Inspiring You Show

Ep 215: Short Mindfulness Body Scan

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Ep 215 | Short Mindfulness Body Scan

The body scan is a mindfulness meditation practice involving scanning your body for pain, tension, or anything out of the ordinary. It can help you feel more connected to your physical and emotional self.

With the body scan method, you can become more mindful of your bodily sensations. This knowledge can then make it easier to address what’s wrong physically and emotionally, leading to improved wellness in body and mind. 

Why it's worth trying:

Experts have found evidence to suggest meditation can promote physical and emotional wellness in multiple ways, such as: 

  • improved sleep
  • anxiety and stress relief
  • greater self-awareness
  • increased self-compassion
  • reduced pain

    • How to get started:

    You can think of a body scan as a mental X-ray slowly traveling across your body.

    1. Get cozy. Start by getting comfortable. Lie down or sit in a position that allows you to stretch your limbs easily. 
    2. Focus. Close your eyes and begin focusing on your breath. Notice the sensation of your breath filling and leaving your lungs as you inhale and exhale. 
    3. Choose where to start. Begin anywhere you like — the top of your head, left foot, right hand, right foot. Focus on that spot as you continue breathing slowly and deeply. Then move to another part of your body and do the same.
    4. Pay attention. Open your awareness to sensations of pain, tension, discomfort, or anything out of the ordinary. 
    5. Go slow. Spend anywhere from 20 seconds to 1 minute observing these sensations. 
    6. Acknowledge. If you begin to notice pain and discomfort, acknowledge and sit with any emotions these sensations bring up. Accept them without criticism. For example, if you feel frustrated and angry, don’t judge yourself for these emotions. Notice them and let them pass. 
    7. Breathe. Continue breathing, imagining the pain and tension decreasing with each breath. 
    8. Release. Slowly release your mental awareness of that specific part of your body and redirect it to your next area of focus. Some people find it helpful to imagine releasing one body part as they breathe out and moving on to the next as they breathe in. 
    9. Move along. Continue the exercise along your body in a way that makes sense to you, whether you move from top to bottom or up one side and down the other. 
    10. Note drifting thoughts. As you continue to scan your body, note when your thoughts drift. This will probably happen more than once, so don’t worry. You haven’t failed and can easily get your thoughts back on track. Just gently return your awareness to where you left off scanning. 
    11. Visualize and breathe. Once you finish scanning parts of your body, let your awareness travel across your body. Visualize this as liquid filling a mold. Continue inhaling and exhaling slowly as you sit with this awareness of your whole body for several seconds. 
    12. Come back. Slowly release your focus and bring your attention back to your surroundings.

      13. Beginner Tips:

      If a body scan or meditation doesn’t seem to do much for you the first time, try not to get discouraged. It can take some time to get used to meditation, and that’s completely ok.

      Make it a habit

      You may notice some improvement immediately. Yet many people don’t notice any benefits the first few times they try it. But experts suggest it’s still worth meditating regularly, even if you dislike meditating.

      Consistent meditation can lead to positive changes in your brain, including:

      • improved focus
      • increased compassion and other positive emotions
      • greater ability to cope with unwanted emotions

        • If it helps, you can think of meditation as an exercise for your brain. Maybe you don’t feel like working up a sweat all the time, especially if you’ve already had a rough day. But once you get going, your workout generally becomes easier, right? So, give it a try! Press play and tune in!

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        Inspiring You ShowBy Henri Hébert
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