Body scan

The body scan is a foundational practice of Jon Kabat-Zinn's MBSR program. By bringing systematic attention to each region of the body, you release accumulated unconscious tension and strengthen the connection between mind and body.

How to practice

1
Lie on your back, arms alongside the body, palms up.
2
Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths to settle in.
3
Bring all your attention to the toes of your left foot. Notice the sensations present: warmth, cold, tingling, numbness, nothing.
4
Move slowly to the ankle, the calf, the knee, the thigh, the hip. Then the right foot, and back up.
5
Continue to the lower back, the belly, the chest, the shoulders.
6
Move down the arms, all the way to the hands and fingers.
7
Move up to the neck, the face, the top of the head.
8
Finish with a whole-body awareness. Breathe three times. Open your eyes gently.