Body Scan

Tune-In to your body’s wisdom with body scan.

I don’t know about you but I’m amazed at how often I’m not aware of my body. For example, recently I didn’t realize I was sitting at the computer in a strained way until months later when I wondered why my neck and shoulder hurt. I was so untuned-in to my body that I needed physical therapy to bring it back into proper alignment.

Just look around you or perhaps in the mirror. For most of us, the head and neck pulls forward reflecting our driven, hurry culture. We’re always headed “somewhere,” doing “something” that pulls us away from our present experience. When you think about it, the present is really all that is. The past is just a memory and the future is yet to be.

Body scan is a form of mindfulness meditation that helps you become more aware of your present experience through tuning-in to your body.

When tuned-in, you feel the sensations of your body when they are happening. You can make corrections when needed. You appreciate your body when it feels good. You feel more alive, more energized. You benefit from your body’s wisdom!

Body Scan Meditation

With body scan meditation, you lie down moving your attention slowly and purposely throughout your body while paying attention to sensations and feelings. Dedicate a space where you can lie down, undisturbed for about 30 minutes a day.

As with any new thing, it takes practice to recognize body scan’s benefits. Give yourself time, at least 4-weeks to experience it’s benefits.

People respond differently when beginning to learn meditation: some feel more peaceful, others feel bored, others feel anxious, and still others feel energized.

There is no “right” way to feel when doing body scan. Be patient. Stay with the practice, these early sensations will likely go away in a few days or weeks. Just observe whatever sensations arise.

Whether they are unpleasant, neutral, or pleasant doesn’t really matter. What matters is your awareness of your feelings and sensations.

1. Get Prepared.

Lie on your back while keeping your legs uncrossed and arms at your side with the palms turned up. Set an intention to be aware of your body, to be gentle with yourself, to accept your body, yourself without judgment or expectations as you do body scan.

2. Tune-In to your breathing.

Bring awareness to your breathing, not changing it in any way. Notice the feeling of your breath as it moves through your nose or the rise and fall of your chest or stomach, or some other sensation you feel as the air moves in and out of your body.

Remember there is no “right” way to feel.

3. Tune-In to the toes on your left foot.

Once you feel the sensation in your body of breathing turn your attention to the toes on your left foot. Tune-In to your toes while remaining aware of your breathing. Notice sensations, or lack of sensations in your toes.

To keep awareness of your breathing while focusing on your toes it helps to imagine that the air is flowing down into the left foot and toes as you breath in and moving out through your toes as you breath out.

Hold this focus for 1 to 2 minutes. If your mind wanders, (and it probably will) just bring your awareness gently back to your toes — patiently accepting the tendency of the mind to wander.

4. Tune-In to the bottom of the left foot.

When ready move your attention from your toes to the bottom of the left foot as you exhale. As you breathe out feel the bottom of your left foot. Feel your heal pressing against the surface that supports you. Spend a few minutes aware of the bottom of your left foot.

Notice sensations in the left foot as you breathe in to it and send your breath out through the bottom of the left foot.

5. Tune-In to the top of your left foot and ankle.

Repeat as above.

6. Progressively tune-in to your whole body, one area at time.

Use this same process to scan and experience each area of your body spending 1 to 2 minutes in each area. Continue to maintain awareness of your breath by breathing in and out of each area.

The lower leg

Knee

Thigh

Hip

Toes of the Right Foot

Bottom of the Right Foot and Heel

Upper Foot and Ankle

Lower Leg

Knee

Thigh

Hip

The Whole Pelvis, Including Both Hips

The Genitals

Buttocks

Rectum

Lower Back and Abdomen

Upper Back, Rib Cage, and Chest

Shoulder Blades and Shoulders

7. Now, tune-in to both hands (this time at the same time for both sides).

This time keep your awareness of each area as you move on to the next. Expand your awareness as you move up the arms from fingers to hands, arms, and shoulders.

Fingers

Thumbs

Palms

Back of Hands

Wrists

Lower Arms

Elbows

Upper Arms

Shoulders

Release your awareness of you hands, arms, shoulders while breathing out.

8. Now, tune-in to your neck and throat.

Again breathe your awareness into your neck and throat and releasing it with your out breath.

9. Tune-In to your face and head.

Begin with your jaw and chin.

Then, allow your awareness to slowly spread to include:

Lips, Gums, and Teeth

The Roof of Your Mouth

Tongue

Back of Throat

Cheeks

Nose (feeling the air as it moves in and out)

Ears (notice what you are hearing)

Eyes

Eye Lids

Areas Around the Eyes

Eyebrows

Forehead

Temples

Scalp

Entire Head

10. Tune-In to the top of your head.

Be aware of sensations and feelings at the top of your head.

Send your breath out through the top of your head much like a whale or a dolphin might do.

Now, as you breathe in imagine bringing the air up through the soles of your feet, through your body, and out through the top of your head.

Take a few moments gently cycling the air in through the soles of your feet, up through your body, and out through the top of your head.

11. Now, just let go.

Just be pure awareness (tuned-in) with a sense of the breath flowing without directing it.

Be aware of what arises. You may notice thoughts, feelings, sensations, sounds, your breath, silence.

Just be aware of what ever arises much as you were aware of each body part earlier. Just noticing and observing.

Observing with meditation is experiencing the sensation, thought, or whatever without latching on to it — with out judging it, rejecting it, or pursuing it. (Meditation observation is not like scientific observation where you analyze it and study it.)

Practice simply experiencing what ever arises and letting go, experiencing and letting go, experiencing and letting go.

Lie quietly tuned-in to what you are experiencing NOW with nothing you need to do.

Lie there being aware of this moment… present… awake… alive.

You can review these instructions a few times and then practice on your own, or have a friend read them to you, or read them into a recorder and play them back to yourself.

Remember to give time to experience each body area for a minute or two before moving to the next one.

Closing Thoughts

“Mindfulness is at the same time the means and the end, the seed and the fruit.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness is the seed as it helps build concentration. It is the fruit as it brings awareness in the moment. It is a life fully lived.

Body scan is a simple form of mindfulness meditation. As you practice body scan, you build your concentration (much as exercise builds muscle). Concentration helps you bring your mind to the present, to what is happening right now.

When aware of what is happening right now, you are not worrying about the past or the future. You can appreciate life (your loved ones, the beauty of nature, a subtle cue your body is off balance). You can respond based on what truly is, not what you worry might be.

The breath is the bridge to awareness. When your mind becomes scattered or unfocused, use a mini body scan like focusing on feeling the air as it flows through your nose to come back to the present.

Tune-In to your body’s wisdom with body scan.

Resources

Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Mindfulness Meditation: Health Benefits of an Ancient Buddhist Practice,” Daniel Goleman and Joel Gurin, eds, Mind Body Medicine: How to Use Your Mind for Better Health (New York: Consumer Reports Books, 1993).

Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Handbook on Meditation, (Boston: Beacon Press,1987).

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