How about trying the body scan meditation? – GOOD SHAPE

It is nothing new that the meditation it has a number of benefits for the body and mind. But just like yoga, there are so many strands and formats that it’s hard to know which one to try first. This is where the body scanning meditation comes in, which does, as the name says, a complete check of your body in search of tensions, sensations and pains.

Why Try Body Scan Meditation?

Just like traditional meditation, body scanning, when done properly, has many long-term benefits. Some of them are:

Will improve sleep quality
Relieve stress and anxiety
Develop self-compassion
Decrease pain

and why this happens? When it comes to sleep, for example, many people have difficulty sleeping because they lie down with their heads full of worries, already in an anxious state. The body scan, like many meditations, puts the focus on the body itself, grounds these sensations and, according to the North American Academy of Pediatrics, improves insomnia.

When the topic is pain, meditation is not a remedy that ends this discomfort, but it generates a level of awareness and attention in relation to the body itself that alleviates these sensations. If you’ve ever felt intense pain, you know how impossible it is to think of anything else. Meditation while recognizing physical discomfort also gives it new meaning.

How to do body scan?

The easiest way to understand the body scan is as if it were an X-ray of your body. To do so, it doesn’t take much. You can follow the steps below:

make yourself comfortable: whether sitting or lying down, seek a comfortable position.
focus on breathing: Note the rhythm and sensation involved in inhaling and exhaling.
Choose a starting point: Since we are doing a body scan, pick a spot to start with, it could be your feet or the top of your head, your left or right hand.
Watch: From now on, increase your level of awareness and concentration on that part of the body. Watch your sensations.
acknowledge: if you notice pain or feelings of anger, injustice or sadness, do not fight with them or try to get rid of them. Instead, acknowledge that they are there and let them pass.
Breathe: during the whole process, don’t forget to breathe!
detach: after this recognition, detach from that part of the body and its sensations and concentrate on the next one. If you started with the head, the next step would be to concentrate on the neck.
view: when going through all the parts of the body, it is time to look for the complete visualization of it. Let this overview settle.
return: Slowly bring your focus back to your breath, then your surroundings, and step out of the position in your time.

During the scan, notice thoughts that take your attention away from what’s happening and try to let them go – you don’t need to hold or hold on to them now. If this happens, don’t worry, it’s normal. Just notice that it happened and refocus.

Make meditation a habit

It may happen that you notice immediate results. Others will only be seen with time. Anyway, the main thing is to make the body scan meditation a habit so that the acquired awareness is not lost with the end of the practice.

Think of meditation as exercise for your mind. Like this your body needs activity, with your mind it’s the same thing. The more you exercise her, the more “fit” she gets and the greater the benefits! If you are looking for focus, tranquility to deal with adversity and compassion, this is definitely the way.