How to practice Body Scan Meditation
This article explains how to practice Body Scan Meditation.
What is Body Scan Meditation?
Body Scan Meditation is a practice where you observe changes in bodily sensations while maintaining deep, steady breathing.
It's an easy technique for beginners and also helps develop the skills needed for a more advanced practice, Pain Scan Meditation.
Start with a goal of meditating for 10 minutes.
Benefits of Body Scan Meditation
Body Scan Meditation has benefits such as inner peace, stress relief, and deep sleep.
For more details, please see our article "Benefits of meditation".
Basics of Body Scan Meditation
When practicing Body Scan Meditation, focus on these three elements simultaneously:
- Sit down with your eyes closed
- Maintain deep, steady breathing
- Observe changes in bodily sensations
Below, we will explain each of these steps in detail.
1. Sit Down with Your Eyes Closed
Sit in a comfortable position and relax your body.
While it is common to sit cross-legged on the floor, you can also sit on a chair.
2. Maintain Deep, Steady Breathing
Meditation does not require any special breathing techniques.
Simply maintain a steady rhythm of deep, calm breaths.
Always remain aware of your breath and control it at any moment.
3. Observe Changes in Bodily Sensations
As you breathe, your abdomen and chest will rise and fall, and you'll feel air flowing through your nose and throat.
Beyond that, you might notice subtle shifts elsewhere in your body.
Pay close attention to these changes and observe them.
Tips for Progress
To improve your practice, focus on two key skills:
- Improving your ability to maintain deep, steady breathing
- Sharpening your awareness of bodily sensations
Practice Checklist
Use the checklist below to evaluate your meditation:
- You can maintain deep, calm breathing
- You can detect subtle changes in bodily sensations
- You can sustain this state for more than 10 minutes
What If Meditation Isn't Working?
If you experience any of the following issues, check out the article "What to do if your meditation isn't working".
- Feeling tired quickly when sitting still
- Losing control of your breath
- Experiencing intrusive thoughts
- Finding it difficult to observe bodily sensations
Try Pain Scan Meditation
Once you're comfortable with Body Scan Meditation, you can try Pain Scan Meditation.
It helps achieve complete inner peace free from all negative feelings.