Mindfulness: 7-minute body scan meditation, on the morning of an interview

About this practice

7 minutes to meet mindfulness with less of a fight. A body scan practice, on the morning of an interview. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: mindfulness

Attention spends most of its time in the past or the future. Being present is not a state you find, it is a return you keep making.

It tends to show up as:

• Missing conversations while composing replies
• Arriving somewhere with no memory of the walk
• Eating without tasting

Every return to the senses is a repetition of the actual skill. Losing it is part of the practice, not a break in it.

Doing this before an interview

• Do it where you will not be interrupted, even if that is a stairwell
• Have the first sentence of your answer ready afterwards
• Keep it short — there is no time for a long session

Nerves before an interview are normal and not something to eliminate. You need access to what you know, nothing more.

How body scan works

A body scan moves attention systematically through the body, region by region. It does not try to change what it finds — it builds a map of what is actually there, which is often different from what you assumed.

• Move slowly, head to feet or feet to head, and do not skip the uncomfortable areas
• Meet each region with plain curiosity rather than a verdict
• Numbness and absence of sensation are findings too

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Check your hands. Are they doing anything? Let them stop.
2. 0:12You can be as unimpressive as you like for the next few minutes.
3. 0:25Notice the weight of your arms without moving them.
4. 0:36Let your breathing find its own pace. We're only going to watch it.
5. 0:49Let your belly rise first, then your chest, then the tops of your lungs.
6. 1:03Breathe as if you had all evening. There's no rush in this part.
7. 1:16Let your whole body be as heavy as it wants to be.
8. 1:29Feel your palms. Warm or cool, either is fine.
9. 1:40Feel your forearms, from the elbow down to the wrist.
10. 1:52You do not have to win against the present moment you keep leaving. You only have to breathe until the next moment arrives.
11. 2:10If the here-and-now your attention skips starts telling you a story, let the story finish without you adding to it.
12. 2:27Feel your calves, front and back.
13. 2:37A few seconds more.
14. 2:46Notice that you don't have to start a breath. It arrives by itself.
15. 2:59Notice your ears, which mostly just receive things.
16. 3:10Small efforts are the whole method.
17. 3:20You might be planning something. Notice the planning, then come back.
18. 3:32A short silence. Let it be empty.
19. 3:42Let this be easy, if easy is available.
20. 3:53Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
21. 4:07Breathe in for four, out for six, if you'd like something to count.
22. 4:20Quiet for a moment. No need to fill it.
23. 4:31Say to yourself: this is uncomfortable, and I can stay with it for one more breath. Then take that breath.
24. 4:48Notice how the present moment you keep leaving changes shape when you stop resisting it. Usually it gets smaller, not bigger.
25. 5:05Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, if that's comfortable.
26. 5:18Notice if you're waiting for something to happen. Nothing is scheduled.
27. 5:30If you're counting the minutes, that's fine. Count them and come back.
28. 5:43I'll stop for a moment. Take the pause at your own speed.
29. 5:56We'll take this slowly, and there's no version of this where you get it wrong.
30. 6:10When you're ready, look around properly.
31. 6:20Before you move, notice one thing that's fine right now.
32. 6:32Nothing changes for a moment.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.