Mindful body awareness exercise
Body Scan Meditation helps you develop awareness of physical sensations and release tension.
Simply observe each body part without judgment as the guide moves through your body.
A guided body scan moves your attention slowly through the body, from head to feet or the reverse, noticing sensation without trying to change it.
Most people carry tension they have stopped noticing, commonly in the jaw, shoulders, and hands. The scan works largely by making that tension conscious again, at which point it often releases on its own.
These are general wellbeing exercises, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are recovering from injury, or find that an exercise causes pain rather than mild discomfort, speak to a qualified professional rather than working through it.
A practice of moving attention systematically through the body, noticing sensation in each area without trying to change it. It is a core component of mindfulness-based stress reduction programmes.
Yes, and it is common. Areas where you notice little are often where you hold the most tension, and awareness of them tends to develop with practice.
Yes. Body scans are frequently used at bedtime, and falling asleep partway through is not a problem when that is your intention.