Exercise 07: Parts of the Body

Further, the practitioner meditates on his very own body from the soles of the feet upwards and then from the hair on top of the head downwards, a body contained inside the skin and full of all the impurities which belong to the body: 'Here is the hair of the head, the hairs on the body, the nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones. bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, bowels, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, urine.' 

This exercise brings us into even deeper contact with our body. Here we observe the body in all its parts, from the hair on the head to the skin on the soles of the feet. In the process of our observation, we scan all the parts of the body, including the brain, heart, lungs, gall bladder, spleen, blood, urine, and so forth. The Buddha gives us the example of a farmer pouring the contents of a sack filled with a variety of seeds onto the floor and then observing and identifying each kind of seed: "This is rice, these are beans, these are sesame seeds."

Naturally we use our conscious breathing in order to observe mindfully all the parts of the body. For example: "Breathing in, I am aware of the hair on my head. Breathing out, I know that this is the hair on my head." Breathing consciously helps us dwell in mindfulness more easily and sustain the work of observing each part of the body. In addition to the conscious breathing, we can use the method of silently calling each part of the body by name to enable these parts to become increasingly clear in the light of mindfulness.

Why do we need to observe in mindfulness the different parts of the body? First of all, it is to be in contact with the body. We often have the impression that we are already totally in touch with our body, but often we are wrong. Between us and our body there can be a large separation, and our body remains a stranger to us. Sometimes we hate our body. There are even people who see their body as a prison and a place of punishment. To come back to our body is to become familiar with it and to establish harmony with it. We know that if our body is not happy, we are not happy, and so we want our body to be calm and peaceful. To do so, we come back to our body and make peace with it.

You can try touching the different parts of your body to make their acquaintance. You should touch each part in an affectionate and caring way. For several decades, your eyes, feet, and heart have done their work devotedly and faithfully with you and for you, but you never really give them much attention or express your gratitude to them. It is necessary to establish a close relationship with your body.

The second reason for mindfully observing the different parts of the body is that each part can be the door to liberation and awakening. At first you will only recognize the presence of the part of the body being observed, but later you will come to see its true nature. Every hair on your head and every cell in your body contains the entire universe. Observing the interdependent nature of a single hair can help you to see into the nature of the universe.

The exercise of observing every part of the body begins with the hair on the head and goes down to the skin on the soles of the feet. Sometimes you observe just one part of the body deeply, such as your eyes, heart, or toe. In the process of observation from the head to the feet, some observations may spring up in your mind. For example, as you pass your heart, you may think, "My friend John has a heart condition. I must visit him soon to see if he is all right." You can note these observations and then continue with the work of observing the remaining parts of the body. Later you can return to those observations.

~From Transformation and Healing by Thich Nhat Hanh