Practicing a regular body scan meditation is an excellent way of getting in touch with your body by using focused attention to experience systematically how you are at this moment in time, and helping you to notice any changes. You can use it for relaxation, to help you sleep, or when you are experiencing pain. You might think that holding your attention on a painful area is unadvisable but it will often alleviate the pain, working on the principle that the only way out is through. Even if the pain is not eased, regular practice can help it to become more bearable. Unresolved emotional states that may have been stored in your body often manifest themselves as physical pain or tightness and these tend to dissolve under the beam of awareness.

The aim in scanning is to feel each area as you focus on it, taking your breath to and from it a few times, then to let go of it in your mind's eye as you move your attention to the next area. As you let go of the sensations, the muscles let go too and release a lot of the tension they were holding. If it helps, you can imagine the tension flowing out on each out-breath, whilst breathing in relaxation, energy and vitality, but don't try to force this. It's more important to be mindfully aware of how things are, so if there's very little sensation or change, allow yourself to feel that that's ok. Observe any thoughts and images that arise but don't react to them, just let them flow with your breath. By the end of the scan you will probably feel very relaxed and purified, but if you don't, just accept that that's how you are feeling today.

Steps

1. Lie on your back on a bed or foam pad, if the room is cold cover yourself with a blanket.
2. Close your eyes and start to tune in to your breathing. Begin by registering your body as a whole, from head to toe.
3. Bring your attention to the toes of your left foot. Try to breath in to your toes and out from your toes. If that's difficult, try to visualize your breath travelling down your body from your nose, into your lungs, abdomen, down your leg to the toes and back again. If you can, try to sense each toe separately. Experience whatever sensations come up.
4. When you are ready, dissolve them in your mind's eye and move on and do the same for the sole of your foot, your heel, the top of your foot , then your ankle.
5. Move your attention to your lower left leg, your left knee, your left thigh. Feel your hip joints. Keep experiencing whatever sensations arise, breathing in to and out from the area and letting go as you move on.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for your right foot and leg.
7. Bring your attention to your pelvis and feel where it touches the floor, imagine the contact area growing larger and softer. Continue to move up your back.
8. Bring your attention to your belly and chest, notice how they move with your breath, let the wave of your breath move naturally, witnessing it rather than directing it.
9. Move your attention to your left palm and fingers, your wrist, then your upper arm. Repeat for your right hand and arm.
10. Bring your attention to your head and feel its weight pressing down on the floor. Feel your lips and mouth, your nose, your ears and your eyelids. Rest for a while enjoying the relaxation.
11. When you are ready to end, slowly open your eyes, sit up and take a deep breath.

References

Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Guided mindfulness meditation CD by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Meditation: The Complete Guide by Patricia Monaghan & Eleanor G Viereck