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Manage Anxiety with the Body Scan Meditation

When is the last time you took a moment to check in with your body? One of the best ways to manage your mental health is to connect with how you're feeling. Body stress can contribute to issues like panic attacks, anxiety, depression, and even trauma. Let's look at how meditation can help manage anxiety, we also have a 6-minute follow-along meditation with our therapy practice founder Aaron.


We'll Cover:


Sometimes you're so caught up in your stress, you don't realize that the physical discomfort you're experiencing—such as headaches, shoulder pain, and tense muscles—is connected to your emotional state.


Body scan meditation is a great way to release tension you might not even realize you're experiencing. Body scanning involves paying attention to parts of the body and bodily sensations in a gradual sequence from head to feet.


By mentally scanning yourself, you bring awareness to every single part of your body, noticing any aches, pains, tension, or general discomfort. The goal is not to relieve the pain completely, but to better manage it.


Why Is The Body Scan So Good For Anxiety?


In contrast to other meditations, the body scan helps both psychologically and physically at the same time, meaning it improves both your mental and physical health simultaneously.


Can focusing your attention on your body really be so beneficial? Actually it goes deeper than you realize. It builds our core sense of safety, which is key for reducing anxiety.


Think of an animal in nature, they're constantly tuned in to what their body is feeling. Our name for the yoga pose "downward dog" comes from dog's intuitive connection with their body, your pup doesn't need a yoga routine to keep them mindful of their body! But we humans have advanced brains, so it's easy for us to forget our body.


But not attending to body stress means it accumulate overs time. This is called the stress cycle. When stress hormones are released our body acts as if we're in danger, and it releases even more hormones. Even if you don't realize this is happening, it's an automatic process of your nervous system. When we stop the stress cycle, it's a huge win for your mental health.


Using The Body Scan To Reduce Stress and Anxiety


Whether it's panic attacks or social anxiety, the body scan can help. But how does this work?


It's no surprise that when your nervous system is in a stress state (stress hormones, elevated heart rate, increased adrenaline) this also agitates your mind. This is when stress turns into anxiety.


Many typical anxiety symptoms are elevated by stress including:

  • Increased worry

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Feeling nervous or on edge


Have you ever experienced a situation where you knew your worry was irrational, but knowing it didn't help?


Maybe before a big presentation, an upcoming test, or getting together with friends.

Anxiety despite knowing we shouldn't have anxiety is a classic example of the body taking over the mind - even though your mind knows you don't need to be nervous, you still are.


When our thoughts can't fix our anxiety, the body scan is a perfect starting place. There are tools of CBT Therapy which specifically focus on managing your thoughts better, and these can be great to do after a body scan. Once we've calmed down the body, we can then work on the brain.


Meditation As a Therapy Tool


People often assume they "should" have a meditation routine, or maybe view it as an important part of self-care. You might also view meditation as having therapeutic value. It's not a replacement for therapy, but can help as a tool.


You've seen how the body scan meditation can work with other therapy techniques for anxiety. But you can also use the meditation to manage your mood and reduce depression. Like with anxiety, use the scan as a starting point when you are having a low or dysregulated mood.


Make sure you manage expectations for practicing the body scan. A daily practice may be good, but rigid expectations can hurt your mental health in the longrun. Maybe consider trying to practice 1-3x a week instead.


Or you could take an "as needed" approach. Like an as needed medication for emergencies, try using the meditation as your medication for moments where you are really struggling.


You also don't need to practice the body scan in the formal, sit down meditation we show below. You can practice this anywhere, at work, on a plane, in line at the store. The best tools are the most adaptable to different situations.


How to Practice Body Scan Meditation


As with all forms of meditation, doing a body scan is meant to be simple.


  1. Get comfortable. Find a quiet, comfortable spot in your home or space of your choosing. You may want to sit seated with your legs folded, or you may choose to lay down - find whatever position feels right for you!

  2. Take a few deep breaths. Let your breathing slow down, and start breathing from your belly instead of from your chest, letting your abdomen expand and contract with each breath. If you find your shoulders rising and falling with each breath, focus more on breathing from your belly, as though a balloon is inflating and deflating in your abdomen with each breath.

  3. Bring awareness to your head. Now slowly bring your attention up to your head. Begin observing sensations in your face, skull, upper neck. If you notice pain, acknowledge it and any thoughts or emotions that accompany it, and gently breathe through or around it.

  4. Breathe into the tension. If you notice any uncomfortable sensations, focus your attention on them. Breathe into them, and see what happens. Visualize the tension leaving your body through your breath and evaporating into the air. Move on when you feel ready.

  5. Slowly work your way down to your feet. Focusing on one area at a time, move from your neck to chest and arms, abdomen and legs, down all the way to your feet. Stay longer for areas that have more tension.


A 6-Minute Body Scan With Aaron


Follow along with this video to get a direct experience of calm and relaxation.




If this video was not your style, feel free to search for other guided body scans on YouTube. Sometimes you just need to find a person or voice that helps you to enter into a space of calm.


Mindfulness Therapy


Want to learn more about using mindfulness to manage anxiety?

Click here for more mindfulness info


Want to work with a therapist who uses mindfulness?

Many of our Wellspring Connection therapists specialize in using mindfulness therapy.




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