Body Scan Meditation
A guided mindfulness practice that moves your attention slowly through the body, noticing sensations without trying to change them.
About this tool
The body scan is a core mindfulness meditation, central to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), the program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. You move your attention slowly and deliberately through the body, from the feet to the head, simply noticing whatever sensations are present, whether tension, warmth, tingling, or nothing at all.
Unlike progressive muscle relaxation, you do not tense or change anything. The practice is one of curious, non-judgmental awareness. This trains a key mindfulness skill: observing experience as it is, rather than reacting to it. Often, tension softens on its own simply from being noticed.
Body scans are well studied for reducing stress, anxiety, and chronic pain, and for improving sleep and emotional regulation. Many people find the practice deeply calming, while some notice their mind wandering constantly. Both are normal. The skill is in gently returning your attention each time it drifts, without criticism.
If your mind races or you fall asleep, that is fine, especially at first. There is no way to do it wrong. The benefit comes from the repeated, gentle act of returning to the body in the present moment.
- Kabat-Zinn J. Full Catastrophe Living. Revised ed. Bantam; 2013.
- Khoury B, et al. Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: a meta-analysis. J Psychosom Res. 2015;78(6):519-528.
Body Scan Meditation FAQ
What is a body scan meditation?
A mindfulness practice in which you move your attention slowly through the body, noticing sensations without trying to change them. It builds present-moment awareness and often releases tension along the way.
How is it different from progressive muscle relaxation?
In a body scan you only observe, you do not tense or release. PMR is more active, deliberately tensing and relaxing muscles. The body scan is a mindfulness practice; PMR is a relaxation technique.
What if my mind keeps wandering?
That is completely normal and expected. The practice is gently bringing your attention back each time it drifts, without judging yourself. The returning is the skill.
Is anything I type saved?
No. Everything stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored, and the PDF is created on your own device.