Body scan meditation
Move attention slowly from feet to head. The core MBSR component, lying down — no cushion or lotus required.
Why
The body scan systematically walks attention through the body, noticing sensation without changing anything. It is the first formal practice taught in MBSR and the easiest meditation entry point for people who find breath-watching frustrating. Meta-analytic evidence for mindfulness programmes shows moderate improvements in anxiety, depression, and pain — the body scan is their workhorse component.
The technique
- 1
Lie on your back, arms at your sides; set a guided track or a 20-minute timer.
- 2
Bring attention to the toes of one foot; just notice — warmth, contact, tingling, nothing.
- 3
Move region by region up the body at a steady pace.
- 4
When the mind wanders, return to the last body part without commentary.
When to use it
Bedtime, post-work decompression, or as the daily formal practice in an MBSR course.
Ideal for
Meditation sceptics, racing minds at bedtime, anyone who falls asleep during savasana and doesn't mind.
Evidence
Goyal 2014 JAMA Intern Med meta-analysis (47 trials, n=3,515) — mindfulness meditation programmes produced moderate improvements in anxiety, depression, and pain at 8 weeks. Evidence is for structured programmes in which the body scan is a core component.