Relieve Stress and Tension With a Body Scan Meditation

For the past few days I have felt off my game and can't seem to shake this throbbing headache.  As I was doing yoga last evening I became aware of all the tension being held in my body...I was going into a forward fold and could hear a series of tiny pops in my back and shoulders.  I continued on with my yoga routine being careful not to place undo stress on my body. 

When I was done I followed that with my typical (and less productive) nightly Pinterest perusing routine.  One of the items in my feed happened to catch my eye, a photo with the words "the time to relax is when you don't have time for it" which reminded me of how slack I have been on my meditation lately and coincidentally how much I appear to need it currently.

I got up right then and there and performed a body scan meditation.  I was introduced to a method like this in one of my wellness courses last year.  At the time I had been experiencing shoulder pain and the meditation was really beneficial in alleviating that pain.  I figured if it worked then it may be helpful now too.  The body scan meditation is a short one, taking about 5-10 minutes, and here's how to do it:

• Lie down on the floor or bed in a comfortable position.
• Close your eyes.
• Take several deep breaths to calm and center yourself.  During this time tune into your body and be ready to listen to what it may tell you.
• When you are ready, begin performing the meditation by "scanning" one section of your body at a time (see chart below for how I break it up). With each inhale focus on bringing the fresh, pure air into that body part and pushing out any stress, tension, or negativity being held there on the exhale.
• Once you have completed, repeat the same inhale/exhale again focusing on the entire body as a whole.
• Allow yourself to slowly return to the present.

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