Body Meditation is a combination of focused thought, breathing and paying attention to your body. This helps your body switch from Sympathetic Alertness to Parasympathetic Relaxation.
Going to Sleep
In a body meditation, we lie down and initially focus on our breathing, making it a little slower and deeper than usual.
When you breath in, notice and acknowledge the pain. Recognise how that feels, perhaps sharp, perhaps ache, perhaps dull. Imagine the pain as a bundle of tightness.
When you breath out, pull you attention away from that part of your body and imagine that the tight pain is relaxing and unravelling.
On your next breath in, feel that inflation of your chest, or the sense of air in your nose/mouth – what ever isn’t in pain.
As you breath out, again, imagine that the bundle of tight pain is relaxing.
When you breath in, notice a new part of your body. This part is not in pain. Notice the temperature of that part of your body. Perhaps you can feel some fabric around it. Focus on that fabric.
As you breath out, notice how tired you are. Return your breathing to its normal default state and recall a relaxing long car, train or airplane journey you’ve taken.
Let sleep overtake you, or begin this exercise again.
Resetting the Muscle Adrenaline System
Tightening and relaxing muscles, aka Body Scan