The 5-Minute Body Scan For People Who Hate Meditation

Think you're bad at meditation? This 5-minute body scan was made for skeptics. No clearing your mind, no special skills, no achieving anything. Just notice what's already there. It's simpler than you think. Anyone can do this.

Transcript

Hi there, My name is Melissa, And before we get started, If you've tried meditation before or relaxation or breathing techniques, And you thought, Oh, This is not for me, I don't like it, I'm bored, I'm not good at it. I get it. My approach is a little bit different. I teach mindfulness. For what I call the not-too-woo-woo. So these are mindfulness lessons and exercises that are more practical and make us more present in our everyday lives. So today, We're gonna be doing a check-in with our body. That's it. We're not going to be clearing our mind. We're not going to be trying to achieve anything. We're not going to be getting into a transcendental state. We're just going to notice what's already there. And you can sit down or you can lie down to do this. Whatever's comfortable for you either works. If you're at your desk, Obviously, Sitting is preferred. If you're somewhere else, You can lay down. Lucky you. Go ahead and get comfortable. Okay, So close your eyes. I'm going to keep mine open. You can keep yours open too if closing them is not comfortable. Then just soften your geese and look at something that isn't interesting. Far off. And now just bring a breath in. And gently bring a breath out. Now we're going to start with your feet. Just notice your feet. Are they cold? Are they warm? Are your shoes comfortable? Are your toes all cramped up? Again, We're not trying to fix anything right now. We're just noticing. Let's slowly move up to your calves and your shins, That whole area. Just checking in. No agenda, No judgment. We're just feeling how they feel. Okay, Now just notice your thighs. Are they tight? Are they loose? Are they neutral? Okay. How about that lower back? This one might have something to say, A lot to say actually, Because a lot of us hold stress in our lower back without even realizing it or just noticing it. Okay, Now move up through your stomach and your chest. Note that. Notice if your breathing has changed at all since we started. It might be a little slower. If it's not, That's okay. How about your shoulders? I talk often about how our shoulders line their way up to our ears. So if that's the case, Just notice that. How about your arms? Are your hands clenched? What about your jaw? Is your jaw clenched? I do that a lot without realizing it. And finally. . . I want you to notice the top of your head and your face. Just take one full moment and one full breath here. You can go a little deeper into your nose and slowly out through your mouth. And that's it. You just did a body scan. Here's what I want you to take away from today's practice. You didn't clear your mind. You didn't blank your mind. You didn't solve your problems. You probably thought about 1, 700 other things during this practice. That's completely normal and it's completely okay and it doesn't mean you did it wrong. Actually noticing that your mind was wandering. You did it right. The more you do this, The more you start to catch tension. Before it turns into a headache or a backache. If you can do this throughout the day to different areas, You'll unclench your jaw, You'll lower your shoulders. And this way it won't turn into a full stress spiral at 11 p. M. Or a backache at the most inopportune time. So five minutes, That's all it takes. Come back whenever you need it, And I'll be adding more practices just like this one. Thank you.