Body Scan Meditation Template

About this timer

Twenty minutes moving attention deliberately through the body in six three-minute segments, feet to head, then a whole-body phase to finish. The body scan is the most concrete meditation practice — there is always a physical sensation to find — which makes it a good fit for people who bounce off breath-focused sitting. It is also the standard practice for noticing tension you have been carrying without registering it.

Best for

• People who find breath meditation too abstract
• Releasing physical tension after a long day
• Getting to sleep, done lying down

What to do in each segment

• Feet and legs — start at the toes and move up slowly, noticing contact, temperature and weight
• Hips and abdomen — often where held tension sits; notice it rather than trying to fix it
• Chest and back — let the breath move through this region without directing it
• Arms and hands — from shoulders out to fingertips
• Neck and head — jaw, tongue and the muscles around the eyes
• Whole body — hold the entire body in attention at once

Scaling it

Shorter

A ten-minute scan works: halve each segment and keep the same order.

Longer

Extend to forty-five minutes, the length used in mindfulness-based stress reduction courses.