Practical examples of guided body scan meditation examples you can use today

Short, everyday example of a guided body scan meditation

Let’s start with something you can do in under five minutes, sitting at your desk or on your couch. This first example of a guided body scan meditation is designed for busy days when you want to reset without disappearing for half an hour.

You might sit upright, feet on the floor, hands resting on your legs. You could say (silently or out loud if you’re guiding someone else):

“Take a slow breath in through your nose, and a gentle breath out through your mouth. Let your eyes close if that feels comfortable.

Start by noticing your feet on the floor. Don’t try to change anything. Just feel the contact with your shoes or socks, the pressure, the temperature. If your mind wanders, that’s normal. Gently bring it back to your feet.

Now let your attention move up into your lower legs and knees. Notice any tightness, tingling, or even nothing at all. Whatever is there is okay.

Shift your awareness into your thighs and hips, feeling the weight of your body on the chair. See if you can soften just one percent more.

Move your attention up into your belly and lower back. Notice your breath moving in and out. No need to breathe in any special way—just feel what’s already happening.

Finally, bring your attention to your shoulders, neck, and jaw. If you notice tension, you don’t need to force it to relax. Just let it be seen.

Take one more slow breath in and out. When you’re ready, open your eyes and notice how your body feels right now.”

This is one of the best examples of guided body scan meditation examples for beginners because it’s short, simple, and doesn’t ask you to lie down or find a silent room. You can even keep your eyes slightly open if you’re in a public space.

Bedtime examples of guided body scan meditation examples for better sleep

Many people first learn body scan meditation as a sleep tool. Here’s a longer, lying-down example of guided body scan meditation you can use when you’re wired but tired.

Imagine you’re lying on your back in bed, lights low, phone out of reach:

“Settle your body in a comfortable position, letting your arms rest by your sides or on your stomach. If it feels okay, close your eyes.

Start by noticing the weight of your body on the mattress. Feel where you’re supported—your heels, calves, hips, shoulders, and the back of your head.

Bring your attention to the toes of your left foot. Just notice any sensations: warmth, coolness, pulsing, or nothing at all. Slowly let your awareness travel through the sole of your foot, your heel, and up into your ankle.

Move to your lower leg, your calf and shin, then your knee. If you notice discomfort, see if you can observe it the way you’d watch a cloud in the sky—present, but always changing.

Continue scanning up through your thigh, hip, and then repeat the same slow journey on the right leg.

Bring your attention to your pelvis and lower back, noticing where your body meets the bed. Let your breath move gently in and out of your belly.

Slowly move awareness up your spine, through your middle back, upper back, and into your shoulders. Notice any tightness. Instead of trying to fix it, imagine you’re shining a soft flashlight of attention there.

Let your awareness travel down both arms, all the way to your fingertips, then back up into your chest, neck, and face. Notice your jaw, your tongue, the space around your eyes.

If you’re still awake, rest your attention on the movement of your breath at your nostrils or your chest, until you drift off or choose to end the practice.”

Research from places like the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggests that mindfulness practices, including body scans, may help with sleep quality and stress reduction. This kind of bedtime script is one of the most practical examples of guided body scan meditation examples for people who struggle to “turn off” at night.

Anxiety-friendly examples include grounding and breath

When anxiety spikes, a long, slow, dreamy body scan can sometimes feel like too much. In those moments, examples of guided body scan meditation examples that include grounding and breath tend to work better.

Here’s how you might guide yourself during a stressful moment, like waiting for test results or before a difficult conversation:

“Start by feeling your feet on the floor. Press them down just a little, like you’re reminding your body, ‘I’m here, right now.’

Notice the feeling of your shoes or socks, the firmness or softness under your feet.

Bring your attention to your hands. Are they tense, clenched, warm, or cold? Gently let them rest on your legs or on a surface nearby.

Now pair this with your breath. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four. Pause for a count of two. Exhale through your mouth for a count of six.

As you continue this breathing pattern, scan just three areas: your face, your shoulders, and your chest. Notice what each area feels like as you breathe in and out.

If your mind jumps to worries, silently say, ‘Thinking,’ and come back to the feeling of your feet, hands, and breath.”

This style of practice is shorter and more focused than a full-body scan, but it still counts. In real life, the best examples of guided body scan meditation examples are the ones you will actually use when things feel overwhelming, not just the ideal versions you do on retreat.

For background on how mindfulness affects anxiety and stress, you can explore resources from Harvard Health Publishing and the National Institutes of Health.

Pain-aware example of guided body scan meditation for chronic discomfort

If you live with chronic pain or lingering soreness, body scans can help you relate to your body in a kinder way. This example of a guided body scan meditation is pain-aware: it doesn’t try to erase pain, but it changes how you meet it.

You might say:

“Find a position that is as comfortable as you can make it right now, sitting or lying down. Support your body with pillows or cushions if that helps.

Begin by noticing the parts of your body that feel relatively neutral or even slightly comfortable—maybe your hands, your earlobes, or the tip of your nose. Let your attention rest there for a few breaths.

Now, gently bring your awareness toward an area of discomfort. Instead of zooming in all the way, imagine you’re noticing the whole region around it. What is the shape of the sensation? Does it feel steady, pulsing, sharp, or dull? See if you can stay curious, without bracing against it.

If it becomes overwhelming, return your attention to a neutral area of the body or to your breath. You’re allowed to move, adjust, or stop at any time.

Continue slowly scanning the body, alternating between neutral or pleasant areas and any areas of discomfort, like you’re balancing your attention.”

Organizations like the Mayo Clinic and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have highlighted mindfulness practices, including body scans, as supportive tools for people managing pain and trauma-related symptoms. In this context, the best examples of guided body scan meditation examples always emphasize choice, safety, and the option to stop or change the practice.

On-the-go examples of guided body scan meditation examples (walking, commuting, and in the car)

Not every practice has to be done lying down with soft music. Some of the most realistic examples of guided body scan meditation examples are done on the move.

Walking body scan

If you’re walking the dog, heading down a hallway at work, or taking a short walk outside, you can turn it into a moving body scan:

“As you walk, bring your attention to the soles of your feet. Notice the heel touching down, the roll of your foot, and the lift of your toes.

Feel the movement in your ankles and knees with each step. You don’t have to change your pace—just notice.

Let your awareness move up into your hips, noticing how they shift slightly with each step.

As you continue walking, sense your arms swinging, your shoulders moving, and the gentle sway of your upper body.”

Parked-car body scan

If you’ve ever sat in your car in the driveway just to get a minute alone, this one is for you:

“With the car in park and the engine off, let your hands rest in your lap. Feel the contact between your back and the seat, your legs and the floor.

Notice your feet on the pedals or floor mat. Feel the curve of the steering wheel under your hands if they’re resting there.

Slowly scan through your body from the top of your head down to your toes, noticing what it feels like to be in this small, contained space. Let your breath be natural.

When you’re ready to go inside, take one steady breath in and out, and gently open your eyes wider, aware of your surroundings.”

These on-the-go practices are real examples of guided body scan meditation examples that fit into normal, messy lives. You don’t need special cushions or a meditation room—just a willingness to notice your body wherever you are.

Tech-assisted examples include apps and audio in 2024–2025

In 2024–2025, many people are discovering body scan practices through meditation apps, podcasts, and online courses. Some of the best examples of guided body scan meditation examples now come in audio form, with different lengths, voices, and styles.

Common modern variations include:

• Short 3–5 minute body scans built into workplace wellness apps, used between meetings.
• 10–20 minute sleep-focused body scans with soft background sound, offered by popular mindfulness apps.
• Trauma-sensitive body scan meditations created by clinicians and researchers, which emphasize choice and grounding.

When you listen to different recordings, notice which example of a guided body scan meditation works for you: a calm, steady voice, or a more conversational style; silence between prompts, or a bit of background sound. There is no single correct version. The real goal is to find examples that feel safe, accessible, and repeatable for you.

For science-focused background on mindfulness and body-based practices, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and American Psychological Association offer overviews of current research.

How to create your own guided body scan script

Once you’ve tried a few of these examples, you might want to create your own. Many of the best examples of guided body scan meditation examples follow a simple pattern you can adapt:

You choose a starting point (often the feet or the head), then move your attention slowly through the body in a consistent direction. You invite curiosity about sensations—warmth, coolness, tension, pressure, tingling, or even numbness. You remind yourself (or the person you’re guiding) that wandering attention is normal and that there’s no right or wrong way for the body to feel.

To write your own script:

• Decide on the length: a quick 3-minute reset, a 10-minute midday break, or a 20-minute bedtime practice.
• Choose whether you’ll sit, lie down, or move.
• Pick a tone: more clinical and neutral, or warmer and more encouraging.
• Write in short, clear sentences you can imagine actually hearing.

You can even record yourself reading your script on your phone and play it back later. Many people are surprised to find that their own voice, once they get past the awkwardness, becomes one of the most supportive examples of guided body scan meditation examples they have.

FAQ: real examples of guided body scan meditation examples

Q: Can you give a quick example of guided body scan meditation I can do at work?
Yes. Sit upright with your feet on the floor. Take one slow breath. Notice your feet touching the ground, then your legs on the chair, then your hands on your lap, then your shoulders, then your jaw. Spend one breath on each area. That’s a tiny, real example of guided body scan meditation you can do between emails.

Q: Do all examples of guided body scan meditation examples require lying down?
No. Many people enjoy lying down, especially for sleep or longer practices, but you can do a body scan sitting, standing, or walking. The best examples include different positions so you can adapt to your environment and physical needs.

Q: How long should a beginner body scan be?
Many beginners do well with 5–10 minutes. Longer sessions, like 20–30 minutes, can be helpful later, but starting shorter usually makes it easier to build a habit.

Q: Is it normal to feel more sensations—or even more discomfort—when I try these examples?
Yes. When you pay attention to the body, you sometimes notice things you were ignoring. If it becomes too intense, open your eyes, focus on something in the room, or shorten the practice. You’re always allowed to adjust or stop.

Q: Where can I learn more about the science behind these practices?
You can explore mindfulness and body-based practices through sources like the National Institutes of Health, Harvard Health, and the Mayo Clinic, which all discuss potential benefits and limitations.

If you take nothing else from these examples of guided body scan meditation examples, let it be this: you don’t need perfect focus, perfect posture, or perfect calm. You just need a few minutes, a bit of curiosity, and a willingness to check in with the body you’re already living in.