Have you ever wondered why we do body scans during meditation?
What does focusing our attention on our bodies add to our practice?
Amie Sey, Inhere Studio Leader, explains
A Grounding Exercise
Body scans work as a grounding exercise; by focusing our attention on our bodies we are able to bring ourselves into the present moment. This correlation between being in the body & being in the present works so well because when our minds are focused on our physicality we are not fretting about the past or feeling anxious about the future, they allow us to give our worries a back seat. Body scans can be used as a tool that stabilizes our attention; when we are giving our brains one job to focus on, it prevents our minds from wandering and eases us into a meditative state.
Relaxing the body & the mind
They can also alert us to different sensations within our bodies; by looking at each area of our bodies separately we can assess if or where we are holding extra tension or stress and release it little by little. This helps us with our overall perception & awareness of our own bodies, and give each part of us the attention it deserves. It also assists with relaxation, by releasing tension from head to toe we are relaxing the entire body; and once the body is relaxed the mind will follow suit.
Feeling not thinking
A classic quote from Tony Robbins is, “if you’re in your head, you’re dead”, this applies beautifully to body scans during meditation. Doing a body scan allows us to just be in our bodies; this helps us to get out of our heads and move from processing thoughts to experiencing feelings. The body is able to feel sensations before thought intervenes, and by focusing on these, we are able to perceive & experience the world in a more direct and centred way.
Awareness & Gratitude
How often do you pay attention to your left elbow? or your right ankle? Rarely, if ever; it’s only when we find ourselves hurt or injured that we really FEEL them. Our awareness is often disconnected from our bodies; so by slowly working through the body, it gives us an opportunity to develop awareness for every part of ourselves. The body scan gives us the perfect platform to more fully inhabit our bodies and thereby exist in the present moment.
All of the meditation classes at Inhere’s London meditation studio begin with body scans to bring us to the present and focus our attention. Check out our different meditation classes and book yours here.
UPDATE! If you are interested in meditation matters do check out our latest can you meditate lying down article
