Body Scan & Sitting Meditation

The Body Scan is a meditative practice to help us get in touch with our body and mind. We learn to bring attention to the body, part by part and directly observe and acknowledge whatever feelings that are being experienced. In this way, we discover where tension is being held in the body as well as any unacknowledged emotions in the mind. By acknowledging these feelings rather than suppressing or repressing them we can become lighter and less burdened. The Body Scan can be a wonderful way to calm and quiet the body and mind.

In Sitting Meditation we expand the field of awareness to all of our senses. We begin to observe any predominant physical sensations, sounds, thoughts, visual impressions, smells, or tastes. These practices help us to see more clearly the changing nature of all mental and physical phenomena. We begin to directly observe that all of our physical senses and thoughts are in a constant state of flux. As we begin to experientially understand the changing nature of things, this helps us to let go. We come to understand that our very resistance to "what is", is a deep source of our own pain. The sitting meditation can help us grow with more equanimity and balance, bringing us deeper wisdom and freedom on the nature of our own suffering and pain.