How to Reduce Physical Pain with Meditation
Find a quiet place., Lie down., Be present in the moment., Focus on your breath., Scan over your body with your mind., Bring your mind back if it wanders., Connect your body together., Open your eyes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a quiet place.
To receive the full effects of body scan meditation, find a quiet, calm room to meditate in.
The point is to focus inward on your mind and body, so you want to eliminate outside distractions.
Set aside at least half an hour for this.You can do this in your bedroom, living room, or any other quiet room that is free from distractions.
If you have to, ask your family or friends to not disturb you for the duration of your meditation.
Turn off your cell phone.
Leave it in another room so you will not be tempted by it. -
Step 2: Lie down.
To do the body scan meditation, you need to lie down somewhere comfortable.
This can be your bed, a mat on the floor, or anywhere else you find comfortable.
Close your eyes.
Either rest your hands on your torso or on the floor.Relax into the position.
As you first lie there, think about where your body connects with the mat or bed.
Try to soften the areas that are touching the floor.
Relax any parts of your body that are holding tension, such as the neck, shoulders, or even legs. , The first step in body scan meditation is to be present in the moment.
This means removing all thought of the past or the future along with other thoughts.
Concentrate only on the moment you are in.Focus only on your body.
Ignore everything else.
Make sure that as you focus on your body that you let go of any negativity.
Accept your body as it is in that moment.
Don’t worry or stress about what’s wrong, what should be different, or what you can do in the future or what you should have done in the past.
View your body positively, as a friend, not as an enemy. , As you begin the body scan meditation, focus on your breath.
Take a few moments just to breath.
Feel the rhythm of your breath.In your mind, think about what your breath is like.
Are they deep or smooth? Are they wheezing or loud? Where do you feel the breath in other parts of your body? , With your mind, you should move over your body.
Do this slowly, focusing on one body part at a time.
Experience each body part; don’t visualize or move them.
Feel the body part.Start with your left foot.
Focus on the toes, the move through each part of the foot, including the heel and the sole.
Move to the ankle, the calf, and the shin as you continue up the left leg.
Go all the way up to the left hip and groin before you begin the same process on the right foot, starting with the toes.
Continue up through the body, focusing on the pelvic region, including the hips and genitals, then up through the torso, back, the chest, and shoulders.
Do each arm after the shoulders, starting with your fingers.
Continue to the neck, throat, face, and head.As you think of each body part, don’t visualize it.
Instead, feel and experience it.
Think about whether it is cold or hot.
Feel the texture and weight of the clothing on it, or the floor underneath it.
Feel each sensation on the body part.
If you feel pain, acknowledge the pain.
If that part of your body is pain free, acknowledge that.
When you move on to the next body part, let go of the previous body part.
Don’t dwell on a body part.
Stay in the present, thinking about the body part you are currently on. , Your mind will naturally wander as you lie on the floor.
It will continuously wander.
If your mind wanders, gently bring your mind back to the body scan meditation.If your mind wanders while you are focusing on your legs, calmly make your mind come back from where it wandered and focus again on the legs.
Remember, if this happens, stay positive and don’t criticize yourself.
Instead, stay focused on the present moment in a positive way. , After you complete the whole body scan, think about connecting your body together.
Feel the foot connected to the leg, the leg connected to the hips, the hips to the torso, the torso to the arms, and so forth.
End by feeling the skin that holds the body together., When you are finished, open your eyes.
You should have a greater awareness about yourself, and feel more relaxed.
You should also feel less pain, since much of your pain is connected to tension in your body.Body scan meditation can help you have a greater awareness of your pain after you are finished.
For example, if you have chronic pain, after body scan meditation you may realize that your entire body and life is not full of pain.
You have localized your pain and discovered many places in your body that are pain free. -
Step 3: Be present in the moment.
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Step 4: Focus on your breath.
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Step 5: Scan over your body with your mind.
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Step 6: Bring your mind back if it wanders.
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Step 7: Connect your body together.
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Step 8: Open your eyes.
Detailed Guide
To receive the full effects of body scan meditation, find a quiet, calm room to meditate in.
The point is to focus inward on your mind and body, so you want to eliminate outside distractions.
Set aside at least half an hour for this.You can do this in your bedroom, living room, or any other quiet room that is free from distractions.
If you have to, ask your family or friends to not disturb you for the duration of your meditation.
Turn off your cell phone.
Leave it in another room so you will not be tempted by it.
To do the body scan meditation, you need to lie down somewhere comfortable.
This can be your bed, a mat on the floor, or anywhere else you find comfortable.
Close your eyes.
Either rest your hands on your torso or on the floor.Relax into the position.
As you first lie there, think about where your body connects with the mat or bed.
Try to soften the areas that are touching the floor.
Relax any parts of your body that are holding tension, such as the neck, shoulders, or even legs. , The first step in body scan meditation is to be present in the moment.
This means removing all thought of the past or the future along with other thoughts.
Concentrate only on the moment you are in.Focus only on your body.
Ignore everything else.
Make sure that as you focus on your body that you let go of any negativity.
Accept your body as it is in that moment.
Don’t worry or stress about what’s wrong, what should be different, or what you can do in the future or what you should have done in the past.
View your body positively, as a friend, not as an enemy. , As you begin the body scan meditation, focus on your breath.
Take a few moments just to breath.
Feel the rhythm of your breath.In your mind, think about what your breath is like.
Are they deep or smooth? Are they wheezing or loud? Where do you feel the breath in other parts of your body? , With your mind, you should move over your body.
Do this slowly, focusing on one body part at a time.
Experience each body part; don’t visualize or move them.
Feel the body part.Start with your left foot.
Focus on the toes, the move through each part of the foot, including the heel and the sole.
Move to the ankle, the calf, and the shin as you continue up the left leg.
Go all the way up to the left hip and groin before you begin the same process on the right foot, starting with the toes.
Continue up through the body, focusing on the pelvic region, including the hips and genitals, then up through the torso, back, the chest, and shoulders.
Do each arm after the shoulders, starting with your fingers.
Continue to the neck, throat, face, and head.As you think of each body part, don’t visualize it.
Instead, feel and experience it.
Think about whether it is cold or hot.
Feel the texture and weight of the clothing on it, or the floor underneath it.
Feel each sensation on the body part.
If you feel pain, acknowledge the pain.
If that part of your body is pain free, acknowledge that.
When you move on to the next body part, let go of the previous body part.
Don’t dwell on a body part.
Stay in the present, thinking about the body part you are currently on. , Your mind will naturally wander as you lie on the floor.
It will continuously wander.
If your mind wanders, gently bring your mind back to the body scan meditation.If your mind wanders while you are focusing on your legs, calmly make your mind come back from where it wandered and focus again on the legs.
Remember, if this happens, stay positive and don’t criticize yourself.
Instead, stay focused on the present moment in a positive way. , After you complete the whole body scan, think about connecting your body together.
Feel the foot connected to the leg, the leg connected to the hips, the hips to the torso, the torso to the arms, and so forth.
End by feeling the skin that holds the body together., When you are finished, open your eyes.
You should have a greater awareness about yourself, and feel more relaxed.
You should also feel less pain, since much of your pain is connected to tension in your body.Body scan meditation can help you have a greater awareness of your pain after you are finished.
For example, if you have chronic pain, after body scan meditation you may realize that your entire body and life is not full of pain.
You have localized your pain and discovered many places in your body that are pain free.
About the Author
Kenneth Perez
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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