OpenSourceOD
Bodyscan
Intermediate
Skill Level:
Find a quiet space where you are able to lie flat on the floor (or on a mat). Though this is an excellent way to fall asleep at night, it is not suggested that you do this formal practice in bed. Traditionally the practitioner will place their palms upward, facing the ceiling, but that is not required. Allow the body to be limp, so far as you feel comfortable. Gently close your eyes and scan your body from the feet upwards toward your head. Aiming your attention at each part of your body, take in all of the sensations that present themselves, in the moment, without judging them or trying to change them. TIP: If you do begin to doze off, try wiggling your toes or opening your eyes. If you do happen to fall asleep and regain consciousness try not to judge yourself. Rather, notice how the quality of your awareness feels different. Get in touch with these various forms of consciousness as they present themselves.
This technique is part of the Expanding phase of SERA, in which the OD practitioner must help participants shift their consciousness into a non-conceptual domain. With expanding the goal is to open conscious awareness further and deeper into a non-conceptual, sensate, and intuitive quality of awareness. In this way, the practitioner helps the client establish a more spacious orientation of awareness, in which sensing is amplified and thoughts are recognized like objects with various levels emotional intensity and attachment rather than truths.
As you think of unique ways to apply this technique to a new OD solution, remember that the aim of the Expanding phase is to stretch consciousness further into non-conceptual, sensate, and meta-egoic forms of awareness.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2016). Lying down meditations. Mindfulness, 7(6), 1437-1440.
