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5 Ways To Practice Mindfulness Of Body
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Mindfulness of the body is a fundamental form of mindfulness practice. The body is always with us, and can serve as the ideal focal point for our attention. Although the body and our physical experience seem pretty straightforward at first, investigation can lead us to understand quite a bit about our experience.
When I was first introduced to practices working with the body, I struggled. I seemed to notice and get fixated on the unpleasant or difficult sensations. I had tightness in my shoulders, a restlessness in my legs, and found countless itches that needed scratching during meditation sessions. Truthfully, it was only after a couple of years practicing that my relationship with my body began to change.
I attended a 10 day meditation retreat at a local Vipassana center for perhaps the second or third time. During one of the interview periods where I had the opportunity to speak with a teacher, I shared about my difficulty with mindfulness of the body. The teacher pointed out that everything I shared was a mental image, or construct. I wasn’t actually focusing on the sensations in the body.
This simple advice completely changed my practice in working with the body, although it took time. I began to tune in more to the actual physical sensations present rather than my ideas about them, the liking or disliking, or even naming it. Instead of feeling the sensation of pain in my shoulder, disliking it, and wondering how much longer I could sit still for, I set the intention to truly be present with the experience in the body.
When I was first introduced to practices working with the body, I struggled. I seemed to notice and get fixated on the unpleasant or difficult sensations. I had tightness in my shoulders, a restlessness in my legs, and found countless itches that needed scratching during meditation sessions. Truthfully, it was only after a couple of years practicing that my relationship with my body began to change.
I attended a 10 day meditation retreat at a local Vipassana center for perhaps the second or third time. During one of the interview periods where I had the opportunity to speak with a teacher, I shared about my difficulty with mindfulness of the body. The teacher pointed out that everything I shared was a mental image, or construct. I wasn’t actually focusing on the sensations in the body.
This simple advice completely changed my practice in working with the body, although it took time. I began to tune in more to the actual physical sensations present rather than my ideas about them, the liking or disliking, or even naming it. Instead of feeling the sensation of pain in my shoulder, disliking it, and wondering how much longer I could sit still for, I set the intention to truly be present with the experience in the body.
What Is Mindfulness Of The Body
When working with the body, the aim is to really tune into the direct physical experience. This is what the teacher was pointing out to me. Sure, we may then mindfully notice the response in the mind, but then we are moving into mindfulness of the mind. When we practice mindfulness of the body, our intention is to truly be present for the actual physical sensations that are present.
We can do this in many different ways. The body doesn’t have just one feeling going on at a time. Even right now as you are reading, you might pause and see just how many physical sensations you can feel. The body moves with each breath, you can feel the points of contact where your feet touch the floor, or perhaps you can feel the air on your skin. If you come into contact with another person you might practice mindful touch, one of many ways to practice mindfulness for couples. This is one of the benefits of working with the body; there are often many options for us to choose where we place our attention.
Like other mindfulness practices, we do not need to figure anything out or solve any problem necessarily. Instead, the aim is to be aware of our present-time experience. It likely will change and different things may grab your attention. That’s okay! When you are being mindful of the body, try to be true to yourself and what is happening.
Meditations
There are many ways to practice mindfulness of the body in meditation. Different meditation traditions will often offer unique practices, and you can try new ones until you find one you like. Here are a few of my go-to’s and favorites.
When working with the body, the aim is to really tune into the direct physical experience. This is what the teacher was pointing out to me. Sure, we may then mindfully notice the response in the mind, but then we are moving into mindfulness of the mind. When we practice mindfulness of the body, our intention is to truly be present for the actual physical sensations that are present.
We can do this in many different ways. The body doesn’t have just one feeling going on at a time. Even right now as you are reading, you might pause and see just how many physical sensations you can feel. The body moves with each breath, you can feel the points of contact where your feet touch the floor, or perhaps you can feel the air on your skin. If you come into contact with another person you might practice mindful touch, one of many ways to practice mindfulness for couples. This is one of the benefits of working with the body; there are often many options for us to choose where we place our attention.
Like other mindfulness practices, we do not need to figure anything out or solve any problem necessarily. Instead, the aim is to be aware of our present-time experience. It likely will change and different things may grab your attention. That’s okay! When you are being mindful of the body, try to be true to yourself and what is happening.
Meditations
There are many ways to practice mindfulness of the body in meditation. Different meditation traditions will often offer unique practices, and you can try new ones until you find one you like. Here are a few of my go-to’s and favorites.
Body Scan
The body scan meditation is perhaps the most basic mindfulness meditation focusing on the body. I have seen it used in meditation groups, yoga classes, and even in group therapy sessions. Some people prefer to do a body scan lying down. I personally prefer to be seated, as I often fall asleep while lying down.
As with any meditation practice, you may want to take a few mindful breaths or simply allow your mind and body to settle for a moment. When you’re ready, start by bringing your attention to your feet. Do you notice any physical sensations present? Can you feel your toes touching perhaps, or maybe the floor underneath your soles or heels?
Move up to the ankles, calves and shins. Again, just bring your attention to the direct physical experience in the body. If an emotion or response to a sensation arises, you can certainly note it is present. Then bring your attention back to the body. I sometimes imagine my mind’s attention really dropping in to this point in my body rather than looking at it from my brain’s perspective. Continue through the body, pausing with each individual part until you reach the crown of the head.
Open Body Awareness
This meditation practice is similar to a body scan, but a bit less structured. Sometimes I start a sitting period with a body scan, then move into this open practice. Much like the body scan practice, we are simply noticing what is present in our bodies.
Again, you may lie down or sit for this practice. Begin with a minute or two of just allowing the body and mind to settle. Then open your awareness to the entire body. Without directing your attention to any specific place intentionally, wait to see what grabs your attention. Maybe it’s the sensation of your back touching the floor, an itch on your arm, or the movement of the chest with each breath.
There’s no right or wrong answer with this practice. We sit patiently, waiting for a physical sensation to arise into our awareness. When you do notice something, place your focus there for a bit. Pay attention to how it feels, how it changes, and if it moves in the body. When you are ready, open the awareness back up and see what else might be present.
The body scan meditation is perhaps the most basic mindfulness meditation focusing on the body. I have seen it used in meditation groups, yoga classes, and even in group therapy sessions. Some people prefer to do a body scan lying down. I personally prefer to be seated, as I often fall asleep while lying down.
As with any meditation practice, you may want to take a few mindful breaths or simply allow your mind and body to settle for a moment. When you’re ready, start by bringing your attention to your feet. Do you notice any physical sensations present? Can you feel your toes touching perhaps, or maybe the floor underneath your soles or heels?
Move up to the ankles, calves and shins. Again, just bring your attention to the direct physical experience in the body. If an emotion or response to a sensation arises, you can certainly note it is present. Then bring your attention back to the body. I sometimes imagine my mind’s attention really dropping in to this point in my body rather than looking at it from my brain’s perspective. Continue through the body, pausing with each individual part until you reach the crown of the head.
Open Body Awareness
This meditation practice is similar to a body scan, but a bit less structured. Sometimes I start a sitting period with a body scan, then move into this open practice. Much like the body scan practice, we are simply noticing what is present in our bodies.
Again, you may lie down or sit for this practice. Begin with a minute or two of just allowing the body and mind to settle. Then open your awareness to the entire body. Without directing your attention to any specific place intentionally, wait to see what grabs your attention. Maybe it’s the sensation of your back touching the floor, an itch on your arm, or the movement of the chest with each breath.
There’s no right or wrong answer with this practice. We sit patiently, waiting for a physical sensation to arise into our awareness. When you do notice something, place your focus there for a bit. Pay attention to how it feels, how it changes, and if it moves in the body. When you are ready, open the awareness back up and see what else might be present.
Walking Meditation
In my opinion, walking meditation is heavily neglected in many meditation circles. Most of us think of meditation as something we do while the body is still, but that doesn’t have to be the case. We are in movement much of the day in general, so dedicating some time to being mindful of the body while walking is applicable to our daily lives. We also get a different experience of the body moving than we might find with the still body.
To do walking meditation, I recommend finding a place where you can walk maybe 10-20 feet. Personally, I prefer somewhere that allows me to be barefoot, but that’s not always possible. You may begin by standing still and just feeling the body where it is. You may notice some slight movement or swaying, the feeling of the feet on the ground, and the movement of the body with the breath.
As you pick up your foot slowly and begin walking, notice what sensations are present. You can feel the feeling of the sole of the foot lifting off the ground, the the muscles in the leg working, the shift of weight in the body, and the sensation of the foot touching down to the ground with the step.
Continue to walk at the pace that feels right. I find that as my mindfulness begins to slip, I sometimes start walking more quickly. When you reach the end of your path you’ve set, very slowly and mindfully turn around and walk back. You can repeat this as long as you’d like, and investigate how it feels in the body to walk at different speeds.
Mindfulness Of The Breath
There are quite a few different ways to work with mindfulness of the breath. I’ll offer one here, a more foundational practice that I’ve found useful in working with newcomers to practice. For this practice, I recommend sitting. However, if you’re not able to sit comfortably or it doesn’t feel right to you, you can absolutely do this practice lying down or even walking.
As you may have guessed by now, you can take a moment to settle in before beginning the practice. When you feel settled enough, bring your attention to one point in the body you can feel the sensations of breathing. This may be the chest, noticing the expansion and contraction with each breath. It also might be the belly, again noticing the rising and falling. I often focus on the tip of the nose, where I can feel the subtle sensation of the air entering and leaving my nostrils.
With each breath, count silently in your head. So you may inhale, tuning into the experience of the breath. As you exhale, count “1.” Continue this way, counting up to ten. When you reach ten, count back down to 1, and so forth. Remember to focus on the direct sensation of breathing in the body. The counting simply serves as a tool to help us keep on track.
In my opinion, walking meditation is heavily neglected in many meditation circles. Most of us think of meditation as something we do while the body is still, but that doesn’t have to be the case. We are in movement much of the day in general, so dedicating some time to being mindful of the body while walking is applicable to our daily lives. We also get a different experience of the body moving than we might find with the still body.
To do walking meditation, I recommend finding a place where you can walk maybe 10-20 feet. Personally, I prefer somewhere that allows me to be barefoot, but that’s not always possible. You may begin by standing still and just feeling the body where it is. You may notice some slight movement or swaying, the feeling of the feet on the ground, and the movement of the body with the breath.
As you pick up your foot slowly and begin walking, notice what sensations are present. You can feel the feeling of the sole of the foot lifting off the ground, the the muscles in the leg working, the shift of weight in the body, and the sensation of the foot touching down to the ground with the step.
Continue to walk at the pace that feels right. I find that as my mindfulness begins to slip, I sometimes start walking more quickly. When you reach the end of your path you’ve set, very slowly and mindfully turn around and walk back. You can repeat this as long as you’d like, and investigate how it feels in the body to walk at different speeds.
Mindfulness Of The Breath
There are quite a few different ways to work with mindfulness of the breath. I’ll offer one here, a more foundational practice that I’ve found useful in working with newcomers to practice. For this practice, I recommend sitting. However, if you’re not able to sit comfortably or it doesn’t feel right to you, you can absolutely do this practice lying down or even walking.
As you may have guessed by now, you can take a moment to settle in before beginning the practice. When you feel settled enough, bring your attention to one point in the body you can feel the sensations of breathing. This may be the chest, noticing the expansion and contraction with each breath. It also might be the belly, again noticing the rising and falling. I often focus on the tip of the nose, where I can feel the subtle sensation of the air entering and leaving my nostrils.
With each breath, count silently in your head. So you may inhale, tuning into the experience of the breath. As you exhale, count “1.” Continue this way, counting up to ten. When you reach ten, count back down to 1, and so forth. Remember to focus on the direct sensation of breathing in the body. The counting simply serves as a tool to help us keep on track.
Four Elements
This is a bit of a different practice to the others, but one I find useful. In a four elements meditation, we look at the body in a unique way. We investigate the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind in the body. We’ll discuss what this means!
Again, settle for a moment when beginning this practice. I like to start with the “wind” element, or the breath. It’s always there and moving/changing, so it offers a good place to start. Tune into the physical experience of breathing. Where can you feel the wind or air in your body? It may be the chest, belly, nostrils, or maybe some movement of the shoulders with each breath.
Next, you can move to the water element. Where can you feel a sense of water or liquid in the body? Can you feel moisture in your mouth or eyes? Maybe you’re sweating, or feel really dry. Explore your experience of the water in your body, seeing where you can physically feel some sensation of liquid or lack thereof.
On to the earth element, the physical body. You might start by noticing the points of contact, or where the body is touching something. Your butt may be touching a chair or meditation cushion, you may feel the clothes on your body, or maybe your hands are resting in your lap. Where can you feel the physical body right now in this moment?
And finally we come to the fire element. This is often understood to be the circulatory system including blood and the heart. Can you feel your heart beating? This may be easier for some than for others, but you might feel the heart beating in the chest, limbs, ears, or anywhere else.
This is a bit of a different practice to the others, but one I find useful. In a four elements meditation, we look at the body in a unique way. We investigate the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind in the body. We’ll discuss what this means!
Again, settle for a moment when beginning this practice. I like to start with the “wind” element, or the breath. It’s always there and moving/changing, so it offers a good place to start. Tune into the physical experience of breathing. Where can you feel the wind or air in your body? It may be the chest, belly, nostrils, or maybe some movement of the shoulders with each breath.
Next, you can move to the water element. Where can you feel a sense of water or liquid in the body? Can you feel moisture in your mouth or eyes? Maybe you’re sweating, or feel really dry. Explore your experience of the water in your body, seeing where you can physically feel some sensation of liquid or lack thereof.
On to the earth element, the physical body. You might start by noticing the points of contact, or where the body is touching something. Your butt may be touching a chair or meditation cushion, you may feel the clothes on your body, or maybe your hands are resting in your lap. Where can you feel the physical body right now in this moment?
And finally we come to the fire element. This is often understood to be the circulatory system including blood and the heart. Can you feel your heart beating? This may be easier for some than for others, but you might feel the heart beating in the chest, limbs, ears, or anywhere else.
Working With The Body In Daily Life
As we begin to bring more mindfulness to the body, we can also practice in daily life. As mentioned, the body is always with us. That means there’s always an opportunity to practice with it! You can practice walking meditation at a normal speed while walking around your workplace or home. You can bring your attention to the breath any time during your day.
One practice that was offered to me many years ago by a teacher is the practice of noticing a change in posture. Whenever I go from sitting to standing, standing to sitting, sitting to lying down, etc. I bring mindfulness to the body and how it feels. The change of the posture offers us a trigger to remind us to be mindful, and is a fun way to incorporate mindfulness of the body into daily life.
As we begin to bring more mindfulness to the body, we can also practice in daily life. As mentioned, the body is always with us. That means there’s always an opportunity to practice with it! You can practice walking meditation at a normal speed while walking around your workplace or home. You can bring your attention to the breath any time during your day.
One practice that was offered to me many years ago by a teacher is the practice of noticing a change in posture. Whenever I go from sitting to standing, standing to sitting, sitting to lying down, etc. I bring mindfulness to the body and how it feels. The change of the posture offers us a trigger to remind us to be mindful, and is a fun way to incorporate mindfulness of the body into daily life.
Author Bio
Matthew Sockolov is a meditation teacher with One Mind Dharma. He has taught meditation groups online and in person with Against the Stream, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and various private centers.
Matthew Sockolov is a meditation teacher with One Mind Dharma. He has taught meditation groups online and in person with Against the Stream, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and various private centers.
Matthew Sockolov
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