You often carry tension in your neck, shoulders, and back, so be mindful of these areas.
Try to pay attention only to your breath, and tune out distracting sounds, feelings, and thoughts. This is an excellent beginner exercise that you can do on your own. It can also help prepare you for more advanced meditation practices.
Learning to identify when your mind is drifting or worrying, and refocusing your attention will help deal with anxiety and stressful thoughts.
It can be helpful to keep a meditation notebook or journal that you can look back on. If there are specific thoughts that keep intruding, write them down.
Make sure your phone, computer, and television are off so you can concentrate on the meditation. Your bed or a yoga mat are good places to perform this exercise. It can also help you relax if you dim the lights and take off your shoes. Some people also find it helpful to close their eyes.
Holding tension in these areas will prevent you from being fully relaxed and enjoying as much benefit from the body scan.
For example, if you start with your foot, observe how different parts of the foot touch the mat, your bed, or the floor. Do certain parts of your foot feel different from the rest? If you are wearing shoes or socks, think about how these feel against your feet. Many people find it helpful to start with their toes and move toward their head. You can also start with your head and work toward your toes.
Don’t feel rushed or worry about the time. You don’t have to spend a specific amount of time on each body part. Just give yourself long enough to scan how each part feels.
Allow negative thoughts and distractions from the world around you to fade away. If you find yourself getting distracted during the scan, don’t feel bad. Knowing when you become distracted is a beneficial part of the exercise because you will be better able to prevent this from occurring in the future. Don’t feel like you are judging your body during the scan. Instead, you are observing how it feels and works.
Are certain parts cooler or warmer than others? Can you feel different textures from clothing, sheets, or the mat?
Do you feel less pain or tension in certain areas? What worked well with the exercise? What parts of the body scan seemed less effective? Were there moments when you felt distracted? What distracted you? How could you avoid these distractions in the future?
This step makes you more aware of all the thing your body has to do in order to stand and move.
You don’t have to move in slow motion, but think about how you would walk without a specific destination in mind. This is a good exercise for people who have trouble sitting still or may feel restless when using other meditation techniques.
You’ll also start to notice how your socks and shoes feel against your feet.
As you think about each body part, try overemphasizing its movement to highlight what it does. For example, try swinging your hips more. Think about how your different body parts connect, and what feels like in these places.
Again, focus on what it feels like to be standing instead of moving.
Try using this exercise with any physical activity, such as running, riding a bike, or skating. Think about a positive affirmation, a compelling quote, or a Buddhist principle, while you perform the exercise. Devote as much or as little time as you can. One of the great things about this exercise is that you can easily find time to do it during your day. Try it while you walk the dog, push a stroller, or commute to work. If you’re doing it for the first time, give yourself about 20 minutes, and pick a restful quiet place like a park or garden.
For example, ask yourself if you hope to gain insight into a problem, improve your concentration, achieve a sense of calm, develop more energy, or better sleep? Are you interested in meditation as a way to overcome abuse, addiction, or other difficult life situations?
Mindfulness meditation is good for people who are easily distracted and looking to improve their focus and concentration. If you are an active person who has a hard time sitting still, you might want to consider a meditation technique such as walking meditation where you can move and be outside. Loving kindness meditation is often recommended for people wanting to feel more compassionate and empathetic.
Learning how to meditate takes time and practice, so don’t expect to be comfortable with it immediately.
You can choose any time when you know your surroundings will be quiet and you can focus for a longer period. [32] X Expert Source Masha KouzmenkoMeditation Coach Expert Interview. 26 March 2020. Try to set aside 3 to 5 minutes for meditation at first, and gradually build up to about 45 minutes. You might not always have the full time you would like, but planning your meditation time will help you get in the right mindset to meditate.
Take comfort in knowing that you already have some experience meditating and can achieve even better results with more focused practice.
It can also be helpful to plan how you will respond or react if your meditation is interrupted or disturbed. Achieving meditation is difficult and it can be aggravating to have that state interrupted, but you can control how will respond and how you will get back on track. Having the same routine before and after meditation will help you get in the mindset quickly and extend the benefits for a longer period.
If you live in a busy house, or in a noisy environment where there is little space or silence, look for an alternative location. It might require borrowing a spare room at a friend’s or relative’s house or booking a study room in a library. You can also meditate outside in a place like a garden, a gazebo or other outdoor structure where you can get away from others for a short time.
Practice tensing and relaxing groups of muscles. Imagine a tranquil scene. Listen to soft music. Take deep breaths. Try stretching.
Choose a time that works with your schedule and needs –once a day, twice a day, once a week, twice a week, even once a month if you’re struggling to begin. Try to make meditation a part of your routine so you don’t have to make a decision to meditate. It will just be part of your typical day. [35] X Expert Source Masha KouzmenkoMeditation Coach Expert Interview. 26 March 2020. It’s normal for some meditation sessions to be easier than others, so don’t be discouraged if you have difficulty reaching a meditative state.
This might help you identify behaviors or external factors that are making it harder to meditate. You will also learn which parts of your routine are most effective.
