What Is Body Scan Meditation?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of Body Scan MeditationHow to Do a Body Scan MeditationHow it Reduces StressTips

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Benefits of Body Scan Meditation

How to Do a Body Scan Meditation

How it Reduces Stress

Tips

Body scan meditation (BSM) involves paying attention to parts of the body and bodily sensations in a gradual sequence from feet to head. This method can help people become more aware of their physical sensations, emotions, and feelings.

Body scan meditation is an excellent way to release physical tension you might not even realize you’re experiencing. Sometimes you can be so caught up in yourstressthat you don’t realize that thephysical discomfortyou’re experiencing—such as headaches, back and shoulder pain, and tense muscles—is connected to your emotional state.

By mentally scanning yourself, you bring awareness to every part of your body, noticing any aches, pains, tension, or general discomfort. The goal is not to relieve the pain entirely but to get to know and learn from it so you can better manage it.

At a Glance

Best when performed daily (or even several times a day), practicing body scan meditation is associated with many mental and physical health benefits.

Reduced stress is one important benefit of body scanning, which can have physical benefits such as reduced inflammation, fatigue, andinsomnia.In this way, this body scanning works to break the cycle of physical and psychological tension that can feed on itself.

Research suggests that having a regular meditation practice can have other benefits, such as:

Because body scan meditation improves awareness, it helps people learn to better recognize and respond to their own internal signals.

The body scan meditation is a very useful and effective meditation that can help youreturn to and maintain a relaxed statewhen you become too tense.

Press Play to Learn More About the Mind and Body ConnectionThis episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastdiscusses the mind and body connection. Click below to listen now.

Press Play to Learn More About the Mind and Body Connection

This episode ofThe Verywell Mind Podcastdiscusses the mind and body connection. Click below to listen now.

As with all forms ofmeditation, doing a body scan is meant to be simple. Below are some instructions to get you started.

Get Comfortable

Lying down is preferable, particularly if you’re doing a body scan meditation before going to sleep. If that’s not possible or comfortable, sitting comfortably is also an option.

Take a Few Deep Breaths

Let your breathing slow down, and start breathing from your belly instead of from your chest, letting your abdomen expand and contract with each breath. If you find your shoulders rising and falling with each breath, focus more on breathing from your belly, as though a balloon is inflating and deflating in your abdomen with each breath.

You may find it helpful to regularly practice differentbreathing exercisesas well.

Bring Awareness to Your Feet

Now slowly bring your attention down to your feet. Begin observing sensations in your feet. If you notice pain, acknowledge it and any thoughts or emotions that accompany it, and gently breathe through it.

Mindful MomentNeed a breather? Take this free9-minute meditation focused on awakening your senses—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather? Take this free9-minute meditation focused on awakening your senses—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Breathe Into the Tension

Scan Your Entire Body

Continue this practice with each area of your body, gradually moving up through your feet until you reach the top of your head. Notice how you feel and where you’re holding your stress.

If there’s any tightness, pain, or pressure, continue to breathe into any tightness, pain, or pressure you’re feeling. This can help you release tension in your body now, and be more aware of it in the future so you can release it then, too.

How Can Body Scan Meditation Reduce Stress

Oftentimes, our bodies are experiencing one thing while our mind is focused on something else. The stress and anxiety we experience affect the body, but it can feel like our minds are disconnected from the physical effects of this stress.

Body scan meditation helps rebuild this connection. Instead of worrying about the future or ruminating on the past, scanning the body forces us to be present at the moment. It’s a practice that helps us check in with ourselves and assess what we are experiencing so we can relax and ease the stress before it takes a serious toll on our well-being.

One study found that an eight-week body scan meditation program resulted in lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Tips for Practicing Body Scan Meditation

Meditation is most effective when you make it a regular practice, but making it a habit isn’t always easy. Here are some tips that can help you make body scan meditation a part of your daily routine:

Keep in Mind

Best Guided Meditations

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Black DS, O’Reilly GA, Olmstead R, Breen EC, Irwin MR.Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(4):494-501. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8081Behan C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Ir J Psychol Med. 2020;37(4):256-258. doi:10.1017/ipm.2020.38Zhang D, Lee EKP, Mak ECW, Ho CY, Wong SYS.Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review.Br Med Bull. 2021;138(1):41-57. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldab005Gibson J.Mindfulness, interoception, and the body: A contemporary perspective.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2012. Published 2019 Sep 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02012Schultchen D, Messner M, Karabatsiakis A, Schillings C, Pollatos O.Effects of an 8-week body scan intervention on individually perceived psychological stress and related steroid hormones in hair.Mindfulness. 2019;10(12):2532-2543. doi:10.1007/s12671-019-01222-7May CJ, Ostafin BD, Snippe E.The relative impact of 15-minutes of meditation compared to a day of vacation in daily life: An exploratory analysis.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2020;15(2):278-284. doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1610480

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Black DS, O’Reilly GA, Olmstead R, Breen EC, Irwin MR.Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(4):494-501. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8081Behan C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Ir J Psychol Med. 2020;37(4):256-258. doi:10.1017/ipm.2020.38Zhang D, Lee EKP, Mak ECW, Ho CY, Wong SYS.Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review.Br Med Bull. 2021;138(1):41-57. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldab005Gibson J.Mindfulness, interoception, and the body: A contemporary perspective.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2012. Published 2019 Sep 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02012Schultchen D, Messner M, Karabatsiakis A, Schillings C, Pollatos O.Effects of an 8-week body scan intervention on individually perceived psychological stress and related steroid hormones in hair.Mindfulness. 2019;10(12):2532-2543. doi:10.1007/s12671-019-01222-7May CJ, Ostafin BD, Snippe E.The relative impact of 15-minutes of meditation compared to a day of vacation in daily life: An exploratory analysis.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2020;15(2):278-284. doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1610480

Black DS, O’Reilly GA, Olmstead R, Breen EC, Irwin MR.Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(4):494-501. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8081Behan C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Ir J Psychol Med. 2020;37(4):256-258. doi:10.1017/ipm.2020.38Zhang D, Lee EKP, Mak ECW, Ho CY, Wong SYS.Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review.Br Med Bull. 2021;138(1):41-57. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldab005Gibson J.Mindfulness, interoception, and the body: A contemporary perspective.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2012. Published 2019 Sep 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02012Schultchen D, Messner M, Karabatsiakis A, Schillings C, Pollatos O.Effects of an 8-week body scan intervention on individually perceived psychological stress and related steroid hormones in hair.Mindfulness. 2019;10(12):2532-2543. doi:10.1007/s12671-019-01222-7May CJ, Ostafin BD, Snippe E.The relative impact of 15-minutes of meditation compared to a day of vacation in daily life: An exploratory analysis.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2020;15(2):278-284. doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1610480

Behan C.The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19.Ir J Psychol Med. 2020;37(4):256-258. doi:10.1017/ipm.2020.38

Zhang D, Lee EKP, Mak ECW, Ho CY, Wong SYS.Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review.Br Med Bull. 2021;138(1):41-57. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldab005

Gibson J.Mindfulness, interoception, and the body: A contemporary perspective.Front Psychol. 2019;10:2012. Published 2019 Sep 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02012

Schultchen D, Messner M, Karabatsiakis A, Schillings C, Pollatos O.Effects of an 8-week body scan intervention on individually perceived psychological stress and related steroid hormones in hair.Mindfulness. 2019;10(12):2532-2543. doi:10.1007/s12671-019-01222-7

May CJ, Ostafin BD, Snippe E.The relative impact of 15-minutes of meditation compared to a day of vacation in daily life: An exploratory analysis.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2020;15(2):278-284. doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1610480

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At a Glance#

Press Play to Learn More About the Mind and Body Connection#

Get Comfortable#

Take a Few Deep Breaths#

Bring Awareness to Your Feet#

Mindful Moment#

Breathe Into the Tension#

Scan Your Entire Body#

How Can Body Scan Meditation Reduce Stress#

Tips for Practicing Body Scan Meditation#

Keep in Mind#