How to Do a Body Scan Meditation

If you want to find a type of meditation that can give you amazing benefits, look no further. This is your complete guide to a body scan meditation, one of the best and simplest meditations that anyone can do.

No need to become overwhelmed with all the varieties of meditations or breathwork practices. This beginner-friendly meditation can help you get started easily. It’s time to care for our minds just like we care for our bodies. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about a body scan meditation including benefits and a step-by-step script on doing one.

What is a Body Scan Meditation

So, what is a body scan meditation, and how is it different from other types of meditation? Just like the name implies, a body scan meditation involves mentally scanning areas throughout your body. This meditation, like other forms of meditation, helps you become more mindful and present. A body scan meditation helps you focus on feelings and sensations within the body which can help tightness. The focus of this type of meditation is on how you feel both emotionally and physically.

Benefits

Meditation in general shares many benefits. Meditating can help us regulate emotions and allow us to become less reactive to our outside environment. When we meditate as a habit, we tend to become more self-aware and present as individuals. Meditating is also beneficial for our quality of sleep and has been found to help reduce addiction and symptoms associated with chronic pain.

These specific benefits that a body scan meditation brings are helping to relax the muscles and reduce tension within the body. Sometimes we hold certain emotions in some areas of the body as well. For example, we may have some negative connotations towards our stomachs. Maybe we don’t like our thighs, our palms, or our knees. Another benefit of a body scan meditation is to help release these negative emotions that we associate with certain parts of our body. This can help us boost self-respect and even help us gain a bit of self-love and appreciation toward ourselves.

Body scan meditations can help individuals feel more relaxed, less anxious, and less critical of themselves and of others. This causes an increase in positive emotions and overall happiness. Some research has shown that body scan meditations even help boost focus and concentration.

A body scan meditation is very simple. Just as the name implies, this type of meditation involves going through each part of the body from the bottom of your toes to the top of your head. The basic premise invites us to become more aware of what is happening in the body, any sensation or tension, or any emotion held within an area.

All you need to do is one by one, slowly and mindfully, scan through each part of your body. The average time for a body scan meditation is about 30 minutes, but don’t worry if you do a quick 5-minute scan or an hour-long session.

Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do a body scan. Remember, the main focus is analyzing how you feel, each sensation, and any emotions that come up when you scan a body part. This guide starts from the toes up to the head, but if you feel more comfortable starting at the top and going down, by all means, do so.

1. Find a Place to Sit or Lay

The first step is to find a comfortable place that is quiet where you will be left alone for a while. You can do this meditation sitting or lying down on your back. Close your eyes if that feels comfortable or keep them relaxed in a half-closed state. Try to avoid meditating on your bed since we tend to associate our bed with sleep. While it’s okay to get drowsy or even fall asleep while we meditate, we want meditation to be a more active and present mental activity.

2. Become Present

Now it’s time to settle into a calmer state of being. Bring your attention to the present moment. Focus on your breathing and start making your breaths slower and deeper. Concentrate on how your chest rises and falls and listen to the sound of your inhalations and exhalations.

3. Scan Your Body

It’s time to skin the body. Start at the toes and feet and work your way up through the calves. Keep going up towards the knees and thighs onto the pelvis, torso, chest, etc. Move through the shoulders towards the elbows and hands. Come back up to the neck and scan higher towards the jaw, lips, cheeks, nose, eyes, and forehead, all the way up until you get to the top of your head.

4. Be Thorough and Gentle

On each body part, make sure you are taking time to notice how you feel and each part of the body. You can be as thorough as you want, even including each toe, finger, elbow, etc. Focus your attention on each area, taking extra time when you feel the need to.

5. Increase Awareness

On each part of the body, notice how you feel. Take note of any sensation, any lightness, or heaviness you feel in that part of the body. Check in emotionally with any feelings associated with that area. Notice the temperature, any coldness or heat. If you feel tension, explore it and try to release it if possible. Linger on any sensation with curiosity.

6. Note Wandering

Well you’re performing your body scan, it’s completely normal for the mind to wander a bit. Maybe you start thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner or what you have to do at work tomorrow. Don’t worry if these thoughts sneak in. Meditation takes practice and while a body scan meditation involves grounding yourself in the present moment, some thoughts may trickle in. Simply notice it and bring your attention back to the present moment.

7. Close Off With Gratitude

After you’ve completely scanned your body, take a couple of moments to breathe deeply. Feel thanks and appreciation towards yourself for giving yourself this gift, this time to simply exist and take care of the mind. Come back to awareness of your surroundings and open your eyes if they are closed. Take one more moment to feel gratitude towards this activity and yourself.

Quick Tips for Making Meditation a Habit

Here are some super simple yet effective tips that can help meditation work for you! Everyone starts somewhere, and these tips help you take the first step.

Make your space – it might be helpful to create a space in which you want to meditate. Add candles, aromas, a comfortable seat, or a yoga mat to a space that you can call your meditation corner.
Timing – if we do something at the same time every day, we are more likely to make it a habit. Try to meditate around the same time daily.
Start small – there’s no need for an hour-long meditation session. Start off small with a quick 10 to 15-minute body scan. Once you’re more comfortable with meditating, you will be able to easily do a longer session if you want to.
Keep at it – meditation takes practice to feel the benefits and make it a habit. Even if you don’t feel the benefits after one session, keep at it for at least 2 weeks. You’ll be surprised at how amazing you feel and the long-lasting effects!

The Takeaway

A body scan meditation is a great way to increase self-awareness, boost self-respect, and check in with the body. It allows us to be more present, less judgmental, and more content with ourselves. A body scan meditation is one of the easiest meditations to do since it simply involves scanning the body. This gives the mind an activity to do which can be a simpler way to meditate than simply focusing on your breath or trying to think of nothing at all.

Remember that health comes from within. Eat nutritious food, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. The small daily habits you cultivate become the basis for overall wellness. Don’t forget about microbiota health too! Gut microbiota affects the entire body, from the skin to muscles, to immune and mental health! Get all the resources you need about microbiota health for free here!

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A Complete Guide on Body Scan Meditation – The Best Meditation Anyone Can Do