(meditation: 5:27 min) You may be familiar with body scan meditatons from your yoga class, Vipissana meditation or other modalities. You can find them in many different places and there are many ways to do them.
Body scans generally start at one end of the body (head or feet), focus on the sensations in one part and move slowly, part by part, to the other end.
Body scan meditations are great for relaxing the body, especially if you include contracting and releasing the muscles in each part as you go. I often recommend them if you’re wanting help falling asleep for this reason. Also, it’s super easy to do them lying down, which is how their usually done in yoga classes.
This body scan recording doesn’t instruct you to contract and release the muscles. If you want to add that in, simply contract and release the muscles in the body area you are focused on: gently contract and release the muscles in the feet a few times, noticing the sensations in the feet as you do so. Repeat this for the seat and shoulders when you move your attention there.
Enjoy!
Mindfulness Practice: Body Scan
- Begin by getting into position, whatever position works best for your body. This position will become your body-mind’s signal that you are starting a practice. I suggest the following:
- Sit on a chair (sofa, bed, etc) with your feet flat on the floor.Rest your hands, palms down, on your thighs (neither propping yourself up or pulling yourself forward with your hands)Feel your sit bones pressing down.Float the crown of your head up so that it softly lifts your torso. This position allows you to breathe easily.Tuck your chin in a bit so that the back of your neck is soft and long.Soften your jaw.
Let your belly and front body be soft and your back and back body be firm and upright.
- Sit on a chair (sofa, bed, etc) with your feet flat on the floor.Rest your hands, palms down, on your thighs (neither propping yourself up or pulling yourself forward with your hands)Feel your sit bones pressing down.Float the crown of your head up so that it softly lifts your torso. This position allows you to breathe easily.Tuck your chin in a bit so that the back of your neck is soft and long.Soften your jaw.
- Close your eyes.
- Bring your attention to your breath. Notice how it feels to breathe.
- Gently shift your attention to your feet and feel the sensations in your feet.
- Keep most of your attention here as much as you can. Let everything else float by in the background. Let thoughts, emotions and other physical sensations float through the background like passing clouds.
- If you find that your attention has become absorbed in your thoughts (emotions or sensations) to the point that you are no longer noticing the sensations in your feet, simply let the thoughts go, and kindly and gently bring your attention back to your feet and start a fresh. You can have an infinite number of fresh starts, so you can relax about that.
- Next move your attention to your seat. Feel the sensations of your seat bones pressing down and repeat the same steps as with the feet, gently bringing your attention back if you get absorbed in something else.
- Finally, move to your shoulders and repeat the process.
- End the practice by bringing your attention back to your breath for a few cycles. When you feel ready or when your timer rings gently open your eyes.
To Download:
Click on the Download button below.
If it does not download automatically:
- A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
- Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
- iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.
Note that you are welcome to download and share this files as many times as you like provided you do so in it’s entirety and it is used for personal or educational use only (no commercial uses).