Day 302, Saturday, November 2, 2024

Day 302, Saturday, November 2, 2024

Do you wonder sometimes how is my body connected to the mind? What is the benefit of Body Scan Meditation? (For this meditation to be effective, I would change 2-minute body scan as suggested in this Inspiration to 5 or 10-minute scan)

In the Body Scan meditation we practice to be mindful of the sensations that we feel on our skin. This is because skin and brain are connected. As is evidenced by the map in our brain called homunculus (The little person). The regions of the sensory homunculus correspond to the surface features of the skin. In this map the hands, feet and lips are huge compared to other locations. This is because of the high concentration of sensory nerve endings in these particular regions. The map and the diagram of homunculus was created by the American Canadian neurosurgeon, Wilder Graves Penfield (January 26, 1891 – April 5, 1976). The image of the little person, with the size of the body parts distorted represent how much area of the cerebral cortex of the brain is devoted to each.

The tactile sensations are intimately tied to our emotions. Our body touches everything. Whatever we touch and however we touch mindfully, inanimate objects, plants, animals or other humans, touch nurtures us. Our skin is always in touch with us. Are we in touch with our own skin?

Inspiration

Body and Movement

Your body and physical sensations are all you’ve got. You came to this world in it and you will leave the world in it. (I do realize we are more than our body and senses, but please allow me to focus on the human body for today.)

Unfortunately we do not exploit our body’s unlimited potential. We neither pay 100 percent attention to it nor are we aware how many possibilities it has for providing enjoyment. Do you realize that it’s only when your tooth hurts or when your foot is broken that you pay any attention to it?

The first step to improve your attitude toward the body is by a 2-minute body scan from the soles of your feet to the top of your head thanking each part for what it does. Pay homage to your physical self thus and watch what happens.

Untrained senses are clumsy, giving way to an insensitive eye that does not find any sight interesting, an unmusical ear that does not hear soothing patterns of sound, a coarse palate that does not taste the difference between delicious and bland food, a rough nose that can’t distinguish scents, and unsensitive fingers that don’t know texture variations.

When not used to their fullest for the finest things, your senses atrophy. The quality of life is merely adequate, even dismal. But when you make it a point to learn and experience what your body can do, discipline imposes order on sensations, generating a sense of harmony that is highly enjoyable.

Mindful walking and other physical movements offer an unlimited amount of sensuous (as well as sensual) enjoyment. But if you have no interest in moving the body, it will be nothing but flesh. Be assured that no matter how fit you are, there is a possibility to fine tune your body and senses every day. Grow a bit stronger, a bit more sensuously sensitive, and surprise yourself at the end of the year.

Journal Prompt

If you don’t walk, begin by walking 15 minutes a day, and add 10-minute increments weekly. No problem if you skip a walk. If you already walk 2-3 miles a day, kudos! Increase your speed or distance at your convenience. And on the way, hear the wind and the birds, observe the color of the sky and the foliage, breathe in scents and aromas, touch the texture of the tree trunk or top of tall grass, then journal about it.

Today’s Practice

Meditation: “Body”