Body Awareness Meditations for Cultivating Calm and Insight.

Mindfulness of Body is a foundational meditation practice in modern, evidence-based mindfulness programs like MBSR and MBCT, with a history rooted in ancient systems of mental and spiritual development.

Mindfulness of Body helps to disrupt and weaken painful mind states like anger, anxiety, fear, and depression. And within the mental clarity cultivated by Mindfulness of Body, we can begin to see how these painful mental states obtain the momentum to overtake us. With this awareness we can begin to dismantle these states and work with them more skillfully.

Physical restlessness and mental resistance—frustration, for example, and boredom—are common, unpleasant reactions to Mindfulness of Body training. These reactions will weaken over time, but they can be difficult to tolerate in the beginning. This is natural, so please be patient with yourself and with the process, the best you can. Best wishes in your practice. Take heart. You can do it.

Mindfulness of Body Intro: Sensations

Body Scan: Part by Part and Whole Body

Survey: Top to Bottom

Body Awareness: Center Moving Outward

Playing w/ Body Awareness: Water Imagery

Mindfulness of Body: Periphery to Center

Whole-Body Sponge Breathing

Heart Breathing

Web of Awareness

Broad but Centered Breath Awareness: Candle in the Room

Midline Shining Outward

10-Minute Body Scan

Home Base Meditation

Allowing Experience to Come to You

Drop In

3-Anchor Meditation

3-Anchor Meditation: Extended Practice

3-Anchor Meditation: 10-Minute Practice

Feeling the Face

Sleep Series: Deepening Presence

Sleep Series: Fully Held

Sleep Series: Blanket of Awareness

Relationships: Being Right Vs Being Curious

Sleep Series: Space for Listening

The Listening Space

Finding Ground and Space in Difficult Times

Deanna Burkett

Meditation Coach

For many meditators, the heart region is an interesting and helpful area of the body to investigate and befriend. What does your heart region/chest feel like when you are running late or arguing with someone? During times like this, the responses of the heart region can vary from person to person; responses could include tightness, heat, heaviness, pressure—any number of clearly discernable sensations. Learning to feel the heart, to be in tune with its sensations, and to take care of ourselves accordingly can be very practical and nourishing training. This Heart Breathing meditation brings awareness to the heart area and offers the practice of gently “breathing into” and “through” this region. I hope you find it helpful.

Heart Breathing meditation helps meditators to be aware of the sensations in their heart region, and learn to take care of themselves accordingly.