Body Awareness Guided Practice (5 mins)

Our guided mindfulness practices are led by Ryan Allen, PHD of Living Lumin. Ryan is a leader in mindful resilience for trauma recovery & trauma-informed care.

Overview

A body scan is a way to relax your mind and body. It helps you pay attention to how your body feels inside. In this practice, you think about 61 different points in your body, one by one.

How to Do It

• You can lie down or sit up. Make sure you’re comfortable. Use pillows or blankets if you need them.
• Pay attention to your breathing and how your body feels.
• Remember, all feelings in your body are normal.
• Just notice how you feel without trying to change anything.
• It’s OK if you drift off. The goal here is to relax.
• As you think about each part of your body, you’re helping your brain relax.

Tips to Go Deeper

• Focus: When you think about one part of your body, pretend it’s the only part that exists.
• Breathing: Try to breathe the same way for each body part. Imagine your breath going into and out of that part.
• Use Your Imagination:
  • Picture a color in each body part
  • Imagine a shape (like a star or moon) in each part
  • Think of a nice feeling (like a feather touching you)
• Make Your Own Guide: Try recording yourself talking about each body part. It’s a loving way to talk to yourself!

How it Helps

• Loosens tight muscles and wakes up parts that feel sleepy
• Helps you relax and focus
• Shows you where you hold stress in your body
• Helps you be kinder to yourself
• Helps you feel more connected to your body and feelings
• Lowers stress
• Can help with pain, tiredness, and trouble sleeping

Tips to Help if You’re Struggling

The goal is not to quiet the mind, but to focus attention on your breath and body.

• Be gentle with yourself: As thoughts come along, greet them, cradle them like a baby and gently set them down.
• Name your thoughts: As you find yourself in the middle of thoughts again, be aware and name them  — “Oh there’s a thought about my mom” — or—  “there’s a thought about work”
• Focus on the sensations: Notice the cool air entering your nose and the warm air leaving your mouth as you breathe. Feel your chest and belly expand and contract with each breath.
• Have a calming word: Repeat a soothing word like “calm”, “love”, or “heal”  in your mind as you breathe.