Mindfulness meditation with a focus on the body is, if guided, a wonderful start for beginners. Mindfulness is an exercise that involves the body. By practicing self-reflection, we learn to live in and through our bodies. Being aware of bodily experiences is one of the most important forms of self-reflection. It is much easier to have a balanced, healthy awareness of the rest of your life when in touch with your immediate physical experience. We will experience how the body feels.
Focus on body
Even when we focus our attention on our body, it, in essence, attention from the outside. This behavior means that we are concerned about our appearance and how we look to others. However, attention to the body is the attention that goes from the inside to the outside. In doing so, we devote a good portion of our time to being with how we feel about the body. It helps us to relax the body and to protect us from being trapped by our mental preoccupations.
The benefits of body awareness meditation
The attention to the body has several good sides. First, we increase our knowledge of the body and how it responds to internal and external situations and the events around us. The awakening of the body from the inside, which comes with awareness, can help us to discover not only our repressed emotions but also something even more important, which is a greater ability to respond to healthier emotions and motives.
Second, by nurturing self-awareness, we also develop non-reactivity. Too often, our desires, aversions, affections, and prejudice diminish our ability to know what is actually happening. As we learn not to react automatically and unconsciously, this gives us the ability to understand the present moment and our reactions to it more deeply, giving us more freedom to choose how we respond.
In the end, being alert to physical sensations helps us reduce tension as well as understand its causes.
How to meditate mindfulness meditation focusing on body
After we become comfortable with breathing meditation, we can try to focus on our body during meditation. Basically, while keeping calm and steady breathing, we will start to notice different sensations that are, during meditation, happening in our bodies.
Find a quiet place, turn off your mobile phone, forget about things that happened yesterday, do not think about what you must do today, or may happen in the future. Let go of any expectations.
You can do this meditation sitting on the floor or on the ground.
Assume the posture of your choice
If you are not feeling comfortable sitting on the floor, sit on some cushions, so your knees fall below your hips. If you still not feel comfortable, then sit on the chair, but keep an upright posture.
Assume the posture of your choice and then allow your breath and energy to flow freely.
Close your eyes or you can just gaze at a steady point away from you or at the floor. You can also let your eyelids fall. They can stay about half open, keeping in mind that you are more likely to fall asleep if you keep your eyes closed as you meditate.
Take a few deep breaths, slow and easy, as if you inhale peace and exhale any tension and distraction you might have right now. Relax, empty your mind, and then let your breathing become natural.
Breathe in, breathe out…
Follow your breath. Feel the air as you inhale on the tip of your nose. Notice how it goes through your throat, chest, and how your abdomen feels. As you exhale, follow the air as it is leaving your body.
Breathe in, breathe out…
Become aware of your whole body. Then focus on the effects that breathing has on your abdomen. Notice how it raises and decline for each breath. Observe your muscles that are involved in this process. Be aware that your body works hard to keep you breathing. We tend to take this for granted.
Breathe in, breathe out…
Mindful body scan
Now start to scan your body. Start from the top of your head. Do you feel any sensation in that part of the body? It is ok if you do not feel anything. Just accept this and move on.
Observe your forehead and eyebrows. Are they tense or relaxed? Move to your jaw, if it is clenched, relax it. As you explore other parts of your body, notice if there is any tension or pain. If so, relax and if necessary, move it.
Scan your right shoulder, arm, and hand. Observe each and every finger in your right hand. Do you feel any sensation? Notice this, accept, relax if necessary and move on.
Distractions
When you hear some noise, acknowledge it, and just repeat silently “noise, noise, noise”. Acknowledge and let go. Go back to your breath.
Breathe in, breathe out…
Go to your left shoulder, arm, and hand. Notice the sensations in them and move your attention to fingers on your left hand.
Breathe in, breathe out…
When your mind wanders to some other place, or to some other time, do not get discouraged. It is perfectly normal. Do not criticize yourself. You became aware of this fact, so you need to congratulate yourself for that. You just became aware that your mind is wandering around. Just bring your focus gently to your breath again.
Breathe in, breathe out…
Get to know your body
Now move your attention to your right thigh. Are your hips soar? What are the sensations in your right leg? And in your right foot? Does it feel cold or warm? Whatever it is, notice and move on.
Repeat this with your left leg as well.
If you feel any pain and you need to change position, first explore that pain. Repeat quietly, “pain, pain, pain.” Do not add your perception of feeling to the objective situation. Wait for a moment, and pain might stop. If not, think “move, move, move,” then make the adjustment.
Breathe in, breathe out…
Observe
Start observing your back. Do you feel any pain or discomfort? Or you feel warm or cold? Do you feel your close touching your back? Notice every sensation, and let it go, move to your abdomen. Feel again what influence your breathing has to movement in your abdomen.
Breathe in, breathe out…
In the last minute of meditation, shift your focus again to your breath. Is it now slower, calmer, or not? How does the air you are breathing in feels? Is it fresh or stale?
Slowly start to notice your surroundings. Take three more deep breaths as you slowly returning to everyday life, hopefully, more relaxed than 15 minutes ago. Open your eyes, stretch your body and continue with your daily activities.
Guided Mindfulness Meditation Focus on Body for Beginners
I hope this post will help you enjoy short meditation and you will keep meditating. You can also get help from my Guided meditations video series. As your practice grows, you can extend your meditation for five minutes every week, until you reach 45 minutes. Continue to meditate every day, be mindful, and do not give up.
If you want to know more
If you are interested in mastery of the technique, you can also check out the site Mindfulness Certification Training for Individuals and Coaches and use it to improve your expertise.
If you want to learn more about things I write about, check out my books. See also what the goal of this web site is.
You can check out my other post about Mindfulness.
Enjoy reading!
I invite you to use all the resources I provided for you and to share your thoughts and comments.
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