A short meditation to bring awareness to the body’s sensations, you’ll move through a body scan and visualization practices.

Style: Meditation

Duration: 10-mins

Level: open

Props: something comfortable to sit on

Focus: visualization, body scan, conscious breathing

Location: Lila Familia Production Studio, Vancouver, BC

Body Scan

Start at the top of the head and begin to scan the body taking your inner gaze from the crown down the torso, arms, and legs. Explore each body part to see if you have any tension and as you exhale, imagine releasing the tension from your body.

Resources on Mindful Meditation

This practice may help you feel more aware of the sensations of your body. It also provides a means to examine how you feel and respond accordingly.

In this 2017 study on mindful meditation and chronic pain, meditation is shown to lessen the effect of chronic pain on the body.

In this 2014 study on meditation and the effect on stress, meditation is explored to show the effects on anxiety, depression, stress/distress, positive mood, mental health-related quality of life, attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep, pain, and weight.

Visualization

Imagine two balls of light at the ball of each foot. The light is a soft glow; it is the colour of the dawn. Warm and reassuring. Envision these balls of light moving up your legs to your torso, arms, and head. As the balls of light move, they heat the body.

Professional athletes have discovered the power of visualization practices and use visualization to enhance performance.

Visualization in meditation practice also helps with slowing the nervous system to aid in self-regulation and relaxation.