What are the benefits of a Body Awareness (Body Scan) practice?

[allison_s]

Paying complete attention to parts of the body is one of the best ways to practice meditation. When we are paying attention to our breathing, we can help to calm our nervous system, but the same applies to paying attention to the body and our movements. A close attention on the body is one of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and can help to deepen our awareness and become fully aware of what is going on, right here and now.

Using the practice of a Body Scan promotes body awareness. You can start becoming more aware of the our physical stress and anxiety that lives in the body, pain that is present, and paying attention and relaxing the body can help promote better sleep habits.

When practiced often, we build a relationship with tuning into the body, which reconnects to the physical self, the sensations that are present and the way we respond physically to what's happening in the world.

[Valerie_C]

Couldn't agree more!  A body scan is one of my go-to tools for calming my hyper and overactive mind.  Yes, it also does help promote better sleep habits!  Body scans are a commonly prescribed "free" medicine in my integrative sleep practice.  Thanks for the great post @allison_s 

[oaktownish]

Thanks for this! I never used the term “body scan” for this though. Finding some time where I can relax, breathe, and check in with myself has definitely helped me in the last few years.