Unlocking Wellness: The Impact of Body Scan Meditation on Stress Reduction and Healing

At its core, the body scan is a sojourn into the intricate symphony of the mind-body connection, an invitation to witness the harmonious interplay of our thoughts and physical sensations.

It serves as a poignant reminder that our bodies are not mere vessels, but dynamic landscapes deserving of reverence and exploration.

You will notice body scanning is a pretty common call in practices like Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and some forms of yoga. The intention is to release tension and also help us anchor ourselves so we can feel more grounded and ultimately, open up a space for relaxed awareness.

During the past 2 weeks we have been practicing meditations by Piedmont Healthcare. The first meditation had an interesting mix of diaphragmatic breathing, anchoring and body scan. I wrote a little bit about my experience with that on my last blog: The Truth About Meditation.

This week, the meditation was just a body scan followed by 10 minutes of silence meditation. I wanted to offer a reflection about what’s behind this type of practice, and why it might be good to integrate it more body scanning into our private practice.

BODY SCANNING AND MINDFULNESS: A PATH TO STRESS REDUCTION AND WELL-BEING

Body scanning has a direct association with stress reduction. In some studies it has been proved that body scanning can help reduce inflammation, fatigue and insomnia. In general, mindfulness practices, overall, have demonstrated enhancements in adaptive body awareness, attention, and emotional regulation.

But don’t take my word for it. Take the word of an expert. Jon Kabat-Zinn explores the topic of Mindfulness extensively. Jon did his doctoral work in molecular biology at MIT, and he is the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, both currently operating as a part of UMassMemorial Health.

He has a study about mindfulness titled Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Context: Past, Present, and Future.

Part of the study debates whether mindfulness practices can influence the healing process in patients with psoriasis, a condition often exacerbated by psychological stress. The study involved 37 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy, with one group practicing mindfulness during treatment. The meditators showed a fourfold increase in skin clearance compared to the non-meditators.

While the small sample size warrants further research, this finding suggests that mental activity may positively impact healing processes in specific diseases. The study also highlights the potential benefits of patient engagement in treatment. However, debates and criticisms in the field underscore the need for larger, well-designed studies to establish the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in various medical and psychological conditions.

In any case, this portion of Dr. Kabat -Zinn’s work, is the first to show that meditation has a significant impact on immunological function and brain activation asymmetry in vivo (you gotta read the case to understand this part, it is linked here and above).

Researchers found that mindfulness training has multiple biological effects on emotional and physical health, can be effectively implemented in the workplace, and can impact psychological and emotional health during stressful situations.

A SYMPHONY OF RELEASE: UNRAVELING TENSION

Cambridge Meditation Group | September 8 2023 | Meditation: 20-minute meditation: Body scan

In the relentless cadence of modern life, with its ceaseless demands and relentless pace, tension weaves itself into the very fabric of our bodies.

COVID-19 was a harsh awakening experience for many of us. We had to listen to our minds when everything stopped, and we also had to listen to our bodies when we got sick.

Often, we carry day-to-day this tension within us, and its presence is only made apparent through the whispers of discomfort or the weight of fatigue. And even then, we just don’t listen to it.

These whispers are sometimes too quiet for us to hear without removing all distractions. That’s precisely when practices like meditation come in handy and gives us back some of the autonomy the current system takes away from us. It is precisely then when techniques like body scanning become very helpful.

Everyone’s meditation style/preferences are valid, I am not by any means implying this IS the only way to release tension or to heal. I believe any practice that doesn’t hurt others and takes us to a true place of awareness is the way to go.

However, for us who are interested in the benefits of secular meditation, there is something to be said about the therapeutic integration of body scanning in our day-to day life.

As a reflection and final recommendation I encourage you to talk about this technique with your mental health practitioner if you have one, perhaps its common used in mindfulness based cognitive theraphy, can shade some light about how to deal with a situation you might be experiencing now.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My goal when unpacking this topic is to awaken a reflection within you and to consider how much more we can learn about how our internal experience affects our physical health. The goal is to also tell you we can regain the good kind of control into our human experience, improving not only our physical health but also the quality of our time in this earth, and consequently the quality of our time with our loved ones.

As our attention moves through the landscape of our body, we are reminded that the richness and vitality of life reside in the here and now.

This practice anchors us in the beauty of the present, offering respite from the ceaseless striving and inviting us to savor the exquisite tapestry of each passing moment.

Below, 4 body scan meditations you can do to enhance your practice. We are the Cambridge Meditation Group and we meet every Friday at the Foundry Cambridge, located at 101 Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142.

We are a secular meditation group offering a space free from religious affiliations, roles and agenda. The community we create is the one we start when we leave the meditation room. The one that begins with our immediate environment at home, at work, and anywhere where our internal experience is shared with others. Feel free to register HERE for our free live meditations.

Much love,

Mari

Organizer, Cambridge Meditation Group