Body Scan Meditation

This meditation calls for love, intention,
and detailed attention to body sensations,
part by part from toes to the head.
It’s like putting a hundred kids to bed! 
 
Some cannot wait, crying ‘Mama, come here,’
‘I hear you,’ you assure, ‘coming soon, dear.’
Some would hide making you seek
under the sheet until they peek.
 
Some little angels tuck themselves in
When you get there they greet you with a grin
Some say ‘ouch’ before you touch them.
Some act asleep to say ‘Surprise!’ when you tuck them.
 
Some tell long tales, yet as you leave,
they beg you to stay holding your sleeve
Some are sulky, stroking their hair
‘It’s ok, I love you,’ you say with care
 
Some have so many questions that you borrow
a decisive tone, ‘Tomorrow.’
When you are done, a faint sound you hear.
A snooze? A whimper? But it clears.
 
All quiet finally, only breath rises and falls
in tiny ripples on the abdominal wall.

Mamata Misra
(This poem was born when I did the very first body scan meditation in an MBSR class in 2014.)