Body Scan

Video coming soon

Reflection

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The practice

This practice can be short or long. Begin by noticing your activation level, then:

  • Scan your body for the place holding the most tension right now
  • Breathe toward that spot, and release as much tension as you can on the exhale
  • If it is still the most tense place, breathe toward it again and release again
  • Continue scanning. The most tense point may move, and you can follow it
  • If it helps, slow the exhale a little

For a fuller version, move through the body in order: scalp, forehead, back of the head, cheeks, around the eyes and mouth, chin, jaw, shoulders, chest, upper arms, forearms, hands, belly, hips, thighs, calves, shins, feet, and toes. Breathe toward each area and soften it on the exhale. Many people hold tension in the belly without noticing, so give it a moment.

Finish by noticing your whole body for a few breaths, and check your activation level again.

About breathing "into" a body part

Air only goes into the lungs, of course. Directing the breath toward a body part is really a way of directing attention there, and attention seems to help many people sense that area more clearly. Some people also describe feeling the whole body take part in each breath. Whichever way it feels to you is fine.

This practice does not always resolve tension. Some people find that it makes them more able to be with it, and that can be useful on its own.

Why it can settle the mind too

Resting attention on the breath and the body is also a simple meditative practice. While attention is on sensation, it is not on the story of who is upset with whom or what needs to be fixed. Many people find that when they look back at that story afterward, it feels a little less dramatic.

When it fits

  • While driving, when your shoulders have crept up toward your ears
  • During a conversation, as a quick version with eyes open
  • In the evening, after a day of holding more than you showed
  • In bed, when it is hard to let go of the day