Practices
Body Scan Meditation
Sophia Body Awareness Scan
Body scan meditation is a foundational practice in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It involves systematically moving your attention through different parts of your body, from toes to head (or vice versa), noticing sensations without trying to change them. This practice reveals how much unconscious tension we carry and trains the skill of non-reactive awareness.
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Quick Summary
- What it is
- Body scan meditation is a mindfulness practice where you systematically direct attention to each part of your body, noticing sensations without judgment.
- What it helps with
- Physical tension from stress, dissociation from body, insomnia, chronic pain awareness, somatic anxiety symptoms.
- How to use it
- Lie down or sit comfortably → Close your eyes → Start at your feet, noticing any sensation → Slowly move attention upward through legs, torso, arms, and head over 10-15 minutes.
A 2019 study in Psychosomatic Medicine found that body scan meditation significantly reduces cortisol levels and self-reported stress after just 8 weeks of practice.