4. Being at home

Many of us are learning what it feels like to be at home, and all the adaptations and challenges that this is bringing. To support ourselves with this, we would do well to practice truly being at home – which is a meditation that we also call the Body Scan.

Most of us have a home, it's usually a place of comfort, to relax and feel safe, not always I realise, but for many of us this would be the case. We until now, would have left our home to go to work, the shops, walk the dog, take the little ones to school…even take a holiday. When we come back, we check for signs of a leaky roof, missing tiles, an open window – we pay attention, we look after it, it looks after us.

However, we also have our other home – our body. We inhibit our physical body, although I would argue that most of that time is spent in the roof – our head and thoughts! The Body Scan practice invites us to check in with our body, and to notice what it's telling us, inviting us to listen to, and take care of it. We may find ourselves interested in being anywhere but in our body: we are not great at listening to its dripping tap or loose window-catch. Our body gives us great feedback, but to notice what we need requires us to be more present more often; what do we feel, what sensations are present. For when we are feeling, we can't be thinking, and that gives our minds a bit of a break and some rest.

Below is a body scan meditation for you to try.

Some advice for your practice:

• Find somewhere, where you won't be interrupted

• Tell family members what you are doing, and invite them to be considerate of your needs and not to interrupt

• Find a time of the day that you think will suit you on a regular basis, so that your self-care becomes part of your routine

For when we practice, we get better at it, the return on our investment is bigger, you start to notice the positive difference it makes to your general well-being. What benefits do you notice from your practice? And how often can you weave it into you week so that your home stays tip top?

Click here to play the Body Scan meditation.

Peace out, from my slightly creaky dodgy-knee'd home.