Body scan.

[gerrerd]

The body scan is a popular mindfulness technique, in which you move your attention slowly through different parts of your body, starting from your toes and moving all the way up to the top of your head and then back down again. You could focus on warmth , tension, tingling in different parts of your body. This exercise is best done in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed, but you can do it anywhere.

1. Sit in a comfortable position, and breathe slowly and deeply.

2. Start to move your awareness through your body, working upwards from your feet.

3. Pay attention to all the sensations in your toes, feet, legs, back, arms, fingers, shoulders, neck, jaw, eyes, face and scalp.

4. When you notice tension, pause.

5. Gradually release this tension as you breathe out and relax, then move on.

6. Once you reach your scalp, start to move your attention back down your body in the opposite order, ending with your feet.

7. When you reach your feet, notice how they feel on the floor, stay with that feeling for as long as you want to before getting up.

[teemo1]

The body scan is part of the Managing Anxiety meditation series on the Headspace app. You begin with deep breathing, then focus on your surroundings, then body scan, then focus on your breathing, then let your mind do whatever it wants, then return to focus on your surroundings. There are thirty sessions and each one comes with a new insight on how we can learn to allow our thoughts and feelings to come and go without struggling with them.