Mindfulness is a powerful tool for helping us develop better inner bodily awareness. As an Occupational Therapist, I see firsthand the importance of bodily awareness and the critical role it plays in self-regulation. I’ve found that exploring body sensations is one of the best ways to develop self-regulation; a body scan meditation can serve as a structured way to do this.
My Guided Body Scan Meditation
My guide to body scan meditation might be a little unusual compared to others. This is because of the adaptations I’ve made to the traditional (American-ized) meditation practice based on the struggles I have seen during my work as an occupational therapist.
Step One:
Throw Out The Rules
Most body scan meditation guides will start off with sitting still and relaxing – but we are the opposite of still and relaxed. Most people find sitting in place is a major hurdle, so I recommend moving and experimenting with ways to engage and connect with the body. My mindfulness process is about connecting with your body in ways that feel comfortable. Move, dance, run, jump, sit, lay down, take a shower, cook, bake, cuddle with a pet – you can start a session of body scan meditation wherever you feel comfortable. My method of body scan meditation is more active, so make sure you clear some space and have a little bit of wiggle room!
Step Two:
Pick a Body Part to Start Exploring
I believe in an outside-in body awareness method, where you start with an externally focused body part, providing a more familiar and concrete starting point. Many people struggle with recognizing less visible and more abstract parts of the body, like the lungs or heart, which is why I often suggest starting with visible and recognizable parts, like the hands or feet. From this starting point, make a list that goes up or down your body, letting your attention go where it wants. Once you are comfortable with the outer parts of the body, try turning your focus inwards – maybe while you focus on your abdominal muscles, you notice your stomach underneath, or you move from your chest to your lungs behind it.
Step Three:
Be Playful!
When you pick a body part to start with for your body scan meditation, be playful! People tend to think of stillness as the key to mindfulness, but a little bit of motion can help you zero in on the sensations that your body can give you. Maybe you start with your toes, wiggling them and thinking about how your socks or shoes feel. Or you can begin with your hands, dragging along your blanket or armrests.
Step Four:
Describe What You Feel
Some people use phrases to describe how their body parts: Butterflies in their stomachs, knots in their backs, tingling in their fingers. We all have different ways of coming to understand the sensations in our body. There are no wrong ways to describe your sensations. Whatever comes to mind is true for you. For example, what animal comes to mind when you notice how flexing your arms feels? What color comes to mind as you notice how your mouth feels as you breathe in and out? Give yourself permission to be free with the description! Making this process meaningful to you might help you feel more connected to your authentic body experience.
Step Five:
Let Your Attention Go Where it Wants
Remember that you are doing this to build familiarity with your body and the signals it will send you. Body mindfulness is a learning process. Traditional (modernized) meditation can be intimidating because it feels like the goal is to reach some higher state. But really, mindfulness, especially when it is focused on noticing the body in the present moment- is the tool to use as you develop your interoception – your inner bodily sense. So let your attention wander if you want, or guide it back to the next body part on your list.
Guided meditation can take as little or as much time as you’d like. Don’t feel pressured to do this ‘just right.’—the way that works for you is the right way! Focus on developing comfort and familiarity with the signals and information that your body receives. Body scan meditation is all about listening to your body and taking notice of what it is telling you.
How This Body Scan Meditation Method is Different
This guide has a few adaptations from the standard concepts of body scan meditation that I have made to help make body mindfulness more accessible. I have worked with lots of clients over the years and have seen how many people can struggle with mindfulness (I struggle with it too!) Sometimes, the sense of interoception can be muffled and ‘too quiet’ or overactive and distracting. From my research, I have found that there are a few tweaks to traditional mindfulness that make body awareness more accessible.
Outside-In Methods
A key feature of the Interoception Curriculum is that we work from the outside in. The inside areas of our bodies can be difficult to think about. Beginning with a more concrete example, such as the feeling of the skin on our hands, can be a great place to start. Once a person is familiar with an external body part’s sensations, we slowly work our way toward more abstract areas of the body, like the stomach.
Use Play to Evoke Sensations
Mindfulness has this stereotype that it is a boring practice of discipline and focus. But mindfulness can be engaging and playful. Activities that evoke bodily responses are really useful for developing our interoceptive awareness. Bounce a superball and pay attention to how it feels in your hand. Get up and dance to your favorite song before you pause to notice how your heart is feeling. Big, but playful sensations can draw your attention more easily and begin the process of developing a more finely-tuned sense of bodily awareness.
Support Communication
The diversity of human experience means we all have our own descriptions and understanding of our inner sensations. I hold a strong belief that you shouldn’t have judgment or assumptions when describing and communicating your individual experience. This is why I emphasize describing your sensations in a way that is meaningful to you as they catch your attention.
What Obstacles to Body Scan Meditation Am I Targeting?
In my practice, I prioritize my client’s individual experiences of the world. Commonly, traditional Westernized mindfulness and meditation don’t really fit in with how many people can access their body sensations. Some of these barriers include:
Attention
Many mindfulness techniques require a high degree of attention and focus – think of meditation practices where an individual is guided to focus on their breathing. Many people, myself included, find maintaining that level of attention and focus can be so, so difficult. Mindfulness experts often remind us that guiding our attention back to a focal point is part of the exercise, but that doesn’t make it any easier!
Abstraction
Traditional mindfulness techniques also require a lot of abstract thinking, which can pose another obstacle to mount. If your interoception – your sense of what is happening inside your body – is muted, then you might struggle that much more. How can you focus your attention on a heartbeat you aren’t easily feeling? Starting with parts of your body that you can see can help you feel them more easily.
Discomfort
Today, we recognize and discuss trauma, mental health, and neuro-divergencies much more readily than when traditional mindfulness techniques were developed. Traditional Westernized techniques assume that a person is comfortable in and has a safe relationship with their body. This just isn’t the case for many people. People with trauma and dysregulation might feel their body is an unsafe place to focus their attention.
Explore More Body Awareness Exercises to Support Your Meditation!
Body scan meditation isn’t the only way to explore and develop your interoceptive awareness. We have many other sets of activities that can help guide your exploration!
Yoga Activity Cards
Yoga and body scan meditation often go hand-in-hand, which is why I would recommend the Interoception Yoga Cards. This set of 134 cards can guide you through exercises and prompts for recognizing your interoceptive signals. For health and recreation, these cards can be a fun and creative way to develop your body and awareness.
Exercise Activity Cards
Develop your body as you develop your awareness of it with the Interoception Exercise Cards! This set of 124 cards will coach you to do specific exercises while you consider and notice the interoceptive body signals that they can produce. For some people, being active is the best way to evoke and respond to these kinds of signals!
Interoception Activity Cards
Interoception is a big interest because of how helpful it has been for me and my clients. This deck of 170 cards provides hours of activities to help enhance your interoceptive awareness. These can complement your body scan meditation by bringing out more awareness of individual body parts and cultivating your mindfulness.
Enhance Your Body Scan Meditation with More Resources
Body scan meditation can be one way to enhance body awareness. My work provides many other ways that we can use to continue this journey and develop interoception and help live our lives in a meaningful manner. Learn more about the Interoception Curriculum that I have been happy to develop and share.
