Body Scan Meditation: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

We spend much of the day in our heads, and often only notice our bodies when something aches. A body scan meditation reverses that. You slowly move your attention through the body, noticing sensations without trying to change them. It is one of the most widely taught mindfulness practices, and a lovely one to do before sleep.

How to do a body scan

Find a comfortable position, lying down or sitting. Close your eyes if that feels okay. Allow ten minutes, though even five works.

1. Arrive. Take three slow breaths and feel the surface supporting you.
2. Start at the feet. Notice toes, soles, heels. Warmth, coolness, tingling, pressure or nothing at all. All are fine.
3. Move slowly upward: ankles, calves, knees, thighs. Spend a few breaths on each area.
4. Continue through the hips, belly and lower back. Notice the breath moving here.
5. Chest, upper back and shoulders. Shoulders often hold tension; see if they soften on the out-breath.
6. Arms and hands, all the way to the fingertips.
7. Neck, jaw, face and scalp. Unclench the jaw. Soften the space between the eyebrows.
8. Finish with the whole body, breathing as one.

What if I feel nothing, or discomfort?

Both are part of the practice. If you cannot feel much in an area, simply notice that. If you find discomfort, breathe gently around it rather than into it, and feel free to move. You are not trying to relax on command; you are practising noticing. Relaxation often follows by itself.

When to use a body scan

• Before sleep: it helps quiet a busy mind. Pair it with our mindful evening routine.
• After a long day at a screen, to reconnect with your body.
• As a short reset: a two-minute version (feet, belly, shoulders, face) works between meetings.

A note of care

If attending closely to the body feels distressing, for example after injury or trauma, keep your eyes open, shorten the practice, or focus on points of contact like your hands. A qualified teacher or therapist can help you adapt it.

This article is for general wellbeing and education, not medical or psychological advice. See our wellbeing disclaimer.