Interview by Sarah Regan of Mind Body Green:

Body scanning—the act of bringing awareness to and relaxing all areas of the body—is an excellent way to help calm the physical body, and in turn, the mind.

And according to sophrologist Niamh Lyons, founder of American Sophrology, body scanning can also be a powerful way to tap into your subconscious.

How to scan your right hand to relax in minutes.

If you're unfamiliar with sophrology, it's an alternative health modality that was popularized in Europe in the 1960s. It's all about harnessing the power of the mind to relax the body.

As Lyons explained to mbg, her sessions follow this format: Clients start with a few minutes of breathwork, then she guides them through a complete body scan, followed by more breathing. And finally, once the client is in a state of total relaxation, they are guided through practices like visualization and shadow work.

In a normal session, a sophrologist would be guiding you through the scan (audiobooks are available for this now too), but here's the gist of how to do one, focusing first just on the right hand.

Note: You'll want to warm up with a couple of minutes of breathing in for three counts, holding for three counts, and exhaling for six. Click below to see full article

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/body-scan-exercise-for-your-hand