In our typical body-scans, like one described in parts of Somatic Meditation, our focus has something like the following breakdown:

• 80% directed at “can I feel this area”
• 20% directed at “what does this area feel?”

In this exercise, we reverse those percentages.

First, we quickly scan to make sure an area of the body feels alive, vivid, present (separate it from the filtering of the head-self).

But once we get a good enough sense of that, we deepen in, paying closer attention to the quality of feeling, and allowing any quality that wants to show itself to us to do so.

We often find ourselves surprised by what the soma can tell us, once we stop filtering it through the Systematic head-self.

You might notice any of the following qualities in the body: hot, red, water, feral, cozy, loving, grief, forest, dream.

Stay open to anything that arises from the soma, area by area or in the body as a whole. This might take on qualities of impressions, imagery, sensations, memories, or any other of the ten thousand things.

Sense the soma in the aliveness of the feet. Stay open and sensitive to the qualities the feet present. Thank the feet for sharing.

Sense the soma in the aliveness of the ankles. Stay open and sensitive to the qualities the ankles present. Thank the ankles for sharing.

Sense the soma in the aliveness of the calves. Stay open and sensitive &c &c &c.

Continue scanning up and down the body—after the whole body has had some say, let awareness bloom wherever it wants in the soma. Let the soma take the reins and show you what it wants to show you.