Body Scan

A practice card

Moving your attention slowly through the body, from the top of your head to your feet — noticing, not fixing.

When

When you’re tense and don’t know where, or you can’t fall asleep.

How

Lie down or sit. Breathe normally. Give each part about twenty seconds. If you find tension, you don’t have to release it — only notice it’s there. When your mind wanders, come back to the last place you were.

hold anywhere to stay a little longer

1 of 6

Top of the head, forehead, eyes

Notice the forehead — lifted, furrowed, or neither. Let the eyes rest heavy.

2 of 6

Jaw and face

Most of us hold the jaw. Let the teeth part slightly. Let the tongue rest.

3 of 6

Neck and shoulders

Notice whether the shoulders have crept toward the ears. You don’t need to drop them — just notice where they are.

4 of 6

Arms and hands

Feel down the arms to the fingertips. Warmth, tingling, or nothing at all — nothing at all is also something noticed.

5 of 6

Chest and belly

Feel the breath move here without changing it. The belly rises; the belly falls.

6 of 6

Hips, legs and feet

Feel the weight of the legs, and where the feet meet the floor or the bed. Rest here for a few breaths.

Why it works

Tension often lives in the body long before it reaches the mind. Scanning builds the habit of noticing early — and noticing, without trying to fix, is often what lets the body let go on its own.

Your whole body, noticed.

This is a teaching, not treatment. If you’re struggling, a doctor or therapist can help. If you’re in danger right now, call your local emergency number or a crisis line (in the US, call or text 988).

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