Body Scan Meditation
I remember the first time I was introduced to the body scan, over a decade ago in a session with my therapist. I have a habit of letting it get to the point where I *need* to see her rather than maintaining regular appointments to keep myself ‘serviced’ – regular software updates, like 😉 So I rocked up to her office with a litany of major life issues that I had concluded we were to fix there and then, in that one hour appointment.
I know.
So when she starts guiding me to notice my toes, my ankles, my hands, I’m thinking “what in the actual shit is this woman doing?? Does she literally have no idea all the problems I need to fix, today?? All this major issues and she wants me to tune into my damn elbows?? Jesus wept”.
But I went with it.
And the strangest thing happened – as we moved through the scan, this space developed between me and all these big problems I had to fix. My focus sharpened. My judgement softened. My tension melted, even if just a little.
Why? Because my awareness was intentionally focused, and that is one of the most profoundly simple but powerful ways to help calm an overactive mind. We can’t be both here and there, so to speak. The magic of the body scan lies not in the specific areas of the body, but in the fact that even for a few moments, you are very intentionally focused on them.
My invitation to you is to give it a whirl. I’ve attached a 15 minute scan which you can do sitting or lying down. (Just make sure to stay awake if you’re lying!)
It doesn’t demand an special conditions, just shut off the outside world for the next little while, arrive into here and now and gift yourself the space and presence of connecting through the scan x
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