Examples of Body Scan Meditation Steps: 3 Practical Examples You Can Use Today

3 practical examples of body scan meditation steps you can actually use

Let’s skip the theory and go straight into examples of body scan meditation steps: 3 practical examples that fit into a normal, busy life. Think of these as three different “recipes” you can follow depending on how much time and energy you have.

You’ll get:

• A 5-minute desk-friendly body scan for work stress
• A 10–15 minute evening reset body scan for tension and worry
• A 20-minute bedtime body scan for better sleep

Along the way, we’ll weave in other real examples of how to tweak these steps for pain, anxiety, and restless days.

Example of a 5-minute body scan at your desk (for work stress)

This first example of body scan meditation steps is perfect when you’re glued to your computer, shoulders up by your ears, and your brain feels like 47 tabs are open.

You can do this sitting in a chair at work, on a bus, or at your kitchen table.

Step-by-step flow (no timer needed)

Start by sitting back in your chair. Let your feet rest flat on the floor if possible. If that’s not comfortable, just find any position that feels stable.

Take one slow breath in through your nose, then a longer breath out through your mouth. No need to force it; just a gentle exhale that feels like a small sigh.

Now move through these areas in order:

• Feet and toes
  Notice where your feet touch the floor or your shoes. Are they tense, restless, numb, warm, cold? You’re not trying to change anything. You’re just taking a quick inventory.

• Lower legs and knees
  Bring your attention up your calves to your knees. Notice pressure on the chair, clothing against your skin, or any buzzing, tightness, or heaviness.

• Thighs and hips
  Feel where your thighs meet the chair. Are you leaning more to one side? Are your muscles gripping? If it feels okay, let the chair take a bit more of your weight.

• Stomach and lower back
  Notice your belly as you breathe. Is it tight, pulled in, or soft? Feel your lower back against the chair. Imagine your breath gently moving in and out of this area.

• Chest and upper back
  Notice your chest rising and falling. Is your breath shallow or deep? Feel your upper back and shoulder blades. Are you hunching forward? Without forcing, see if you can soften just 5%.

• Shoulders, arms, and hands
  Notice the weight of your arms, the way your hands rest on your lap, desk, or keyboard. Are you clenching your fists or gripping the mouse? Let your fingers loosen just a bit.

• Neck, jaw, and face
  Notice your neck—any stiffness or strain. Then your jaw—clenched, relaxed, or somewhere in between. Let your tongue rest gently in your mouth. Soften around the eyes and forehead.

Finish with one more slow breath, in and out. Then open your eyes if they were closed and re-orient to the room.

This is one of the best examples of body scan meditation steps for people who “don’t have time” but still want to interrupt the stress cycle. Even two minutes of this kind of check-in can help shift your nervous system toward a calmer state. Research on mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), which often includes body scans, shows benefits for stress and anxiety over time (NIH / NCBI).

Try this variation:
Use this same example of body scan meditation steps before a big meeting. Add one extra breath at each body part where you notice tension and imagine the exhale flowing out of that area.

Examples of body scan meditation steps: 10–15 minute evening reset

This second of our 3 practical examples is your “after a long day” reset. You can do it sitting or lying down on a couch, bed, or yoga mat.

Think of it as closing the tabs in your body before you try to relax for the night.

Setting up your evening body scan

Find a position that feels supportive. If you’re lying down, let your legs extend or bend your knees with feet on the floor. If you’re seated, rest your back against something. You want your body to feel held so you’re not working hard to sit up.

Let your eyes close or soften your gaze. Take three slow breaths: in through your nose, out through your mouth.

Now we’ll move more slowly through the body than in the desk example.

Detailed scan from toes to head

Start at your toes. Notice each foot: toes, balls of the feet, arches, heels. You might feel tingling, warmth, coolness, or nothing at all. All of that is okay. The goal is awareness, not a specific sensation.

Let your attention move into your ankles and lower legs. Notice any tightness from standing, walking, or sitting all day. If it feels helpful, imagine your breath traveling down to your calves as you inhale, and softening them as you exhale.

Move to your knees and thighs. Notice pressure, temperature, or any pulsing or buzzing. If you find tension, see if you can invite just a little softening—no forcing, just an invitation.

Bring awareness to your hips and pelvis. This area often holds a lot of emotion and tension from sitting, driving, or stress. Notice the weight of your body being supported. Allow your hips to sink a bit heavier into the surface beneath you.

Shift to your stomach, sides of the waist, and lower back. Notice if you’re holding your belly in. If you feel safe doing so, let your belly relax as you breathe. On each exhale, imagine your lower back spreading and softening.

Move your attention to your chest, upper back, and ribs. Feel each inhale expand the ribcage slightly, and each exhale let it fall. Notice your heart area—not to control it, just to acknowledge it.

Now your shoulders. This is where many people realize they’ve been “wearing” the day. Notice if the shoulders are lifted, rounded forward, or pulled back. On an exhale, imagine them dropping away from your ears.

Bring awareness down your arms—upper arms, elbows, forearms, wrists—into your hands. Notice where your hands rest and any sensations in your palms or fingers. If your hands are clenched, let them soften.

Move to your neck and throat. Notice any tightness from talking, working at a screen, or stress. Imagine the breath gently moving through your throat, creating a bit more space.

Finally, explore your face and head. Notice your jaw, tongue, lips, cheeks, eyes, forehead, and scalp. See if you can relax the tiny muscles around your eyes and let your forehead smooth just a bit.

To close, zoom out and feel your whole body at once—from toes to head—as one connected field of sensation resting in this moment.

This is one of the best examples of body scan meditation steps for transitioning from “doing mode” to “being mode.” Studies suggest that practices like this can support emotional regulation and reduce rumination (American Psychological Association summary of mindfulness research).

Try these tweaks:

• If you’re anxious, spend extra time on the feet and legs to create a grounded feeling.
• If you’re wired from screens, linger on the eyes and forehead, noticing eye strain and softening your gaze behind closed eyelids.

Bedtime body scan meditation: a longer example for better sleep

The third of our 3 practical examples of body scan meditation steps is a longer, 20-minute version you can do in bed. You don’t have to stay perfectly alert; if you fall asleep halfway through, that still counts as a win.

Getting into position

Lie on your back if that’s comfortable, or on your side with a pillow between your knees. Let your arms rest wherever they feel natural—by your sides, on your belly, or gently folded.

Take a few slow, quiet breaths. Let your exhale be just a bit longer than your inhale. This slightly longer exhale can signal your body that it’s time to wind down.

Slow, sleepy body scan from head to toe

Instead of starting at the feet, this example of body scan meditation steps begins at the head and moves downward, which some people find more sleep-inducing.

Bring your attention to the top of your head and scalp. Notice any tingling, tightness, or pressure from the pillow. Imagine a gentle wave of relaxation washing down from the top of your head.

Move to your forehead, brow, and eyes. Notice any tiny movements under the eyelids. Let your eyes rest heavy in their sockets, like they’re sinking into warm sand.

Shift to your cheeks, nose, jaw, and mouth. Notice if your jaw is clenched or if your teeth are touching. If it feels okay, let your jaw hang a tiny bit looser. Allow your tongue to rest comfortably.

Bring awareness to your neck and throat. Notice the gentle movement of swallowing or the feeling of air as you breathe. Imagine each exhale softening the muscles around your throat and the back of your neck.

Move into your shoulders and upper back. Feel the contact with the mattress or pillow. Picture any tension melting into the bed beneath you, like ice slowly turning to water.

Let your attention drift down your arms, past your elbows, to your wrists, hands, and fingers. Notice where your hands touch the sheets or your body. Imagine warm, heavy sand filling your arms, making them pleasantly heavy and relaxed.

Bring your awareness to your chest and heart area. Feel the rise and fall of your breath. If thoughts come up about your day, imagine placing them gently on a cloud and letting that cloud float away while you stay with your breath.

Move to your ribs, sides of the body, and upper abdomen. Notice the subtle expansion and contraction as you breathe. If your mind wanders, that’s normal. Just keep returning to the next body part.

Shift to your stomach, lower belly, and lower back. This area often holds a lot of emotion. You don’t have to fix anything—just notice. Imagine the mattress supporting your lower back fully.

Bring your attention to your hips, pelvis, and glutes. Feel the weight of this part of your body sinking into the bed. If you notice discomfort, see if you can wrap that area in a gentle, nonjudgmental awareness.

Move slowly down your thighs, knees, calves, and shins. Notice the contact with sheets and blankets, any temperature differences, or subtle tingling.

Finally, rest your attention on your ankles, feet, and toes. Feel the shape of each foot, the weight of the blankets, or contact with the mattress. Imagine any remaining tension gently draining out through the soles of your feet.

To finish, hold your whole body in awareness for a few breaths. Feel yourself supported, held by the bed. If you’re still awake, you can repeat the scan more quickly, or simply rest with the feeling of your body breathing.

Body scan practices like this are often used in mindfulness-based programs that have shown benefits for sleep disturbance and insomnia symptoms (Mayo Clinic on mindfulness exercises).

More real examples of body scan meditation steps in everyday life

Beyond these 3 practical examples, there are many other ways to use body scan meditation in small, realistic moments. Here are several real examples of how people fit body scans into busy days:

• Shower body scan: While showering, move your attention from the top of your head down to your feet, matching each body part with the feel of water on your skin. This turns a daily routine into a mindfulness practice.
• Walking body scan: On a short walk, notice your feet touching the ground, your legs moving, your arms swinging, and the feeling of air on your face. This is a moving example of body scan meditation steps that works well if sitting still is hard.
• Pain-aware body scan: If you have chronic pain, you can use a gentler version where you notice painful areas briefly, then shift to neutral or comfortable areas. Many clinical mindfulness programs use this style of body scan to help people change their relationship with pain, not erase it (NIH on mindfulness and pain).
• Micro body scan before eating: Pause for 30 seconds before a meal. Notice your hands, your stomach, your jaw, and your overall energy level. This can reduce stress-eating and help you tune into actual hunger and fullness.
• Post-workout body scan: After exercise, lie down or sit and notice each muscle group, from feet to head, feeling the difference between effort and rest. This can deepen recovery and body awareness.

Each of these is an example of body scan meditation steps adapted to a specific context. The structure is always similar: choose a position, move your attention through the body in an order that makes sense to you, notice sensations without judgment, and end with a sense of the whole body.

How to choose the best examples of body scan meditation steps for you

With all these examples of body scan meditation steps, it helps to match the style to your current state.

If you’re wired and restless, shorter, more active examples (like the desk scan or walking scan) might work best. You’re giving your mind something structured to do without demanding stillness for too long.

If you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, the longer bedtime or evening body scans can help signal to your body that it’s finally safe to rest.

If you’re dealing with pain or trauma, be gentle. You might:

• Skip areas that feel too intense and come back another day.
• Spend more time on neutral or pleasant areas of the body.
• Keep your eyes open and stay seated if closing your eyes feels uncomfortable.

It’s completely valid to adapt any example of body scan meditation steps so it feels safer and more sustainable. Mindfulness is not about forcing yourself through discomfort; it’s about building a kinder relationship with your experience, one body part at a time.

FAQ: common questions about examples of body scan meditation

How often should I practice body scan meditation?
Many people find benefits with 10–20 minutes a few times a week, but even a 2–5 minute scan can help. Consistency matters more than length. You might start with one of the shorter examples of body scan meditation steps on weekdays and a longer one on weekends.

Is there an example of a super short body scan for busy days?
Yes. Try this: notice your feet on the ground, your seat on the chair, your hands touching something, your jaw and shoulders, and your breath. That’s it. It can take under a minute and still shift you out of autopilot.

Can body scan meditation make anxiety worse?
Sometimes, tuning into the body can feel intense at first, especially if you’re not used to it. If that happens, shorten the practice, keep your eyes open, or focus only on neutral areas like hands and feet. If anxiety is severe, it can help to work with a therapist or mindfulness teacher who can offer personalized guidance.

What are the best examples of body scan meditation steps for beginners?
Beginners often do well with guided audio from reputable mindfulness programs, plus simple written examples like the 5-minute desk scan or the evening reset. The key is clear, gentle instructions and permission to let the mind wander and come back.

Do I have to follow the body in a specific order?
No. Many examples include moving from feet to head or head to feet, but you can experiment. Some people like starting with the face and jaw because that’s where they hold the most tension. The order is flexible; the awareness is what matters.

Body scan meditation isn’t about doing it perfectly; it’s about showing up for your body with curiosity instead of criticism. With these examples of body scan meditation steps: 3 practical examples plus several variations, you now have a small toolkit you can pull from—at your desk, in the shower, in bed, or on a walk.

Pick one example today, try it once, and notice what happens. That’s how a practice starts: one small, honest check-in with your own body.