Do Not Try This at Home

Drop in to your body for a second. If you need to, close your eyes. Start at the top of your head - or at your feet- wherever you feel like starting. In your mind's eye, begin to scan your body. You are looking for sensation. Pressure, tightness, beating, holding, tingling, heat, cold, openness, jumpiness. Maybe you are clenching a muscle. Maybe your heart is racing. Maybe you are feeling tight in your chest. Report your experience silently to yourself or out loud if you need to.

Go back to the one sensation that is the most prominent for you. Bring your awareness to that place in your body. Keep your attention on it for a few moments- allow yourself to be curious about it. Notice what you feel when you approach that place. Notice the thoughts that arise when you go near that part of you. Notice what you do to avoid going toward that place. If you feel terror about going into that space, notice that, and see if there is a part of you that feels curiosity. See if you can negotiate with the terror part and get a bit closer to the space. Maybe there is a part of you that would like to know, or a part of you that would just like to observe. Make sure you are still breathing. See if you can breathe into that part of your body that you noticed - no matter if it is in your neck or your hands or your belly. Just allow your breath to go near that place. Notice what happens to the sensation when you join your body in that space. Notice the feelings that arise when you are there. Notice the thoughts. Notice the tone of voice in your thoughts. Notice how your thoughts create a wall around the space and prevent you from looking in. Or, notice how part of you really wants to go into the center of the sensation. How the terrified (or nervous, or scolding, or judgemental) part of you wants you to just go back to talking about work, or the election or the upcoming weekend.

Look underneath the sensation. See it with your mind's eye. What is there? What does this sensation want to say? What does it most need? As you ask the sensation these questions, notice what other feelings and sensations arise within you. See if you can stay with one sensation and inquire about it. If a competing sensation or thought tugs at your awareness, notice it. Name it. Maybe it is a part of you that doesn't want this inquiry. Maybe there is a part of you that is saying stop. Maybe a part of you wants to communicate something else. Allow for this. Make room in your mind for all your parts.

What happens there in the intersection between your body, your mind and you? Where are you in all of this? Are you the sensation? Are you the thought you are having about the sensation? Or are you observing this from some other vantage point? How do you know the difference?