Body Scan with Self Compassion

The Body Scan with Self Compassion has basically the same form as the Body Scan with mindfulness. The difference is that as we bring our awareness to each part of the body, we bring kindness, gratitude, and compassion.

 In doing this exercise, many people encounter feelings of rejection or shame, or that compare unfavourably in some way with the “norm”.

This is where both the equanimity of mindfulness and the compassion and self-acceptance of self-compassion comes in. This process can help dissolve the feelings of comparison, and come to better accept ourselves just as we are.

Carl Rogers said: The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.

I tend to think of compassion as a unified field. But, like light that we shine through a prism, its components are revealed, researchers have proposed components that make it possible to study and do research and help us be aware of greater subtlety.

Barbara Fredrickson proposed the following components of compassion: generosity, hospitality, objectivity, sensitivity, and tolerance [An empirical examination of the factor structure of compassion, J. Gu, K. Cavanagh, R. Baer and C. Strauss, PloS one 2017 Vol. 12 Issue 2 Pages e0172471].

I mention these components, not for rigid adherence, but for feelings to play around with, especially during the Body Scan with Self Compassion and see if they are useful in generating compassion for yourself.

When we express compassion toward ourselves, it can bring up anything that obscures it, such as mentioned above. This we call backdraft.

We can also think of this as compassion bringing up anything in its way, the obstacles. When these come up, we address them with compassion. And the body is a good place to start.