Body Scan Meditation Technique - Using It to Free Your Body From Stress

Do you sometimes feel that there's so much stress built up in your body and you just don't know how to relax? If you're like most people, the answer is yes. In this article, we'd like to describe an advanced technique in mindfulness meditation, referred to as the body scan, which is a wonderful way to let go of that stress and truly relax.
The first thing we need to understand is that our bodies react to the stresses that we feel in our surroundings. If you pay attention to your body when you're in a stressful situation, you'll notice that certain things happen in your body. You might find that certain muscles tense up, that your heart begins to pound, or even that certain areas of your body become painful. Of course, each of us experiences this in different ways. But all of us, in one way or another, have reactions in our body to the stresses that we face. These reactions are completely normal and are simply part of the way a healthy body works. However, if we don't pay attention to our body, these reactions can become so ingrained that our body doesn't know how to let go of them. As a result, our bodies lose the ability to feel relaxed, and we end up feeling constantly stressed.
So what can we do to let go of the stress that has become trapped in our bodies and feel relaxed again? Here's where the body scan comes in. When you do the body scan, you're actually training your body to let go. Once you get good at it, you'll be able to bring your body to a state of deep relaxation in which you allow any built up stress to gently leave your body.
To begin the body scan, lie down in a quiet place. It's not recommended to do the body scan late at night, as you'll probably end up falling asleep as soon as you become slightly relaxed, which is not the goal of the body scan. Start by breathing deeply, allowing your body to begin to relax as you inhale and exhale. Then, when you feel your body beginning to relax, bring your attention to the toes of your left foot. As you inhale and exhale, allow the muscles in your toes to relax, and imagine that your breath is going in and out of your toes. (This takes some practice, but you'll get used to it.)
Gently move up to your left foot, once again allowing the muscles to relax, imagining as if your breath is going in and out of that area, cleansing it of tension. Continue up your left leg until you get to the pelvis. Once you reach the pelvis, move to the toes of your right foot and up your right leg. After you've completed the right leg, move to the abdomen and up to your torso, chest and shoulders. After the shoulders, move to the fingers of your left hand and up your left arm. Then move to the fingers of your right hand and up your right arm. After you've completed the right arm, move to your neck and then up through the muscles in your face and head.
Once you've completed the head, your whole body should be relaxed. For the final step, instead of concentrating on one area of your body, focus on your body as a whole and imagine as if the breath is going in and out of your body through an imaginary hole in the top of your head. At this point, it can feel as if your body is so relaxed that it's almost melted away.
Once you practice this technique, it should take about 45 minutes from beginning to end. You'll discover that it's a wonderful way to truly relax and allow your body to release the built up stress. In fact, you may never have known that your body could feel so relaxed. And the best news is that this feeling is always available to you. All it requires is the willingness to take 45 minutes of your time to truly experience your body. Once you try it, you'll agree that it's a great investment in your well-being!