body scanning or breathing meditation

Happyman

hi all,

I started meditating about 4 months ago through different versions of body scanning that were available on various websites which the first few times of body scanning left me feeling great then i decided one day to meditate following the breathe and in a sitting position i did this for around 30mins which left me feeling great also but not as refreshed as the body scanning mediation. so i would like to ask you guys what technique you feel is better or if you have a preference or not,i know it an individual process mediation but i would just like to get some feedback and new ideas if there is any available or any other techniques to use that would deepen my mediation.

thanks for you're time.

Dakini

It all depends on what you want to achieve with meditation. I've never heard of body scanning as a component of the techniques pertaining to the Buddhist schools, only as a relaxation technique. Usually following the breath is a long-term strategy to get to deeper levels of self-understanding, and eventually, different mental states conducive to Enlightenment, the eventual goal. But I'm not an expert.

Jack Kornfield of Spirit Rock Meditation Ctr. has a video offering different meditation techniques. www.spiritrock.org

AMH

I have separated a body scanning from zazen. I started with more body scanning and used that to clear out some health and emotional issies when I started out like 20 years ago. It was just whatever word of mouth stuff we were doing in Boulder.

I wouldn't expect the same thing from both. Just sitting and following the breath is generally what I recommend and it can end up quite deep to just keep doing that!

taiyaki

What do you want to achieve with meditation?
Depending on that answer, there are various "types" of meditation.
Buddhism's specialty is insight meditation, which is a form of investigation (using concentration & relaxation).

In any form of meditation good conditions is key. So how does one cultivate good conditions? Morality, diet, health, talking care of others, basically the other parts of the 8 fold path.

Hope this helps.

buddhajunkie

Don't forget that there's a type of middle ground between the two, and that is mindfulness of the body while doing breath meditation.

One way that it differs from the body scan is that in this case you are mindful of only the more coarse, "obvious" bodily sensations. I suspect this is beneficial in the sense that you will see a more direct connection between thoughts and bodily sensations. So I think mindfulness of breath and body is a relatively quick way to begin developing insight.

Developing insight through body scan (such as Goenka's method) seems like it takes more discipline.

SeaOfTranquility

Both.

I just got done with a 4 month yoga class in which about 45 minutes per session was a guided body scan meditation. Good stuff.

Paying attention to the present in a open, relaxed, nonjudgmental way is the key.

You will find that in even in the midst of activity and self chatter simply returning attention inward by focusing on the current breath will work wonders.

Best Wishes