What Is Body Scan Meditation and How Can It Help You Relax?

When you’re feeling stressed, it’s helpful to pay attention to your body because it helps ground you. There are many types of meditation to try, but body scan meditation is especially helpful when stress shows up in your body — a tight neck, headaches, or a clenched jaw. A body scan meditation involves mentally going through each part of your body and “checking in” to see how it is feeling. You may not even realize how tense you are until you do this exercise!

The purpose of a body scan meditation is to simply notice different parts of the body in order to relieve tension. It’s a type of mindfulness meditation, which is a mental exercise that helps you be more aware of your surroundings, body, and mind.

The definition of “body scan” gives away how it works: You “scan” your body sequentially by focusing on individual parts and paying attention to how they feel. Some people like to simply become aware of bodily sensations, while others prefer to relax each part of the body sequentially. In some versions of body scan meditation, you tighten muscles in different parts of the body and then relax them. Do what works for you! ....<<<Read More>>>...