Throughout January and February, I took my first Pilates class. My first "gym" class since my senior year of high school - almost three years ago. I took this pilates class to fulfill one credit I had left for my graduation requirement, so I didn't expect to enjoy it that much. Well, the joke was on me because I loved it. Sadly, the class just finished this past week, but with my newfound love of Pilates and a pink yoga mat, my journey won't stop just because the class did.
When I moved my body as little as twice a week it made such a drastic difference. It was eye-opening how much more energized and clear-minded I felt after each class. I could go to work with a better mindset and was ready to tackle my tasks. I loved the movements so much, even if I hated them at that moment because they were challenging. The pose I loved the most was Shavasana. In this pose, you lay flat on your back, rest the arms a bit away from the body, palms up for surrender, and relax everything.
There are tremendous benefits of Shavasana, including:
Relaxing the whole body.
Reducing stress, depression, fatigue, and tension.
Calming the mind and improving mental health.
Improving concentration.
During the Shavasana, I would do a body scan.
What's a Body Scan?
A body scan is a type of meditation where you focus on your breathing and monitoring individual body parts as if you were being scanned by a machine. All while visualizing your breathing going into that body part.
As you get into the meditation, you'll notice how your right ankle feels specifically versus focusing on your entire leg. While doing the body scan, you detect how your body is feeling and how your body is influencing your mood exactly.
Why Should I Do a Body Scan?
As humans with busy lives, we carry our stress in our bodies and get knots in our stomachs from shallow breathing. Checking into your body and doing a body scan may help with stress symptoms.
Here are some benefits of body scan meditation:
Relieving physical and psychological stress.
Enhancing your body awareness.
Increasing mindfulness.
Becoming non-judgmental, such as accepting things for what they are.
5-Minute Body Scan Meditation
Here is a video you can use to get started on your meditation journey. There are several videos and resources online, so find what works for you.
Although it's best when done in 30 minutes, that's not always able to happen. Take 5 minutes when you wake up or before bed to check in with your body.
So, I challenge you to a week of 5-minute body scan meditations and see how you feel at the end of the week.