How to Meditate: Body Scan

The Body Scan is a guided meditation that’s easy to do and brings excellent results. It’s a good way to check in with your body to see if there are any changes you need to make to improve your health and wellbeing. It gives you a heads-up on grumbles and issues so you can make timely changes to your diet, exercise regime or lifestyle that will have long-term results.

You can do a body scan sitting or lying down. It involves bringing your attention to each part of the body in turn. You can run through the sequence fast or slow, depending on what you need, but either way, it’s an excellent way to get back in touch with your body. Even just taking a moment to notice how you’re holding your body while sitting, standing or moving around, can be instructive. Are you tensing your shoulders and neck? Are you holding your breath or breathing too fast? Do you feel energetic or wired, tired or calm, uncomfortable or relaxed?

Incorporating a body scan into your regular meditation practice will also help to keep you grounded because it stops you from getting lost in your head. You’re much less likely to go spinning off into a dream world if you stay in touch with what’s going on under your feet.

Benefits:

Keeps you grounded in your body
Promotes self-care
Aids relaxation

Body Scan Meditation

Either lie on a mat or a bed, or sit in a hard-backed chair. If lying down, allow your arms to lie naturally by your sides, palms up. Breathe naturally and deepen your breath into the abdomen. Relax.
Feel the way your body is supported by the floor, bed or chair. Allow your awareness to fully inhabit your body.
When you’re ready, begin at your toes and work your way up the body. Bring your awareness to each part of the body in turn, and see what you find. Don’t try to change what is there, just notice it and move onto the next area. Take your time and remember to breathe.
If you come across something that needs further attention, make a mental note to yourself, and continue the body scan.
End with the crown of your head, and relax for a few minutes. Slowly sit up, or bring your awareness back to the room, and write down any problems you’ve discovered.

If you do this regularly you’ll be able to stay in tune with yourself more easily, and you’ll begin to notice any problems before they become real problems.