A body scan is a time of paying attention.
Practicing this regularly will help you to develop a habit of noticing what is happening and what you are feeling – in the moment, in here and now. With this practice, we learn to direct our attention to where we want it, we improve our ability to focus on the individual aspects of our internal or external worlds. We learn to notice our emotions, feel them, yet not have them run you. You will be able to notice when you are tensing up or not breathing, develop a feeling of your limits, notice “this does not feel good anymore”, and feel when it is not safe.
When you are just starting with this practice, it is helpful to find a quiet space and some uninterrupted time. As you are getting more confident with this practice, you can do it everywhere. At the right you will find an audio track that you can download to your phone and use whenever it suits you. Slowly over time it becomes a natural habit of attending to your body.
Please note: The goal of this practice is not relaxing or changing your state or bringing yourself to a most calm state of mind. The goal is noticing yourself right where you are.
If you find your mind wandering away during the practice, just notice that and gently invite your attention back to the sensations in your body. This is really not about judging how “well” you do, it is the moment of noticing that matters!
Enjoy!