, try to open to it, to let it be.

• If you continue to struggle at this stage in your practice, simply return to the breath.

• When you become lost in another story and you notice it, appreciate that moment of noticing, of waking up and being mindful. Then gently return your attention to the breath and continue to follow it.

• If you ever feel confused about what you are experiencing or what you should do, simply return your attention to the breath.

• As you continue to bring your awareness to physical sensations, try to maintain your attention on them from the point when they come into awareness until they pass away. In this way you are beginning to notice the transience or impermanence of the sensations.

• Continue this practice until your meditation period is over.

• If you wish, you can take a few moments during the day to get in touch with your breath or your body sensations. This is a good way of helpingyourself to settle down into the present moment.