How to Practice the Body Scan Meditation: For Beginners and Advanced Practitioners

If you haven’t tried a Body Scan Guided Meditation, it is a favorite practice of mine and I think you will love it. It is a simple way to cultivate awareness of the body and promote deep relaxation.

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Introduction

This practice is highly effective for managing anxiety, pain, and depression.

So, I’ve created a free Guided Body Scan Meditation thst you can try.

Although we see variations with different types of body meditations, the essence remains the same.

In fact, body scanning and body awareness are quite popular forms of meditation. They are found in Eastern traditions like the yoga asana, śavāsana (aka. corpse posture), and in Buddhist mindfulness practices.

Who this Body Scan Practice is For

I highly recommend the body scan if you want to manage your mental health or deepen your meditation practice.

Whether you are new to meditation or are experienced, the body scan is a simple way to connect to your body and cultivate deep relaxation.

The body scan meditation has helped me manage anxiety and depression. I personally find it enjoyable and an absolute delight to practice.

I have experienced intense moments of bliss during this practice and gained tremendous insights from it. Moreover, anyone can use this body scan meditation to find peace and to relax.

Benefits of Practicing the Body Scan Meditation

Some benefits with the body scan meditation that have been suggested by researchers, monks, and other practitioners include:

• Relief from anxiety, depression, and negative emotions.
• Reduces blood pressure.
• Decreases the experience of pain and headaches.
• Improves well-being and overall quality of life.
• Helps with stress management.
• Increases self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-acceptance.
• Brings insights and cultivates self-discovery and spiritual awakening.
• Promotes relaxation and creativity.
• Builds focus and improves memory.

The insights I have uncovered through body awareness meditation have deeply impacted my self-perception in a liberating and profound way.

Key Skills for Practicing the Body Scan Meditation

#1 Non-Attachment and Letting Go

Non-attachment and letting go are at the heart of mindfulness, but what does this really mean and how can we do it?

The first time I met Bhante Saranapala, a wonderful Buddhist monk, friend, and teacher, he asked me to hold my phone in one hand and hold out my arm for as long as I could. So, I did, and we continued talking.

After two minutes or so, I was still holding my arm out but now it was wobbling. Bhante asked how my hand was doing and I said, “it’s getting tired and starting to hurt”. Then, he told me to let go and put my hand down so, I did.

It was such a relief. I learned that in the same way, my mind also holds on. When it does, I feel exhausted, and it is painful. In truth, it took a long time for me to understand letting go and what it all means.

In fact, I have come to understand that there is more than one way to practice letting go. So, for the purpose of deepening your meditation practice, here are some ways to let go.

8 Ways to Let Go and Practice Non-Attachment

1. 1. Whatever you experience, let it be, even if it is painful.
   2. Let go of the past and future, by shifting your attention to what you feel in your body in the present moment.
   3. Realize that you are simply aware of whatever happens, you are the watcher of your experience.
   4. Surrender to what is. Things are the way they are.
   5. Try not to force anything or exert tremendous effort, just relax and let yourself be.
   6. If your mind decides to be chatty during your practice, hear it without engaging with it.
   7. Don’t identify with your experience or associate yourself with what unfolds, just observe.
   8. Finally, let go of letting go, and don’t be attached to non-attachment. In other words, don’t try to push anything away, simply notice what is unfolding moment to moment.

#2 Patience and Not Expecting

When you are meditating, you may find your attention drifting away from the object of your attention but don’t get discouraged. Otherwise, you cultivate an attitude of frustration and tension.

Instead, be patient with your mind and body. It is not necessary to force your mind into quietude. In fact, this doesn’t work at all.

Just as the petals of a flower delicately unfold when it’s ready, be patient and allow your practice to bloom in its own time without forcing it.

#3 Accepting and Allowing

Accepting and allowing means acknowledging what is present and seeing things as they are, without needing them to change. To be clear, you may desire change, but denying reality or forcing something to be what it isn’t, is unproductive and denies the present moment.

In fact, it is more painful to reject, resist, and not accept your experiences.

For this reason, when you practice the body scan guided meditation or use the body awareness worksheet, you may notice unpleasant sensations or pain in your body that you dislike.

Likewise, it is natural to not want discomfort but accepting and allowing these experiences is not the same as liking them. Nor does it mean that you discard your desire for change, or resign your values, or take a passive approach towards life.

It simply means, you accept and allow by seeing and acknowledging what is right now.

#4 Non-Judging

Judging your experience causes your assessments to be automated and mechanical. As a result, you lock yourself into perceptions based on past experiences rather than allowing yourself to objectively experience the present moment.

When these judgments form in your mind, you are no longer witnessing your experiences impartially.

So, when you practice with my body scan guided meditation or any other meditation, you don’t need to stop your mind from forming judgments (i.e., I am not a good meditator. Meditation is boring. This isn’t helping me., etc.)

Instead, just notice these thoughts. Remember, your mind is automatically responding based on past information. Simply be aware of judgments when they arise without trying to change them.

Practice Today with my Guided Body Scan Meditation

It is important to note that while this meditation can help you fall asleep, the benefits of this practice are found through wakefulness.

So, be aware that drowsiness may arise during the meditation but staying awake will help you cultivate a deeper awareness of the body and make your overall meditation practice more fruitful.

If feelings of sleepiness do arise, simply open your eyes, and continue the practice.

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Guided Body Scan Meditation Audio

Click the Orange ▶ Play Button Above to Play from this Page

Or play it on SoundCloud.

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Additional Free Resources:

Body Awareness Worksheet PDF

Body Scan Meditation Script PDF

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Subscriber Gift: Free Download Available

If you are a subscriber, you can download this meditation for free to your device to use it anytime:

Guided Body Scan Meditation mp3 – for subscribers only.

Remember, you can find the password in your most recent email from me. If you are having trouble locating the password contact me.

Thank you so much for supporting my work!

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Conclusion and Key Takeaways: Things to Remember

Be an impartial observer of your experience. This means not getting involved or caught up in wanting to change things, or judging yourself, or expecting a particular outcome.

Nor does it mean forcing yourself into a particular shape or state of mind.

When meditating, let go of the need to strive to achieve a particular outcome. Instead, accept and allow whatever unfolds, be willing to see things as they are.

Don’t think to yourself, “I am going to relax” or “this is going to make me feel calm” or “I am going to become enlightened.”  Remember to drop all expectations and let things flow.

Furthermore, if you find yourself judging your experience, don’t get stressed out about it. Just notice that this is what is happening, and by noticing it you are learning about the nature of your mind.

I hope you enjoy practicing this meditation!

With endless love,

Ravelle

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