research on body scan meditation

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings
My Bibliography
Collections
Citation manager

Save citation to file

Email citation, add to collections.

Create a new collection
Add to an existing collection

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search, create a file for external citation management software, your rss feed.

Search in PubMed
Search in NLM Catalog
Add to Search

The effects of body scan meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Affiliation.

1 Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
PMID: 35538557
DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12366

Standardized mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been proved to be effective across many populations while the time commitment for the standardized intervention leads to high attrition rate. To address the problem, there has been a growing interest in conducting a single component of MBSR such as body scan. However, the impact of a sole mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of body scan meditation. A search of databases, including PubMed, Embase, EBSCO, Cochrance, Proquest Dissertations, and Theses, was conducted for randomized controlled trials with no population restriction. Fourteen independent articles were identified and outcomes were divided into seven categories. A meta-analysis with robust variance estimation was conducted separately for different outcome categories. Body scan only had small effect on mindfulness when compared with passive control (Hedge's g = .268, 95% CI = [0.032, 0.504], p < .05). The attrition rate of long-term interventions was low. The quality of these studies was low. There was high heterogeneity across studies. A sole body scan meditation is not effective enough to improve health-related outcomes.

Keywords: body scan; meta-analysis; mindfulness; systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

Search in MeSH

Related information

Linkout - more resources, full text sources.

Citation Manager

NCBI Literature Resources

MeSH PMC Bookshelf Disclaimer

The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited.

How to Perform Body Scan Meditation: 3 Best Scripts

The mind is guided to focus systematically on various parts of the body, redirecting it back to the practice if you become distracted.

The body scan is a mindfulness-based intervention often used as part of a longer mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program. However, this meditation can be done as a standalone practice and has many benefits, including deep relaxation, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved sleep (Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, & Walach, 2004).

This article will detail the history and benefits of this practice and provide scripts and resources for using this tool.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free . These science-based, comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life, but also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

What is body scan meditation in mindfulness, 3 benefits according to research, how to do body scan meditation, 3 scripts for guided body scan meditation, 4 helpful meditation apps to download, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

The term “body scan” originated with the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program introduced by John Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s (Anālayo, 2020).

MBSR is an eight-week program and has enjoyed popularity as an ongoing and successful intervention used in schools and hospitals by teachers and therapists. There is a wealth of research on the program and hundreds of controlled studies demonstrating its effectiveness (Gu, Strauss, Bond, & Cavanagh, 2015).

Although Kabat-Zinn is credited with the success of MBSR and the invention of the body scan meditation as a foundation of the curriculum, the concepts of mindfulness and meditation date back centuries, with their origin in Buddhism.

According to Buddhist scholar Bhikkhu Anālayo (2020), Kabat-Zinn learned meditation from Robert Hover, who taught vipassana meditation retreats in the tradition of U Ba Khin.

U Ba Khin is considered one of the foremost experts in vipassana meditation, teaching the practice in Myanmar and training many teachers who then brought the practice to the West (Vipassana Research Institute, n.d.).

One of the central tenets of vipassana is the recognition of impermanence . It is believed that the acceptance of impermanence can lead to a reduction of suffering. As taught by U Ba Khin, the body scan was a way to meditate on this process.

“In Vipassana the object of meditation is anicca [impermanence], and therefore in the case of those used to focusing their attention on bodily feelings, they can feel anicca directly. In experiencing anicca in relation to the body, it should first be in the area where one can easily get his attention engrossed, changing the area of attention from place to place, from head to feet and from feet to head, at times probing into the interior.”

U Ba Khin, 1997, p. 5–6

Kabat-Zinn’s decision to secularize these meditation practices stemmed from his desire to introduce them as therapies for pain reduction (Helderman, 2019).

MBSR gathers traditions and practices from various Buddhist sources and strips them of their spiritual discourse. In this way, they may be taught in settings like schools and hospitals and enjoyed by people of all walks of life, regardless of their religious affiliations. As such, MBSR is not taught as a Buddhist practice, but rather as a mindfulness-based intervention.

Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment , without judgment (Kabat-Zinn & Hahn, 2009). The body scan meditation applies this concept to the body.

The meditator is directed to sweep their attention over the body, resting on various parts of the body systematically. Importantly, there is no direction to change the state of the body; this is not a relaxation exercise. The body scan is merely a mindfulness exercise, designed to bring the mind to rest in the present.

That the body scan does not require the meditator to do anything is an important point that bears repeating. There is a popular technique, known as progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), where the participant is instructed to focus on different parts of the body and then clench and release each muscle. This is a very different practice than the body scan.

Both practices, the body scan and PMR, have a progression of attention over the body, and both practices focus on releasing emotions and judgment of the body. But PMR is an active practice where the participant is working with the body, and eventually the goal is relaxation (Dreeben, Mamberg, & Salmon, 2013).

In contrast, body scan attempts to stay with whatever sensations arise in the body and allow them to come and go on their own (Dreeben et al., 2013).

This level of acceptance is where the power of the body scan lies. This practice has allowed many people to learn to live with chronic pain. The practice can help clients recognize that their pain is not constant but ebbs and flows, and like all things, it is also impermanent.

Nervous system response to body scan meditation

Generally, research studies of mindfulness include the entire program (Grossman et al., 2004).

There have been a few studies that attempted to specifically examine the effects of body scan meditation. The purpose of these studies was to clarify the benefits of specific practices within the MBSR model and show the effectiveness of standalone practices.

One such study compared body scan meditations with three conditions: PMR, sitting quietly for 20 minutes, and a control group. They found that after four weeks of a daily 20-minute practice, the group of body scan meditators had a significantly greater increase in parasympathetic activity (Ditto, Eclache, & Goldman, 2006).

When we are stressed and our body is in fight-or-flight mode , this is an activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Ditto et al. (2006) found that regular body scan meditations mediated that response, allowing the participants’ bodies to spend less time in fight or flight (sympathetic) and more time in rest and digest (parasympathetic).

Body scan meditation for managing anxiety

In one study examining the effects of MBSR on mental wellbeing, the researchers could assess the benefits of body scan meditation alone by correlating practice time with outcomes (Carmody & Baer, 2008). They found body scan practice time was positively and significantly correlated with decreased anxiety and increased non-reactivity.

Another study that correlated body scan practice time with outcomes in breast cancer survivors found similar results. Body scan practice time correlated with significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and stress (Lengacher et al., 2009).

Finally, in a study examining the effects of various relaxation techniques during a smoking cessation program, researchers found that participants in the body scan group experienced less irritability, restlessness, and tension while quitting smoking than groups using other relaxation techniques (Ussher, Cropley, Playle, Mohidin, & West, 2009).

Can body scan help with sleep?

Considering the relaxing effects that body scan meditation has shown on the nervous system (Ditto et al., 2006), it is logical to conclude that it would aid in sleep, and research seems to support this conclusion.

One study examined the effects of mindfulness practices as part of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBTI) in adolescents. Researchers wanted to see if mindfulness practices had any discernible increase in benefit. All the teenagers received CBTI, but only half of the group performed body scan meditations (de Bruin, Meijer, & Bögels, 2020).

Results showed that while all the participants experienced significant improvements in sleep, the body scan group showed better sleep quality and less irritability than the non-meditation group (de Bruin et al., 2020).

Similar to the smoking cessation study, where participants in both groups showed improvements overall, the body scan meditation seems to help with subjective feelings of reactivity, stress, and irritability (de Bruin et al., 2020; Ussher et al., 2009).

Finally, a study in Thailand examined the effects of deep breathing paired with body scan meditations on sleep quality in older adults (Nanthakwang et al., 2020).

Download 3 Free Mindfulness Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients enjoy the benefits of mindfulness and create positive shifts in their mental, physical, and emotional health.

Download 3 Free Mindfulness Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

The traditional body scan meditation as taught in MBSR lasts about 30–45 minutes. In this practice, the meditator is lying down. Kabat-Zinn purposely decided to have the practitioner lie down because many of his first patients were in too much pain to complete a 30-minute seated meditation (Anālayo, 2020).

For the complete length of time, the meditator is instructed to maintain awareness of their body. If at any point the awareness shifts away and the participant becomes distracted, they are instructed simply to return to a part of the body and begin again.

The meditation begins at the feet, noticing any sensations present in the toes. Then the meditator slowly moves awareness to the heels, ankles, and upward. The direction is simply to notice and be aware of any sensations that are present.

After moving in this way systematically through the entire body, the meditator is then instructed to link the parts together and feel the body in its entirety.

TRY: tuning in to your breath when you find yourself lying down. Feel it moving in your entire body. Dwell with the breath in various regions of your body, such as the feet, the legs, the pelvis and genitals, the belly, the chest, the back, the shoulders, the arms, the throat and neck, the head, the face, the top of your head. Listen carefully. Allow yourself to feel whatever is present. Watch the sensations in the body flux and change. Watch your feelings about them flux and change.

Koru Mindfulness is a mindfulness program created at Duke University for young adults. The program introduces a body scan meditation in the first session. Here is the script from their handbook Mindfulness for the Next Generation (Rogers & Maytan, 2019, p 77–78). For this practice, the meditator is seated.

In our guided meditation today, we’ll be focusing our attention on different body sensations. Today we will use the sensations in our body to help anchor our awareness to our present-moment experience.

You will find that your mind frequently wanders away from your anchor, which is also known as the “object of meditation.” See if you can notice when your mind has wandered and without making judgments about yourself or your ability to do this, gently bring your attention back to the sensations in your body.

It is the nature of the mind to think, and we’re not trying to stop the mind from thinking. We’re just training the mind to focus better by learning to notice when it has wandered away and gently bringing it back, over and over to our present-moment experience.

Let’s again get into our meditation position. Let your feet rest on the floor, hands resting in your lap, eyes closed. See if you can keep your spine straight while your muscles relax around it. Listen for the sound of the bell…

Let’s begin by bringing our awareness to the bottom of our feet as we notice the feeling of our feet resting against the floor. See if you can just notice the sensations in your feet where they rest against the floor…

Now, as you continue to watch the sensations in your feet, allow yourself also to become aware of your breath moving in and out of your body. See if you can imagine your breath moving in and out through the bottom of your feet…

With each inhalation, allow your awareness to sharpen; with each exhalation, allow tension and tightness to be released from your feet. Breathing in, focus your attention; breathing out, release tension…

(allow a brief period of silence before moving on to the next body part, to allow the students a chance to practice focusing their attention)…

The body scan continues in this way as you move up the body. Adjusting for time as needed, you will usually focus on the thighs, hands, belly, arms, back, shoulders and neck, jaws, muscles around the eyes, and the forehead. This meditation can be lengthened by adding more parts of the body or done fairly briefly by just picking a few.

Of course, the original source of all Buddhist meditation practices are the teachings of the Buddha. There are many texts that describe his teachings, but one that has referenced a practice similar to the body scan is found in the Satipatthana sutta (Anālayo, 2020). This sutta is used by vipassana teachers and considered the first description of sati, or what is now called mindfulness.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana (2012) is a wonderful book that outlines this sutta in clear language and guides the reader through several practices.

Gunaratana (2012, p. 58) states that the purpose of meditation on the body is “accepting our body as it is right now, without our usual emotional reactions. It helps us overcome pride and self-hatred and regard our body with the balanced mind of equanimity.”

One body scan meditation outlined in this book considers the “thirty-two parts” of the body. These parts are:

Head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin
Flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys
Heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs
Large intestines, small intestines, contents of the stomach, feces, brain
Bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat
Tears, lymph, saliva, mucus, joint fluid, urine

The meditation script continues:

Begin meditating by cultivating loving-friendliness towards all beings. Remind yourself that your intention in meditating on the 32 parts of the body is to overcome pride and self-hatred for your own body and lust and loathing for the bodies of others. You want to regard all bodies and their parts with the balanced mind of equanimity (Gunaratana, 2012, p. 63).

The instructions begin with the first five parts and focus on how changeable they are. For example, the hair on our head is constantly growing, and as we age, it changes texture and color. It is impermanent. The meditator is instructed to focus on these thoughts with each of the parts.

Continue adding each group, meditating on the first 10, then 15, then 20.

Keep in mind that simply repeating the names of the body parts does not do any good. Use your imagination to visualize those parts that are hidden under the skin. Consider each with thoughts similar to those we used for the first five (Gunaratana, 2012, p. 63).

As the meditation continues, more and more parts are added, until the practice includes all 32 parts. Instructions say that the length of time spent on each part and the meditation overall varies. “Some people take longer than others to achieve mindfulness and clear comprehension” (Gunaratana, 2012, p. 64).

Remember that your aim is to recognize that each of the thirty-two parts of the body is impermanent. Because it is subject to growth, decay, disease, and death, it cannot give you lasting satisfaction. Finally, recognize that each is ‘not mind, not I and not my self’ (Gunaratana, 2012, p. 64).

Body Scan Meditation – Jon Kabat-Zinn – Mindfulness 360

To take your body scan meditations further, consider installing any one of these meditation apps.

Best overall

This meditation app has thousands of free meditations by teachers all over the world. One charming aspect of the app is that when you log in, you can see a map of all the people meditating at the same time as you.

Insight Timer has over 2,000 body scan meditations available. This may seem like an overwhelming number, but you can narrow your search by the length of the meditation and other filters. There are body scan meditations that last anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes.

Best for beginners

It is a great app for beginners because unlike Insight Timer, it can lead the user through one clear course. Their 10-day beginner course is free and has helped many to get started on the path of meditating every day.

Best for sleep

The app contains many relaxing meditations, as well as sleep stories and relaxing soundscapes. There are a handful of body scan meditations. In order to have access to all the meditations, a subscription is required.

Best for mood

Then it will give recommended activities based on your response. It’s an intuitive app that allows users to set goals based around reducing anxiety or stress, improving sleep, and other wellness objectives. This app has many free meditations as well as a monthly subscription to access all the benefits.

Top 17 Exercises for Mindfulness & Meditation

Use these 17 Mindfulness & Meditation Exercises [PDF] to help others build life-changing habits and enhance their wellbeing with the physical and psychological benefits of mindfulness.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

PositivePsychology.com has many other blog posts on the benefits of mindfulness. If you’d like to learn more about the general practice, here are excellent places to start:

23 Amazing Health Benefits of Mindfulness for Body and Brain
What Is Meditation Therapy and What Are the Benefits?
The Importance of Mindfulness: 20+ Reasons to Practice Mindfulness

3 Simple Guided Meditation Scripts for Improving Wellbeing

In addition to great mindfulness articles, we also have many worksheets to help coaches and therapists incorporate mindfulness into their practice. Here are two good introductory worksheets:

3 Steps to cultivate mindful awareness

This worksheet gives the reader a brief mindfulness exercise to practice when time is limited. It is also an excellent tool for those brand new to mindfulness.

The three-step process helps you to return to the present quickly, which can reduce acute stress in the moment and, when done regularly, reduce overall stress and anxiety.

Right Here, Right Now

This is a brief and simple exercise that will guide you into the present. The worksheet asks us to name what we can see, hear, feel, smell, and touch right now. This exercise is excellent for children and adults alike and can foster a feeling of groundedness.

Toolkit tools

Our Positive Psychology Toolkit© contains hundreds of useful resources for practitioners. One of the activities includes a lesson for leading clients in a body scan meditation.

The toolkit provides both a PDF of the script as well as a 20-minute audio meditation that leads you through the body scan. It begins by asking the listener to lie down and close their eyes. Then, similar to the scripts above, it takes a gradual approach, inviting the listener to breathe into each body part and attend to each sensation without judgment.

Because this tool is designed with practitioners in mind, there is also advice on how to lead clients through a body scan. Some reminders include letting go of judgment around how successful you are at staying present and releasing the goal of not getting distracted.

17 Mindfulness & meditation exercises

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others enjoy the benefits of mindfulness, check out this collection of 17 validated mindfulness tools for practitioners. Use them to help others reduce stress and create positive shifts in their mental, physical, and emotional health.

Mindfulness meditation is an incredible tool for increasing mental and physical health (Carmody & Baer, 2008). Body scan meditations are a simple and effective way to begin learning mindfulness meditation.

Introducing mindfulness through a body scan meditation can help those new to meditation by giving them a familiar object to focus their attention on.

Body scan meditation, whether alone or part of a longer mindfulness course, can help calm the nervous system, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep (de Bruin et al., 2020; Ditto et al., 2006; Nanthakwang et al., 2020).

If you’d like to develop your self-compassion and release judgment about your body, or if you would just like to reduce the effects of stress, try a body scan meditation. Research has shown the incredible benefits; try it for yourself.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free .

Anālayo, B. (2020). Buddhist antecedents to the body scan meditation. Mindfulness , 11 , 194–202.
Carmody, J., & Baer, R. A. (2008). Relationships between mindfulness practice and levels of mindfulness, medical and psychological symptoms and well-being in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Journal of Behavioral Medicine , 31 (1), 23–33.
De Bruin, E. J., Meijer, A., & Bögels, S. M. (2020). The contribution of a body scan mindfulness meditation to effectiveness of Internet-delivered CBT for insomnia in adolescents. Mindfulness , 11 (4), 872–882.
Ditto, B., Eclache, M., & Goldman, N. (2006). Short-term autonomic and cardiovascular effects of mindfulness body scan meditation. Annals of Behavioral Medicine , 32 (3), 227–234.
Dreeben, S. J., Mamberg, M. H., & Salmon, P. (2013). The MBSR body scan in clinical practice. Mindfulness , 4 (4), 394–401.
Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research , 57 (1), 35–43.
Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of meditation studies. Clinical Psychology Review , 37 , 1–12.
Gunaratana, H. (2012). The four foundations of mindfulness in plain English . Simon and Schuster.
Helderman, I. (2019). Prescribing the dharma: Psychotherapists, Buddhist traditions, and defining religion . UNC Press Books.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2009). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life . Hachette Books.
Kabat-Zinn, J., & Hanh, T. N. (2009). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness . Delta.
Lengacher, C. A., Johnson-Mallard, V., Post-White, J., Moscoso, M. S., Jacobsen, P. B., Klein, T. W., … Kip, K. E. (2009). Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for survivors of breast cancer. Psycho-Oncology , 18 (12), 1261–1272.
Nanthakwang, N., Siviroj, P., Matanasarawoot, A., Sapbamrer, R., Lerttrakarnnon, P., & Awiphan, R. (2020). Effectiveness of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music to improve sleep quality and quality of life in older adults. The Open Public Health Journal , 13 (1).
Rogers, H., & Maytan, M. (2019). Mindfulness for the next generation: Helping emerging adults manage stress and lead healthier lives (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
U Ba Khin, S. (1997). The essentials of Buddha-Dhamma in meditative practice . Pariyatti.
Ussher, M., Cropley, M., Playle, S., Mohidin, R., & West, R. (2009). Effect of isometric exercise and body scanning on cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Addiction , 104 , 1251–1257.
Vipassana Research Institute. (n.d.) Sagyagyi U Ba Khin . Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://www.vridhamma.org/Sayagyi-U-Ba-Khin

Share this article:

Article feedback

Let us know your thoughts cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

13 Ways Meditation Can Help You Relieve Stress (+ 3 Scripts)

Feeling stressed? Take a few moments to focus on your breath rising and falling while sitting comfortably with a straight back in a quiet place. [...]

How to Practice Visualization Meditation: 3 Best Scripts

Visualization is a component of many meditation practices, including loving-kindness meditation (or metta) and the other three Brahma Viharas of compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity [...]

Guided meditation is a great starting point for those new to meditation and a great way to refresh your practice if you are a seasoned [...]

3 Mindfulness Exercises Pack (PDF)

A Body Scan Meditation Reduces Negative Affect and Food Cravings in Emotional Eaters: A Randomized Controlled Study of the Effects, Mediators, and Moderators

ORIGINAL PAPER
Published: 13 January 2024
Volume 15 , pages 189–202, ( 2024 )

Cite this article

Huma Shireen ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8556-2533 1 ,
Julia Milad 1 ,
Yair Dor-Ziderman 2 &
Bärbel Knäuper 1

486 Accesses

6 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

The primary objective was to explore the effects of a body scan meditation, a form of mindfulness practice, on reducing negative affect and food cravings in emotional eaters. We also examined if rumination, perceived body boundaries, and spatial frames of reference mediated this effect. Additionally, we investigated whether trait measures of mindfulness, equanimity, interoceptive awareness, and cognitive defusion could moderate these effects.

Emotional eaters were randomly assigned to either a body scan meditation or an active control (listening) task. All participants completed moderator measures before coming into the lab. At the in-person visit, participants engaged in a negative emotion induction, completed measures of mediator and outcome variables, participated in the intervention, and then completed the mediator measures again.

Emotional eaters in the body scan meditation group experienced a significantly greater decrease in negative affect and food cravings post-intervention compared to those in the control group. However, the hypothesized mediation effects of rumination, perceived body boundaries, and spatial frames of reference and moderation effects of trait measures were not found to be significant.

Conclusions

This preliminary study suggests that the body scan meditation effectively reduces negative affect and food cravings in individuals with emotional eating. However, further research is needed to delve deeper into potential mediators and moderators influencing this effect.

Preregistration

The study was registered on http://clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT05223348).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Effects of Decentering and Non-judgement on Body Dissatisfaction and Negative Affect Among Young Adult Women

Eating Disorder Treatment: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Programs

Interpretation bias modification to reduce body dissatisfaction – a randomized controlled pilot study in women with elevated weight and shape concerns

Data availability.

Raw data for this study is available at OSF, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AWU3Q .

Alberts, H. J., Mulkens, S., Smeets, M., & Thewissen, R. (2010). Coping with food cravings. Investigating the potential of a mindfulness-based intervention. Appetite, 55 (1), 160–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.05.044

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Alberts, H. J., Thewissen, R., & Raes, L. (2012). Dealing with problematic eating behaviour. The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern. Appetite, 58 (3), 847–851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.009

Annesi, J. J., Johnson, P. H., Tennant, G. A., Porter, K. J., & Mcewen, K. L. (2016). Weight loss and the prevention of weight regain: Evaluation of a treatment model of exercise self-regulation generalizing to controlled eating. The Permanente Journal, 20 (3), 15–146. https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/15-146

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Austin, J. H. (2013). Our ordinary sense of self: Different aspects of ‘no-self’ during states of absorption and kensho. In D. Mathers, M. E. Miller, & O. Ando (Eds.), Self and no-self (pp. 59–65). Routledge.

Google Scholar

Baer, R. A., Fischer, S., & Huss, D. B. (2005). Mindfulness and acceptance in the treatment of disordered eating. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 23 (4), 281–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-005-0015-9

Article Google Scholar

Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Lykins, E., Button, D., Krietemeyer, J., Sauer, S., Walsh, E., Duggan, D., & Williams, J. M. G. (2008). Construct validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in meditating and nonmeditating samples. Assessment, 15 (3), 329–342. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191107313003

Baquedano, C., Vergara, R., Lopez, V., Fabar, C., Cosmelli, D., & Lutz, A. (2017). Compared to self-immersion, mindful attention reduces salivation and automatic food bias. Scientific Reports, 7 (1), 13839. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13662-z

Bardone-Cone, A. M., Thompson, K. A., & Miller, A. J. (2020). The self and eating disorders. Journal of Personality, 88 (1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12448

Boswell, R. G., & Kober, H. (2016). Food cue reactivity and craving predict eating and weight gain: A meta-analytic review. Obesity Reviews, 17 (2), 159–177. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12354

Bruch, H. (1974). Perils of behavior modification in treatment of anorexia nervosa. JAMA , 230 (10), 1419–1422. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.230.10.1419

Bullock, A. J., & Goldbacher, E. M. (2023). Interoceptive awareness and emotional eating in college women: The role of appetite and emotional awareness. Journal of American College Health, 71 (8), 2445–2450. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1970566

Cepeda-Benito, A., Gleaves, D. H., Williams, T. L., & Erath, S. A. (2000). The development and validation of the state and trait food-cravings questionnaires. Behavior Therapy, 31 (1), 151–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(00)80009-X

Christoff, K., Cosmelli, D., Legrand, D., & Thompson, E. (2011). Specifying the self for cognitive neuroscience. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15 (3), 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2011.01.001

Dambrun, M. (2016). When the dissolution of perceived body boundaries elicits happiness: The effect of selflessness induced by a body scan meditation. Consciousness and Cognition, 46 , 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2016.09.013

Dambrun, M., Berniard, A., Didelot, T., Chaulet, M., Droit-Volet, S., Corman, M., Juneau, C., & Martinon, L. M. (2019). Unified consciousness and the effect of body scan meditation on happiness: alteration of inner-body experience and feeling of harmony as central processes. Mindfulness, 10 (8), 1530–1544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01104-y

De Jong, M., Lazar, S. W., Hug, K., Mehling, W. E., Hölzel, B. K., Sack, A. T., Peeters, F., Ashish, H., Mischoulon, D., & Gard, T. (2016). Effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on body awareness in patients with chronic pain and comorbid depression. Frontiers in Psychology, 7 , 967. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00967

Desbordes, G., Gard, T., Hoge, E. A., Hölzel, B. K., Kerr, C., Lazar, S. W., Olendzki, A., & Vago, D. R. (2015). Moving beyond mindfulness: Defining equanimity as an outcome measure in meditation and contemplative research. Mindfulness, 6 (2), 356–372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-013-0269-8

Ding, X., Du, J., Zhou, Y., An, Y., Xu, W., & Zhang, N. (2019). State mindfulness, rumination, and emotions in daily life: An ambulatory assessment study. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 22 (4), 369–377. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12383

Farb, N. A., Segal, Z. V., Mayberg, H., Bean, J., McKeon, D., Fatima, Z., & Anderson, A. K. (2007). Attending to the present: Mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2 (4), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsm030

Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G* Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39 (2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146

Fissler, M., Winnebeck, E., Schroeter, T., Gummersbach, M., Huntenburg, J. M., Gaertner, M., & Barnhofer, T. (2016). An investigation of the effects of brief mindfulness training on self-reported interoceptive awareness, the ability to decenter, and their role in the reduction of depressive symptoms. Mindfulness, 7 (5), 1170–1181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0559-z

Forman, E. M., Herbert, J. D., Juarascio, A. S., Yeomans, P. D., Zebell, J. A., Goetter, E. M., & Moitra, E. (2012). The Drexel defusion scale: A new measure of experiential distancing. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 1 (1–2), 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j/jcbs/2012/09/001

Forman, E. M., Herbert, J. D., Moitra, E., Yeomans, P. D., & Geller, P. A. (2007). A randomized controlled effectiveness trial of acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive therapy for anxiety and depression. Behavior Modification, 31 (6), 772–799. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445507302202

Frayn, M., & Knäuper, B. (2018). Emotional eating and weight in adults: A review. Current Psychology, 37 (4), 924–933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9577-9

Gallagher, S., & Shear, J. (1999). Models of the self . Thorverton, UK: Imprint Academic.

Gendall, K. A., Joyce, P. R., & Sullivan, P. F. (1997). Impact of definition on prevalence of food cravings in a random sample of young women. Appetite, 28 (1), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.1996.0060

Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 37 , 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.006

Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2019). Spatial frame of reference as a phenomenological feature of self-transcendence: Measurement and manipulation through mindfulness meditation. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 6 (4), 329–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01330-9

Hawley, L. L., Schwartz, D., Bieling, P. J., Irving, J., Corcoran, K., Farb, N. A. S., Anderson, A. K., & Segal, Z. V. (2014). Mindfulness practice, rumination and clinical outcome in mindfulness-based treatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 38 (1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-013-9586-4

Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach . New York: Guilford Publications.

Heatherton, T. F., & Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Binge eating as escape from self awareness. Psychological Bulletin, 110 (1), 86–108. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.110.1.86

Hinman, N. G. (2018). The impact of trait cognitive defusion and cue elaboration on chocolate craving and cognitive resources (Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University).

Hsu, T., & Forestell, C. A. (2021). Mindfulness, mood, and food: The mediating role of positive affect. Appetite, 158 , 105001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105001

James, W. (1892). The stream of consciousness. Psychology, Chapter XI. Cleveland & New York, World.

Jhangiani, R., & Tarry, H. (2014). Principles of social psychology – 1 st international H5P edition . Bccampus https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology

Juneau, C., Pellerin, N., Trives, E., Ricard, M., Shankland, R., & Dambrun, M. (2020). Reliability and validity of an equanimity questionnaire: The two-factor equanimity scale (EQUA-S). PeerJ, 8 , e9405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01330-9

Juneau, C., Shankland, R., Knäuper, B., & Dambrun, M. (2021). Mindfulness and equanimity moderate approach/avoidance motor responses. Cognition and Emotion, 35 (6), 1085–1098. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2021.1927674

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1984). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. Revision, 7 (1), 71–72.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Mindfulness meditation for everyday life . Hyperion.

Katterman, S. N., Kleinman, B. M., Hood, M. M., Nackers, L. M., & Corsica, J. A. (2014). Mindfulness meditation as an intervention for binge eating, emotional eating, and weight loss: A systematic review. Eating Behaviors, 15 (2), 197–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.01.005

Keng, S. L., & Ang, Q. (2019). Effects of mindfulness on negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating urges. Mindfulness, 10 (9), 1779–1791. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01146-2

Kirkegaard Thomsen, D. (2006). The association between rumination and negative affect: A review. Cognition & Emotion, 20 (8), 1216–1235. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930500473533

Kristeller, J. L., Baer, R. A., & Quillian-Wolever, R. (2006). Mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorders. In R. A. Baer (Ed.), Mindfulness-based treatment approaches (pp. 75–91). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012088519-0/50005-8

Chapter Google Scholar

Kristeller, J. L., & Wolever, R. Q. (2011). Mindfulness-based eating awareness training for treating binge eating disorder: The conceptual foundation. Eating Disorders, 19 (1), 49–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2011.533605

López-Guimerà, G., Dashti, H. S., Smith, C. E., Sánchez-Carracedo, D., Ordovas, J. M., & Garaulet, M. (2014). CLOCK 3111 T/C SNP interacts with emotional eating behavior for weight-loss in a Mediterranean population. PLoS ONE, 9 (6), e99152. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099152

Marchetti, I., Mor, N., Chiorri, C., & Koster, H. W. E. (2018). The brief state rumination inventory (BSRI): Validation and psychometric evaluation. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 42 , 447–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-018-9901-1

Mehling, W. E., Acree, M., Stewart, A., Silas, J., & Jones, A. (2018). The multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, version 2 (MAIA-2). PLoS ONE, 13 (12), e0208034. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208034

Melanson, K. J. (2007). Nutrition review: Diet and nutrients in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 1 (5), 339–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276073045

Meule, A., Teran, C. B., Berker, J., Gründel, T., Mayerhofer, M., & Platte, P. (2014). On the differentiation between trait and state food craving: Half-year retest-reliability of the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait-reduced (FCQ-Tr) and the Food Cravings Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S). Journal of Eating Disorders, 2 , 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-014-0025-z

Ng, H.-Y. H., Wu, C. W., Huang, F.-Y., Cheng, Y.-T., Guu, S.-F., Huang, C.-M., Hsu, C.-F., Chao, Y.-P., Jung, T.-P., & Chuang, C.-H. (2021). Mindfulness training associated with resting-state electroencephalograms dynamics in novice practitioners via mindful breathing and body-scan. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 , 748584. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.748584

O’Reilly, G. A., Cook, L., Spruijt-Metz, D., & Black, D. S. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions for obesity-related eating behaviours: A literature review. Obesity Reviews, 15 (6), 453–461. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12156

Park, T., Reilly-Spong, M., & Gross, C. R. (2013). Mindfulness: A systematic review of instruments to measure an emergent patient-reported outcome (PRO). Quality of Life Research, 22 (10), 2639–2659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0395-8

Parsons, E. M., Dreyer-Oren, S. E., Magee, J. C., & Clerkin, E. M. (2019). Evaluating the indirect effects of trait mindfulness facets on state tripartite components through state rumination and state experiential avoidance. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 207 (6), 440–450. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000000993

Petitmengin, C. (2006). Describing one’s subjective experience in the second person: An interview method for the science of consciousness. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Science, 5 , 229–269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-006-9022-2

Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36 (4), 717–731. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03206553

Price, C. J., & Hooven, C. (2018). Interoceptive awareness skills for emotion regulation: Theory and approach of mindful awareness in body-oriented therapy (MABT). Frontiers in Psychology, 9 , 798. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00798

Ricca, V., Castellini, G., Fioravanti, G., Lo Sauro, C., Rotella, F., Ravaldi, C., Lazzeretti, L., & Faravelli, C. (2012). Emotional eating in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 53 (3), 245–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2011.04.062

Schnepper, R., Georgii, C., Eichin, K., Arend, A. K., Wilhelm, F. H., Vögele, C., Lutz, A., van Dyck, Z., & Blechert, J. (2020). Fight, flight, –or grab a bite! Trait emotional and restrained eating style predicts food cue responding under negative emotions. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 14 , 91. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00091

Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., Thoresen, C., & Plante, T. G. (2011). The moderation of mindfulness-based stress reduction effects by trait mindfulness: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67 (3), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20761

Shireen, H., Castelli, S., Legault, M., Dor-Ziderman, Y., Milad, J., & Knäuper, B. (2022). Phenomenological support for escape theory: A qualitative study using explicitation interviews with emotional eaters. Journal of Eating Disorders, 10 (1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00690-y

Simons, J. S., & Gaher, R. M. (2005). The distress tolerance scale: Development and validation of a self-report measure. Motivation and Emotion, 29 (2), 83–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-005-7955-3

Smith, K. E., Mason, T. B., & Lavender, J. M. (2018). Rumination and eating disorder psychopathology: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 61 , 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.004

Spoor, S. T., Bekker, M. H., Van Strien, T., & van Heck, G. L. (2007). Relations between negative affect, coping, and emotional eating. Appetite, 48 (3), 368–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2006.10.005

Van Strien, T. (2018). Causes of emotional eating and matched treatment of obesity. Current Diabetes Reports, 18 (6), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-018-1000-x

Van Strien, T., Frijters, J. E., Bergers, G. P., & Defares, P. B. (1986). The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behavior. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5 (2), 295–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-108X(198602)5:2<295::AID-EAT2260050209>3.0.CO;2-T

Van Strien, T., & Ouwens, M. A. (2007). Effects of distress, alexithymia and impulsivity on eating. Eating Behaviors, 8 (2), 251–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2006.06.004

Vermersch, P. (1994). The explicitation interview . French Original ESF.

Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54 (6), 1063–1070. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063

Wiser, S., & Telch, C. F. (1999). Dialectical behavior therapy for binge-eating disorder. Journal of Clinical Osychology, 55 (6), 755–768. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199906)55:6<755::AID-JCLP8>3.0.CO;2-R

Wolever, R. Q., & Best, J. L. (2009). Mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorders. In F. Didonna (Ed.), Clinical handbook of mindfulness (pp. 259–288). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.2242

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge all the participants of this study for their time and interest in contributing to the dissemination of this knowledge.

James McGill Professorship awarded to Dr. Bärbel Knäuper.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Huma Shireen, Julia Milad & Bärbel Knäuper

Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

Yair Dor-Ziderman

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

HS: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, writing — original draft, visualization. JM: investigation, writing — original draft, visualization. YD-Z: conceptualization, methodology, writing — review and editing. BK: supervision, conceptualization, methodology, writing — review and editing

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huma Shireen .

Ethics declarations

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The study has been approved by the McGill University Research Ethics Board and is in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All study participants provided informed consent prior to study enrollment.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

The authors declare no use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of the manuscript.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Shireen, H., Milad, J., Dor-Ziderman, Y. et al. A Body Scan Meditation Reduces Negative Affect and Food Cravings in Emotional Eaters: A Randomized Controlled Study of the Effects, Mediators, and Moderators. Mindfulness 15 , 189–202 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02267-5

Download citation

Accepted : 12 November 2023

Published : 13 January 2024

Issue Date : January 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02267-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Emotional eating
Body scan meditation
Negative emotion
Food craving
Find a journal
Publish with us
Track your research

Try mental health coaching 50% off

Body scan meditation to reduce stress

By Your Headspace Mindfulness & Meditation Experts

While there are many specific meditation techniques that can be used to help us find stability of mind and cultivate mindfulness over time, one of the most accessible practices is a body scan meditation, during which you bring attention to your body, noticing different sensations, as you mentally scan down, from head to toe. Here’s everything you need to know about body scan meditation — including how to do it.

How to do a body scan guided meditation

Start a daily meditation practice and begin experiencing benefits, what is body scan meditation.

For many of us, stress not only has mental and emotional symptoms, it has physical symptoms too: headaches, back pain, and heartburn are just a few of the stress-related ailments we may experience. In fact, sometimes we are so caught up in our stress, we don’t even realize our physical discomfort is connected to our emotional state. That’s when a body scan meditation can be particularly useful and effective, allowing us to check in with our bodies.

By mentally scanning yourself from head to toe — many people imagine a laser copier scanning the length of their body — you are bringing awareness to every single part of your body, noticing any aches, pains, tension, or general discomfort. Staying present with and breathing into these sensations can help bring relief to our minds and bodies by evolving our relationship to pain, aches, and discomfort.

Try this three-minute body scan

Sitting comfortably, take a deep breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth. As you breathe out, close the eyes. Notice how the body feels right now. Starting at the top of the head, gently scan down through the body, noticing what feels comfortable and what feels uncomfortable. Remember, you’re not trying to change anything, just noticing how the body feels as you scan down evenly and notice each and every part of the body, all the way down to the toes.

Research shows that mindfulness meditation — and body scan meditation in particular — has many mental and physical benefits including reducing stress, increasing focus, and improving sleep. According to research that did not involve Headspace, practicing body scan meditation was associated with greater levels of mindfulness (for example, observing thoughts and feelings while not reacting to stress) and increased psychological well-being.

Here are 3 additional benefits of body scan meditation:

1. Reducing stress

As mentioned above, reducing stress and tension is one of the primary benefits of body scan meditation, which in turn can have many positive physical benefits including reduced inflammation, anxiety, and insomnia. What’s more, through regular mindfulness body scan meditation, you can train your mind to respond more effectively to stress. Instead of ruminating on or battling with stressful thoughts and feelings, we learn to gently lean into them, essentially diminishing their power over us.

2. Grounding

Often, our body is doing one thing while our mind is elsewhere. A body scan meditation can help to sync our mind and body, pulling us away from the noise in our mind and into the present. Plus, regularly checking in with our body can help us identify aches and pains early on, before they become too serious.

3. Increasing self-compassion

Often during body scan meditation, we may notice something that feels bad in our body, or we may become frustrated when we notice our mind wandering. Regular practice can help us approach these situations with gentleness and acceptance; eventually we learn how to approach situations in our everyday life with the same compassion.

With your eyes closed, start at the top of your head and mentally “scan” down your body. Bring your awareness to your head and neck, and notice if you feel any feelings, sensations, or discomfort. Does that area feel relaxed or tense? Comfortable or uncomfortable? Energetic or tired? Repeat this practice for your shoulders, arms, hands, chest, back, hips, legs, feet, and so on — taking about 20-30 seconds to focus on each body part.

When you encounter areas of tension during the scan, don’t struggle. Instead, focus your attention on them and breathe. Try to visualize the tension leaving your body. Take note of your observations and when thoughts or feelings arise, return to the area of the body where you last left off. Don’t try to change anything — you are simply building a picture of how the body feels right now, in the moment.

If you got a lot out of this body scan meditation and are looking for other ways to manage stress through meditation, the Headspace app can be particularly useful. There’s a 10-day beginner’s course on the essentials of meditation and mindfulness — available with your membership or free trial. There’s also a 30-day course dedicated to managing stress that comes with exercises designed to address all manner of stressors, as well as a whole library of content, covering everything from sleep and compassion to anger and focus .

Be kind to your mind. Start with a free trial of Headspace.

READ NEXT: Breathing exercises to reduce stress

Be kind to your mind

Put your mind to bed with sleep sounds, music, and wind-down exercises
Make mindfulness a part of your daily routine with tension-releasing workouts, relaxing yoga, Focus music playlists, and more

Annual - billed at $69.99 USD/yr

14 days free

$5.83 USD/month

7 days free

$12.99 USD/month

Learn more about meditation

How it works
How to meditate
Benefits of meditation
Meditation videos
Morning meditation
How to form a habit
Everybody Headspace group meditation and a new female voice
Meditation for happiness
Meditation for self-esteem
Meditation tips
© 2024 Headspace Inc.
Privacy policy
Consumer Health Data
CA Privacy Notice

Bipolar Disorder
Therapy Center
When To See a Therapist
Types of Therapy
Best Online Therapy
Best Couples Therapy
Best Family Therapy
Managing Stress
Sleep and Dreaming
Understanding Emotions
Self-Improvement
Healthy Relationships
Student Resources
Personality Types
Guided Meditations
Verywell Mind Insights
2024 Verywell Mind 25
Mental Health in the Classroom
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board
Crisis Support

What Is Body Scan Meditation?

Release Tension With This Targeted Meditation Technique

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Megan Monahan is a certified meditation instructor and has studied under Dr. Deepak Chopra. She is also the author of the book, Don't Hate, Meditate.

Benefits of Body Scan Meditation

How to do a body scan meditation.

How it Reduces Stress

Body scan meditation (BSM) involves paying attention to parts of the body and bodily sensations in a gradual sequence from feet to head. This method can help people become more aware of their physical sensations, emotions, and feelings.

Body scan meditation is an excellent way to release physical tension you might not even realize you're experiencing. Sometimes you can be so caught up in your stress that you don't realize that the physical discomfort you're experiencing—such as headaches, back and shoulder pain, and tense muscles—is connected to your emotional state.

By mentally scanning yourself, you bring awareness to every part of your body, noticing any aches, pains, tension, or general discomfort. The goal is not to relieve the pain entirely but to get to know and learn from it so you can better manage it.

At a Glance

Body scan meditation can help you become more aware of your body, including the physical sensations and feelings that can stem from stress. By building this awareness, you'll be better able to respond when you start to experience physical discomfort connected to your emotional states. Let's take a closer look at some of the key benefits and explore a step-by-step guide to practicing body scan meditation.

Best when performed daily (or even several times a day), practicing body scan meditation is associated with many mental and physical health benefits.

Reduced stress is one important benefit of body scanning, which can have physical benefits such as reduced inflammation, fatigue, and insomnia . In this way, this body scanning works to break the cycle of physical and psychological tension that can feed on itself.

Research suggests that having a regular meditation practice can have other benefits, such as:

Lower blood pressure
Better sleep
Reduced anxiety and stress
Better emotional regulation
Increased self-awareness

Because body scan meditation improves awareness, it helps people learn to better recognize and respond to their own internal signals.

The body scan meditation is a very useful and effective meditation that can help you return to and maintain a relaxed state when you become too tense.

Press Play to Learn More About the Mind and Body Connection

This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast discusses the mind and body connection. Click below to listen now.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / Amazon Music

As with all forms of meditation , doing a body scan is meant to be simple. Below are some instructions to get you started.

Get Comfortable

Lying down is preferable, particularly if you're doing a body scan meditation before going to sleep. If that's not possible or comfortable, sitting comfortably is also an option.

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.

You may find it helpful to regularly practice different breathing exercises as well.

Bring Awareness to Your Feet

Now slowly bring your attention down to your feet. Begin observing sensations in your feet. If you notice pain, acknowledge it and any thoughts or emotions that accompany it, and gently breathe through it.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather? Take this free 9-minute meditation focused on awakening your senses —or choose from our guided meditation library to find another one that will help you feel your best.

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.

Scan Your Entire Body

Continue this practice with each area of your body, gradually moving up through your feet until you reach the top of your head. Notice how you feel and where you're holding your stress.

If there's any tightness, pain, or pressure, continue to breathe into any tightness, pain, or pressure you're feeling. This can help you release tension in your body now, and be more aware of it in the future so you can release it then, too.

How Can Body Scan Meditation Reduce Stress

Oftentimes, our bodies are experiencing one thing while our mind is focused on something else. The stress and anxiety we experience affect the body, but it can feel like our minds are disconnected from the physical effects of this stress.

Body scan meditation helps rebuild this connection. Instead of worrying about the future or ruminating on the past, scanning the body forces us to be present at the moment. It's a practice that helps us check in with ourselves and assess what we are experiencing so we can relax and ease the stress before it takes a serious toll on our well-being.

One study found that an eight-week body scan meditation program resulted in lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Tips for Practicing Body Scan Meditation

Meditation is most effective when you make it a regular practice, but making it a habit isn't always easy. Here are some tips that can help you make body scan meditation a part of your daily routine:

Do it often : The body scan meditation can promote body awareness, stress awareness, and relaxation. Practice this body scan meditation anytime you feel stress or several times throughout the day as a regular practice.
Try a brief body scan : If you don't have much time, you can do an abbreviated version of this body scan meditation by just sitting and noticing any place in your body where you're carrying tension rather than moving from part to part. This will become easier the more you practice the body scan meditation.
Incorporate other relaxation techniques : You can also try progressive muscle relaxation , breathing exercises , or visualization exercises for releasing stress and tension in your body.

Keep in Mind

Body scan meditation can be a great way to get more in touch with your body, how you feel, and how stress affects you physically. Making it a part of your regular self-care routine can help you reap the stress-relieving rewards of this type of meditation. Start by setting aside 15 each day to practice body scanning. As you make this more of a habit, you'll find that you are more aware of your sensations and better able to respond in ways that help relieve tension and promote good mental well-being.

Black DS, O’Reilly GA, Olmstead R, Breen EC, Irwin MR. Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: A randomized clinical trial . JAMA Intern Med . 2015;175(4):494-501. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8081

Behan C. The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19 . Ir J Psychol Med . 2020;37(4):256-258. doi:10.1017/ipm.2020.38

Zhang D, Lee EKP, Mak ECW, Ho CY, Wong SYS. Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review . Br Med Bull . 2021;138(1):41-57. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldab005

Gibson J. Mindfulness, interoception, and the body: A contemporary perspective . Front Psychol . 2019;10:2012. Published 2019 Sep 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02012

Schultchen D, Messner M, Karabatsiakis A, Schillings C, Pollatos O. Effects of an 8-week body scan intervention on individually perceived psychological stress and related steroid hormones in hair . Mindfulness . 2019;10(12):2532-2543. doi:10.1007/s12671-019-01222-7

May CJ, Ostafin BD, Snippe E. The relative impact of 15-minutes of meditation compared to a day of vacation in daily life: An exploratory analysis . The Journal of Positive Psychology . 2020;15(2):278-284. doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1610480

By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

Lonely person sitting alone by the ocean.

Stroke risk higher for the chronically lonely

Montreal Cognitive Assessment test on a clipboard.

Testing fitness of aging brain

Healthcare works move a patient quickly through hospital.

DNR orders for Down syndrome patients far exceeded pandemic norm

A study shows that both mindful meditation and the relaxation response provide benefits, however, the mindfulness program resulted in further improvements in measures such as self-compassion and rumination.

Credit: pixabay.com

Mindfulness meditation and relaxation response affect brain differently

MGH Public Affairs

Study found that each program showed unique patterns of brain activity

A variety of meditation-based programs have been developed in recent years to reduce stress and medical symptoms and to promote wellness. One lingering question is to what extent these programs are similar or different. In a study published in the June issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers, in collaboration with members of the two leading mind-body stress-reduction programs, documents the different effects these mind-body practices have in the brain.

There are two widely used meditation-based stress-reduction courses. One is based on “The Relaxation Response” — first described by Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the MGH-based Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine — which focuses on eliciting a physiologic state of deep rest, the opposite of the “fight or flight” stress response. The other is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical School , which emphasizes a particular, nonjudgmental attitude termed “mindfulness” as key to stress reduction. Although both interventions are based on meditation, the scientific philosophies and meditative traditions upon which each is founded are different, and these differences are reflected in the instructions and exercises they teach.

“If the hypotheses proposed by the programs’ creators are in fact correct, they imply that these programs promote wellness through different mechanisms of action,” says Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroscience Research Program , senior author of the current report and assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. “Such a finding would suggest that these programs could potentially have different effects on disease.”

“These findings indicate that the programs are working through different neural mechanisms … It is somewhat analogous to weight training versus aerobic exercise — both are beneficial, but each has its unique mechanism and contribution.” Gunes Sevinc, lead author

To investigate that possibility, healthy adults with high levels of stress were randomized to two eight-week programs. Eighteen completed the relaxation-response program, and 16 completed the mindfulness program. Both programs successfully decreased stress and increased mindfulness in participants. However, the mindfulness program resulted in further improvements in measures such as self-compassion and rumination, clearly indicating that the programs are not the same, Lazar says.

To further understand the similarities and differences between the programs, the team measured brain activity during a meditation technique common to both programs — a body scan, in which attention is moved sequentially throughout the body to develop bodily awareness. While the relaxation-response program instructs participants to deliberately relax each body area as they become aware of it, the mindfulness program just emphasizes mindful awareness and acceptance “without any attempt to change anything.”

Lead author Gunes Sevinc , a research fellow in Lazar’s laboratory says, “By directly comparing the body-scan meditations, which differed only in cognitive strategy, we were able to identify the brain regions that are involved in mediating the common and differential strategies employed by each intervention.”

More like this

With mindfulness, life’s in the moment

When science meets mindfulness

Eight weeks to a better brain

The results showed that the strength of neural interaction between brain regions associated with present-moment awareness and bodily attention increased during both types of body-scan meditation. But each program also showed unique patterns of brain activity, in line with the different theoretical orientation of each program. The relaxation-response body scan strengthened coupling between neural regions commonly associated with deliberate control, including the inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor areas. Conversely, the mindfulness body scan strengthened coupling between neural regions associated with sensory awareness and perception, including the insula and the pregenual anterior cingulate.

“These findings indicate that the programs are working through different neural mechanisms,” says Sevinc. “The relaxation-response program is working more through deliberate control mechanisms, while the mindfulness program is working more through sensory-awareness mechanisms. It is somewhat analogous to weight training versus aerobic exercise — both are beneficial, but each has its unique mechanism and contribution.”

Norman Farb of the University of Toronto Department of Psychology, who was not part of the study, says, “Professor Lazar’s neuroimaging study helps us to better appreciate how these seemingly similar practices differ in important ways. Both practices seem to promote access to neural representations of the body, but they differ in how such representations are structured. This study is important for beginning to inform the public about key differences between conceptually similar therapeutic approaches, which may in turn allow people to make more skillful decisions about which practice might be right for their personal improvement.”

Lazar notes that future studies will be needed to determine whether these neural and psychological differences impact specific diseases in unique ways.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants R01 AG048351, R21 AT003425, S10 RR019307, and S10 RR023401.

Share this article

College sees strong yield for students accepted to Class of 2028

Financial aid was a critical factor, dean says

Finding right mix on campus speech policies

Legal, political scholars discuss balancing personal safety, constitutional rights, academic freedom amid roiling protests, cultural shifts

When your meet-cute happens at T.H. Chan

She worked for Pfizer in Turkey; he was neurosurgery resident in Canada. And graduation and wedding are not far off.

Exploring the Practice of Body Scan Meditation

Are you looking to enhance your mindfulness practice and improve your overall well-being? Body scan meditation may be just what you need. In this article, we will delve into the practice of body scan meditation, its benefits, and how you can incorporate it into your daily routine. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, this ancient technique can help you cultivate a deeper awareness of your body and mind. Let’s explore the transformative power of body scan meditation together.

What is Body Scan Meditation?

Origin and history.

Body scan meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves focusing on different parts of the body, usually starting from the toes and moving up to the head. This practice has its roots in ancient Buddhist traditions, where it is known as "sweeping" meditation. It was later popularized in the West through the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, who incorporated it into his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.

Purpose and benefits

The main purpose of body scan meditation is to cultivate awareness of the body and the present moment. By systematically scanning through each part of the body, practitioners can become more attuned to physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts. This practice can help reduce stress, anxiety, and chronic pain, as well as improve overall well-being and self-awareness.

Some of the key benefits of body scan meditation include improved relaxation, better sleep quality, increased focus and concentration, and enhanced mind-body connection. It can also help individuals develop a greater sense of acceptance and compassion towards themselves and others.

How it differs from other meditation practices

Body scan meditation differs from other forms of meditation, such as mindfulness meditation or loving-kindness meditation, in its specific focus on the physical body. While mindfulness meditation involves observing thoughts and emotions without judgment, body scan meditation involves directing attention to the physical sensations in the body.

Unlike some forms of meditation that require sitting still for an extended period of time, body scan meditation can be practiced lying down or in a comfortable seated position. This makes it accessible to individuals who may find traditional meditation postures challenging. Additionally, the systematic nature of body scan meditation allows practitioners to develop a deeper awareness of their physical body and its connection to the mind.

How to Practice Body Scan Meditation

Body scan meditation is a powerful mindfulness practice that involves systematically focusing on different parts of the body to cultivate awareness and relaxation. Here is a guide on how to practice body scan meditation effectively.

Setting up for the practice

Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can lie down or sit comfortably without distractions.
Set a timer for the desired duration of your meditation practice.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself and bring your awareness to the present moment.

Step-by-step guide

Start by bringing your attention to your feet. Notice any sensations, tension, or discomfort in this area without judgment.
Slowly move your awareness up through your body, focusing on each body part one at a time – legs, hips, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders, neck, and head.
As you scan each body part, observe any sensations that arise, such as warmth, tingling, or tightness. Allow yourself to fully experience these sensations without trying to change them.
If you notice any areas of tension or discomfort, take a few deep breaths and visualize the tension releasing with each exhale.
Continue scanning your body from head to toe, bringing a sense of acceptance and relaxation to each part of your body.
Once you have scanned your entire body, take a few moments to simply rest in this state of awareness and relaxation.

Tips for beginners

Start with short meditation sessions (5-10 minutes) and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable with the practice.
If you find it difficult to stay focused during the body scan, gently bring your attention back to the sensations in your body without judgment.
Experiment with different body scan techniques, such as focusing on your breath or using guided meditation recordings, to find what works best for you.
Practice body scan meditation regularly to experience its full benefits, such as reduced stress, improved sleep, and increased self-awareness.

By following these steps and tips, you can cultivate a deeper sense of mindfulness and relaxation through the practice of body scan meditation.

Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Restlessness and distractions.

One common challenge many people face during body scan meditation is restlessness and distractions. It can be difficult to quiet the mind and stay present in the moment. To overcome this challenge, try starting the meditation with deep breathing exercises to help calm the mind. Additionally, acknowledge any distractions that arise during the practice, but gently guide your focus back to the sensations in your body.

Physical discomfort

Another challenge that may arise during body scan meditation is physical discomfort. This can range from minor aches and pains to more severe discomfort in certain areas of the body. To overcome this challenge, try adjusting your body position to alleviate any discomfort. You can also try to shift your focus to other areas of the body that feel more comfortable, or simply observe the sensations without judgment.

Difficulty focusing

Difficulty focusing is another common challenge during body scan meditation. With our busy and overstimulated lives, it can be hard to quiet the mind and stay present. To overcome this challenge, try practicing mindfulness throughout the day to help improve your ability to focus. You can also try breaking the body scan meditation into shorter sessions to make it more manageable, gradually increasing the duration as you become more comfortable with the practice.

Scientific Research and Studies on Body Scan Meditation

Body scan meditation has been the subject of numerous scientific studies that have highlighted its positive effects on both physical and mental well-being. One study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School found that participants who practiced body scan meditation experienced a significant decrease in stress levels compared to those who did not engage in the practice. This suggests that body scan meditation may be a valuable tool for stress reduction.

Impact on stress reduction

As mentioned in the previous section, body scan meditation has been shown to be effective in reducing stress levels. By bringing awareness to different parts of the body and focusing on sensations, individuals are able to quiet the mind and release tension. This can lead to a sense of calm and relaxation, ultimately reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

Improvement in mental health

In addition to reducing stress, body scan meditation has also been linked to improvements in mental health. Research has shown that regular practice of body scan meditation can help individuals manage anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. By cultivating mindfulness and awareness of the present moment, individuals are better able to cope with negative emotions and thoughts, leading to improved mental health outcomes.

Neurological effects

Studies have also explored the neurological effects of body scan meditation, revealing changes in brain activity associated with the practice. Research has shown that regular practice of body scan meditation can lead to increased gray matter density in areas of the brain associated with emotion regulation and self-awareness. These changes in brain structure may contribute to the positive effects of body scan meditation on stress reduction and mental health.

In conclusion, body scan meditation is a powerful mindfulness practice that allows individuals to connect with their bodies, increase self-awareness, and promote relaxation. By systematically focusing on different parts of the body, one can release tension, reduce stress, and cultivate a sense of inner peace. Incorporating body scan meditation into a daily routine can provide numerous benefits for both the mind and body. As you continue to explore this practice and deepen your understanding of its principles, may you find greater peace and harmony within yourself.

You Might Also Like:

A beginner’s guide to loving-kindness meditation, the benefits of meditation for anxiety relief, how to practice walking meditation for inner peace.

June 25, 2024

11 min read

Advanced Meditation Alters Consciousness and Our Basic Sense of Self

An emerging science of advanced meditation could transform mental health and our understanding of consciousness

By Matthew D. Sacchet & Judson A. Brewer

A person sitting in meditation pose in with a mountain landscape in the background.

Anand Purohit/Getty Images

M illions worldwide practice mindfulness meditation, not just for their mental health but as a means to enhance their general well-being, reduce stress and be more productive at work. The past decade has seen an extraordinary broadening of our understanding of the neuroscience underlying meditation; hundreds of clinical studies have highlighted its health benefits. Mindfulness is no longer a fringe activity but a mainstream health practice: the U.K.’s National Health Service has endorsed mindfulness-based therapy for depression. Mobile apps have brought meditation techniques to smartphones, enabling a new era in meditative practice.

The approach to research on meditation has been evolving in equal measure. Looking back, we can identify distinct “waves.” The first wave, from approximately the mid-1990s into the early 2000s, assessed meditation’s clinical and therapeutic potential for treating a broad set of psychological and physical health concerns. The second wave, starting in the early 2000s, focused on mechanisms of mindfulness’s effectiveness , revealing why it yields benefits for mental health that are at times comparable to those achieved with pharmaceuticals. Meditation science is now entering a third wave , exploring what we call advanced meditation—deeper and more intense states and stages of practice that often require extended training and can be experienced through increasing mastery. University research programs are being established to study these altered mental states, similar to new academic endeavors to investigate the merits of psychedelic drugs for personal well-being and a variety of medical conditions.

In the media and in academia, meditation is often seen as a tool primarily for managing the stresses of modern life and work. But our research suggests it can be used for much more. Although meditation can help people improve their psychological well-being, it also can be a gateway to experiences that lead to deep psychological transformation.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The term “advanced meditation” might evoke images of monks in robes, but these experiences are not limited to ascetics isolated from the world.

People often come to meditation because of some kind of suffering. Others are drawn to it because they perceive a lack of meaning in the materialism of the modern world. Still others may feel a pull toward “something greater” when they realize that a self-absorbed pursuit of “happiness” has its limitations.

Meditation’s potential has been demonstrated by numerous contemplative, philosophical, religious and spiritual traditions that teach it as a core element that leads to enlightenment or salvation. Buddhism, Vedic and Hindu practices, Jewish kabbalism, Islamic Sufism and shamanism, among others, have all explored meditation in their traditions. Some of them have multimillennia-long histories and encompass experiences that include states of ecstasy, insights into the nature of the self and the world around us, the cultivation of empathy, and the pursuit of altruistic goals. Such experiences have also been reported to sometimes lead to a sense of transcendence.

The experiences and personal transformations that practitioners describe are thought to undergird entirely new psychological perspectives and ways of existing in the world. Advanced meditation may help inspire people and provide deep insight and clarity about how to achieve meaning in life. It is not uncommon, in fact, for individuals to reassess their careers or life goals after a meditation retreat and go on to pursue a path that is more fulfilling and that is more aligned with their deeper values and perspectives.

The term “advanced meditation” might evoke images of monks in robes, but these experiences are not limited to ascetics isolated from the rest of the world . Laypeople who lead secular lives can become practitioners of advanced meditation and achieve a sense of profound well-being. In the new and emerging science of this third wave, advanced meditation includes deeper states and stages of meditation that a person may progress through with increasing mastery over time.

The study of advanced meditation examines meditative development—the unfolding of advanced meditative states and stages of practice. Then there is research on meditative endpoints, which represent the outcomes of advanced meditation. In Buddhist traditions, one outcome may be called enlightenment or awakening.

We believe that advanced meditation has potentially broad implications for people’s understanding of what it means to be human and for interventions for mental health and well-being, and it therefore deserves the attention of the scientific community. One of us (Sacchet) leads an effort at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School named the Meditation Research Program, established to develop a comprehensive multidisciplinary understanding of advanced meditation states and stages of practice related to well-being and clinical outcomes (meditative endpoints). We use a rich array of state-of-the-art scientific approaches. Our intention is to expand the program into a much larger research and educational effort and establish the first center dedicated to the study and training of advanced meditation.

Another research endeavor on advanced meditation has been taking place at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center (led by Brewer). Scientists there have discovered signatures of brain activity during several forms of meditation used in Tibetan Buddhism that are able to produce feelings of timelessness and states of heightened awareness. Research on advanced meditation is also taking place elsewhere and is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.

All of these investigations promise to help us find new ways to train people in advanced meditation. We envision developing specific programs that leverage insights from the science of advanced meditation to directly train people with certain clinical diagnoses. These programs could offer new therapeutic avenues for treating persistent cycles of negative thoughts in patients with major depression or the chronic worrying that characterizes generalized anxiety disorder. The idea is not just to manage symptoms but to foster a sense of deep and pervasive well-being that affects all aspects of a practitioner’s life.

Our findings are starting to inform models of how advanced meditation affects and changes the brain, paving the way for a more comprehensive grasp of these practices. In time, our research may lead to a new generation of mental health interventions that could be as simple as a set of verbal instructions or as technologically sophisticated as neurofeedback or brain stimulation.

Advanced meditation lends itself to modern, empirical scientific study for several reasons, one of which is the robust research foundation provided by decades of studies from the prior waves. This research included initial attempts to characterize the brain activity of experienced meditators. Notable examples can be seen in the seminal work of teams led by Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Sara Lazar of Massachusetts General and Harvard Medical School . Their work with long-term meditators included electroencephalography (EEG) and the first magnetic resonance imaging study of brain activity in such practitioners. A major limitation of this early research, however, was that it did not explore the rich firsthand descriptions of what people experience during advanced meditation , encompassing states of mind in which consciousness itself may vanish.

The latest wave of research coincides with a broader surge of interest in altered states of consciousness, including those studied in psychedelic research. From a technical perspective, the study of advanced meditation has been facilitated by the recognition that certain altered states can be induced at will by adept practitioners. Advanced meditation, once considered on the scientific fringe, has now made it possible to scientifically understand practices previously limited to monks and mystics.

Our team at Massachusetts General and Harvard’s Meditation Research Program has begun to integrate advanced meditation into rigorous experimental paradigms using cutting-edge methods such as neuroimaging. Studying the neural activity of practitioners in deep meditative states is important because it provides evidence for the biological existence of these states—a first step toward understanding and gaining widespread access to advanced meditation and its benefits.

A person shown from behind wearing a head net of electrodes.

An array of electrodes can be used for electroencephalography (EEG) to study electrical activity in the brains of advanced meditators.

BSIP/Getty Images

To cite one example, our group at Harvard recently conducted a study on the experiences and neuroscientific underpinnings of what we have classified as advanced concentrative absorption meditation (ACAM), one form of which is jhana from Theravada Buddhism. Practitioners of jhana report unfettered calmness, clarity of mind and self-transcendence (going beyond the concept of the self and perceiving diminishing boundaries between oneself and others). They also usher in open consciousness, a state of mind that is receptive, adaptable and accepting of perspectives beyond the existing narrative that shapes how someone sees the world.

To investigate these states, we used a powerful, seven-tesla MRI machine at Massachusetts General— a first in meditation research . Seven-tesla MRI lets us map the entire brain at high resolution. Its deep-brain imaging extends to the brain stem and cerebellum, areas crucial for healthy mental and physiological functioning that are difficult to study with conventional MRI at lower magnetic field strengths. Brain stem activity, which controls breathing and heart rate, is a prerequisite for consciousness and alertness, so it was a primary target for our work.

Our aim was to create a detailed map of the brain’s activity during ACAM and link it to the meditator’s reported experiences. We conducted an intensive case study of ACAM spanning 27 MRI data-collection periods that were completed over the course of five days. The case study was of a meditator who had more than 25 years of experience with ACAM and had completed more than 20,000 hours of meditation. We identified distinctive patterns of brain activity in the cortex, subcortex, brain stem and cerebellum regions that were active during ACAM.

Furthermore, we observed correlations between brain activity and certain qualities of ACAM related to attention, joy, mental ease, equanimity, narrative processing (the organization of information into a structured story), and formlessness (in which the sensation of inhabiting the body completely falls away). We also highlighted the distinct nature of brain activity during ACAM compared with that in several nonmeditative states. We found that patterns of local activity across brain regions were unique during advanced concentrative absorption meditation and that they were different from those we observed during ordinary states of consciousness.

After a cessation event, the practitioner undergoes a profound shift in mental perspective and well-being, including deep mental clarity and a sense of renewal.

I n another study, conducted at the University of Massachusetts’s Center for Meditation, researchers employed EEG to investigate 30 advanced meditators using practices from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition . Four advanced meditation states were characterized by self-transcendence, emptiness (a state of awareness beyond the mind’s constant word patter) and compassion. This study, on which Brewer was the senior researcher, is important in part because these characteristics are associated with psychological well-being and are disrupted in people with certain mental illnesses. The results indicated that the density of EEG currents was lower during advanced meditation. This effect was strongest in brain regions involved in self-referential processing (self-related mental activities)and executive-control regions. There is some evidence that advanced meditation practices may dampen self-referential processes and reduce the mind’s focus on the self.

We found from this research that a deeper meditation state was associated with increases in high-frequency brain activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, precuneus and superior parietal lobule and with elevation of the beta-band brain wave in the insula. Together, these results provide initial evidence for specific electrophysiological markers relevant to advanced practices. These brain-activity signatures have particular relevance to non-self-referential states advanced meditators can attain, known as nondual states. This study is also notable because it is an example of research on advanced meditation informed by Tibetan Buddhism. It will be a crucial development for the field to compare advanced meditative states among diverse contemplative traditions that historically have been separated geographically, culturally and philosophically.

In a third study, our Harvard/Massachusetts General team investigated, for the first time , what are called cessation events. We used EEG combined with a novel investigative approach that involves the meditators’ description of their own experiences, with the goal of finding a neural signature of these advanced meditation experiences. Cessations are radically altered states characterized by a full loss of consciousness. They are thought to result from deep mastery of a mindfulness-based meditation that is part of the vipassana tradition in Theravada Buddhism.

When we discuss the loss of consciousness during advanced meditation cessation events, it is crucial to differentiate it from unconsciousness that is caused by anesthesia, coma (including medically induced coma), physical trauma such as head injuries, and naturally occurring events such as sleep. Unlike these states, cessation events in advanced meditation represent a peak meditative experience in which ordinary self-awareness and sensory processing are temporarily suspended.

After a cessation event, the practitioner undergoes a profound shift in mental perspective and well-being, including deep mental clarity and a sense of renewal. In Theravada Buddhism, these events are known as nirodha and represent an important meditative endpoint.

For our study, we examined cessations experienced by a single advanced meditator with more than 23,000 hours of meditation training. We analyzed EEG data for 37 cessation events recorded during numerous sessions. Immediately after each EEG run, the participant graded different qualities of any cessations that had occurred. We used a unique approach in which we tied the practitioner’s first-person descriptions of the meditation experience to our objective neuroimaging data. We found that specific EEG signatures—notably, one called alpha spectral power and another called alpha functional connectivity—started to decrease approximately 40 seconds before a cessation and returned to normal about 40 seconds after it ended.

The lowest levels of alpha power and connectivity occurred immediately before and after cessation. The results of this study are consistent with the suggestion that this type of meditation diminishes hierarchical predictive processing—that is, the mind’s tendency to predict and rank self-related narratives and beliefs. The cessation process can ultimately result in the absence of consciousness and the emergence of a deeply present form of awareness and thought that accepts whatever arises, whether positive or negative. Our findings provide preliminary insight into the mechanisms underlying the highly unusual capacity to induce a momentary lapse of consciousness during cessations, suggesting it involves measurable changes in brain activity.

Much like psychedelics, advanced meditation is sometimes linked to challenging psychological disturbances, so it needs to be practiced along with the guidance of properly skilled practitioners. Initial forays into the science of advanced meditation we’ve described here lay the groundwork for further investigation. One of our objectives is to achieve a scientific understanding that facilitates broader accessibility to these practices. Like simpler forms of mindfulness meditation, advanced meditation can be practiced in diverse settings, when seated on the floor or a chair, with eyes open or closed.

Advanced meditation holds remarkable promise for supporting well-being in both clinical and nonmedical settings. This domain of meditation has the potential to massively reduce or otherwise alter narrative and self-referential thinking, improve attention, and foster feelings of self-generated joy and contentment far beyond what is currently understood in the domain of “mindfulness” research and practice—qualities that are often difficult for people with mental health conditions to attain. Mindfulness meditation has indeed helped millions of people, but advanced meditation research could revamp the field of mental health, offering entirely new avenues for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and, more generally, fostering a sense of well-being.

Evidence is growing for the efficacy of psychedelics as treatments for some psychiatric conditions, especially depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. We think that people can make similar progress through meditation. Future research may benefit from examining how ACAM and other forms of advanced meditative states relate to psychedelic experiences and how they may similarly help to alleviate symptoms of psychopathology.

Advanced meditation interventions could be integrated with established mindfulness-based techniques, novel meditation-based therapies, and innovative technologies designed to modulate specific neural networks through neurofeedback and brain stimulation. These methods may make it possible for people to have the experience of an advanced meditative state without undergoing extensive training.

Advanced meditation therefore holds significant and untapped opportunities to diminish suffering and help people flourish. It may even provide a gateway to entirely new ways of understanding our basic humanity.

As interest in meditation continues to grow, so does the potential to explore its full spectrum of possibilities for bettering the mental and physical health of individuals and society. Our work in the new wave of advanced meditation research is not just about coping with the stress of modern living. It could improve our understanding of and approach to the mind, mental health and well-being, allowing each of us to lead a more fulfilled, compassionate and “enlightened” life.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

Advanced Search
Journal List
Biomed Res Int

The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies

Maddalena boccia.

1 Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy

2 Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy

Laura Piccardi

3 Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, L' Aquila University, P.le S.Tommasi 1, 67100 Coppito, Italy

Paola Guariglia

4 Department of Human Science and Society, University of Enna “Kore,” Cittadella Universitaria, 94100 Enna, Italy

Over the past decade mind and body practices, such as yoga and meditation, have raised interest in different scientific fields; in particular, the physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects observed in meditators have been investigated. Neuroimaging studies have studied the effects of meditation on brain structure and function and findings have helped clarify the biological underpinnings of the positive effects of meditation practice and the possible integration of this technique in standard therapy. The large amount of data collected thus far allows drawing some conclusions about the neural effects of meditation practice. In the present study we used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis to make a coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging data on the effects of meditation on brain structure and function. Results indicate that meditation leads to activation in brain areas involved in processing self-relevant information, self-regulation, focused problem-solving, adaptive behavior, and interoception. Results also show that meditation practice induces functional and structural brain modifications in expert meditators, especially in areas involved in self-referential processes such as self-awareness and self-regulation. These results demonstrate that a biological substrate underlies the positive pervasive effect of meditation practice and suggest that meditation techniques could be adopted in clinical populations and to prevent disease.

1. Introduction

Mind and body practices such as yoga, meditation, progressive relaxation, or guided imagery use mental and physical abilities to improve health and well-being. Over the past decade these practices have received increasing attention in different fields of study in which the physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects observed in trained individuals have been investigated. Increased knowledge about the physiological effects of mind and body practices makes it possible to explore their therapeutic potential, identify adverse effects, and safely integrate these techniques into standard therapeutic approach.

Meditation is a complex process aimed at self-regulating the body and mind and is often associated with psychological and neurophysiological modifications [ 1 ]. Meditation practices can be oriented toward the concentration of attention on a particular external, corporal, or mental object, while ignoring all irrelevant stimuli (focused attention meditation), or toward techniques that try to enlarge the attentional focus to all incoming sensations, emotions, and thoughts from moment to moment without focusing on any of them (open monitoring meditation) [ 2 ]. In any case, most meditation approaches use both types of practices complementarily [ 3 , 4 ].

Meditation practice has been found to promote well-being by fostering cognitive and emotional processes [ 5 , 6 ]. Specifically, it has been found to improve working memory and attentional processes [ 7 – 9 ] as well as perceptual abilities [ 10 ]. It has also been found to promote prosocial behavior [ 11 ] and emotional regulation [ 12 ]. The potential contribution of meditation to cognitive and emotional processes can be appreciated in the context of the model proposed by Lutz and colleagues [ 13 , 14 ]. These authors posited that meditation practice induces enhancement of at least four different abilities: sustained attention, monitoring faculty (to detect mind wandering), the ability to disengage from a distracting object without further involvement (attentional switching), and the ability to redirect focus to the chosen object (selective attention). A recent systematic review by Chiesa and colleagues [ 15 ] allowed drawing some important conclusions about the positive effect of meditation on cognitive functions. Executive functions, attention, and memory were the main targets of meditation practice. In particular, as compared to the control group, meditators showed improved sustained attention [ 16 ], conflict monitoring [ 7 ], and reduced attentional blink [ 17 ]. Meditators also performed better than controls in the classical working memory paradigms [ 16 , 18 ]. Concerning memory, significant improvement was found in meta-awareness [ 19 ] and in specific autobiographical memories [ 20 ] after meditation training. Ortner and colleagues [ 21 ] also found that meditation groups showed reduced interference from unpleasant pictures, suggesting that meditation also has a positive effect in decreasing emotional interference during performance of a cognitive task.

Interestingly, the current literature suggests that meditation has a potential effect on age-related cognitive decline [ 22 , 23 ], probably due to the regulation of glucocorticosteroids, inflammation, and serotonin metabolism [ 23 ]. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized [ 24 ] that the stress reduction promoted by meditation contrasts hippocampal vulnerability to neurotoxicity [ 25 ] and leads to increased hippocampal grey matter volume due to neuron preservation and/or neurogenesis. Meditation has also been found to reduce a number of psychological and physical symptoms in clinical populations [ 26 , 27 ]. King and coworkers [ 28 ] found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was an acceptable brief intervention therapy for combatting PTSD: indeed, it reduced avoidance symptoms and PTSD cognitions. There is also evidence that, compared to standard care, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy almost halves the risk of relapse in people who are currently well but who have experienced at least three prior episodes of depression [ 29 , 30 ] and is comparable to antidepressant medication in reducing risk of relapse [ 31 ].

The effects of meditation on brain structure and function have received increasing attention in neuroimaging studies (MRI, fMRI, and PET) and the number of published studies is steadily growing [ 32 ]. Specifically, the findings of neuroimaging investigations have allowed linking the positive effects of meditation to specific brain modifications. Neuroimaging studies of brain modification can be roughly divided into those investigating (1) neurofunctional correlates of meditation, (2) neurofunctional modifications after meditation training, and (3) structural brain modifications in expert meditators.

Functional studies on the brain correlates of meditation have assessed neural activation during meditation by requiring participants to undergo fMRI scans during meditation tasks. These studies have reported increased activation in areas associated with attention, mind wandering, retrieval of episodic memories, and emotional processing during meditation [ 33 ]. Specifically, increased activation in the prefrontal cortex [ 34 ], parietal areas [ 35 ], middle cingulate cortex, and hippocampal and parahippocampal formations [ 36 ] has been reported.

Studies of functional brain modifications after meditation training have focused on functional and the metabolic changes after meditation training and/or in expert meditators compared with control participants. These studies adopted different paradigms ( Table 1 ): the affective Stroop task [ 37 ], pain-related tasks [ 38 – 41 ], attentional paradigms [ 42 – 44 ], emotional provocation [ 45 ], and meditation tasks [ 36 , 46 , 47 ]. The results of these studies are very intriguing because they shed more light on the possible link between neurofunctional changes and the positive effect of meditation on different aspects of cognitive and emotional processes, such as perceptual and attentional processes [ 7 – 10 ] as well as social behavior [ 11 ] and emotional regulation [ 12 ].

Functional changes in meditators.

Paper		Contrast	Experience	Meditation
Allen et al., 2012 [ ]	61	AFT, task > passive view	6 weeks	MT
Allen et al., 2012 [ ]	61	AFT, negative > neutral	6 weeks	MT
Allen et al., 2012 [ ]	61	AFT, task by emotion	6 weeks	MT
Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007 [ ]	41	EM > NM during meditation	—	Buddhist practitioners
Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007 [ ]	41	EM > INM during meditation	—	Buddhist practitioners
Brefczynski-Lewis et al., 2007 [ ]	41	EM > INM meditation > rest, group by task	—	Buddhist practitioners
Creswell et al., 2007 [ ]	27	Neural areas associated with MAAS	—	—
Davanger et al., 2010 [ ]	4	ACEM meditation > control task	23 years	ACEM
Ding et al., 2014 [ ]	32	IBMT > RT	10 days	IBMT
Engström et al., 2010 [ ]	8	Meditate	14 months	ACEM and Kundalini
Engström et al., 2010 [ ]	8	Word	14 months	ACEM and Kundalini
Engström et al., 2010 [ ]	8	Silent mantra	14 months	ACEM and Kundalini
Farb et al., 2007 [ ]	27	Experiential focus, MT > controls	8 weeks	MBSR
Farb et al., 2010 [ ]	36	Sadness provocation, MT > controls	8 weeks	MBSR
Farb et al., 2013 [ ]	36	Interoception > exteroception, MT > controls	8 weeks	MBSR
Grant et al., 2011 [ ]	22	Pain, EM > controls	—	Zen
Grant et al., 2011 [ ]	22	Hot > warm, EM	—	Zen
Grant et al., 2011 [ ]	22	Pain, EM > controls	—	Zen
Guleria et al., 2013 [ ]	14	Meditation > control	5.8 ± 0.9 years	SOHAM
Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [ ]	14	AWARE-MW	>1 year	FAM
Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [ ]	14	SHIFT > MW	>1 year	FAM
Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [ ]	14	FOCUS > MW	>1 year	FAM
Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [ ]	14	MW > SHIFT	>1 year	FAM
Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [ ]	14	Correlations with practice time, AWARE	>1 year	FAM
Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [ ]	14	Correlations with practice time, SHIFT	>1 year	FAM
Hasenkamp et al., 2012 [ ]	14	Correlations with practice time, FOCUS	>1 year	FAM
Hölzel et al., 2007 [ ]	30	Mindfulness > arithmetic, EM	>2 years	Vipassana
Hölzel et al., 2007 [ ]	30	EM > controls	>2 years	Vipassana
Ives-Deliperi et al., 2011 [ ]	10	Mindfulness > control in EM	8 weeks	MBSR
Jang et al., 2011 [ ]	68	EM > controls	39.88 ± 25.58 months	BWVM
Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [ ]	32	Auditory/salience	8 weeks	MBSR
Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [ ]	32	Medial visual	8 weeks	MBSR
Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [ ]	32	Lateral visual	8 weeks	MBSR
Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [ ]	32	Sensorimotor	8 weeks	MBSR
Kilpatrick et al., 2011 [ ]	32	Executive control	8 weeks	MBSR
Lee et al., 2012 [ ]	44	CPT in FAM	>5 years	FAM/LKM
Lee et al., 2012 [ ]	44	EPT-happy in FAM	>5 years	FAM/LKM
Lee et al., 2012 [ ]	44	EPT-happy in LKM	>5 years	FAM/LKM
Lee et al., 2012 [ ]	44	EPT-sad in FAM	>5 years	FAM/LKM
Lee et al., 2012 [ ]	44	EPT-sad in LKM	>5 years	FAM/LKM
Lutz et al., 2008 [ ]	28	Meditation > resting states, EM > controls	10000 to 50000 hours	Buddhist practitioners
Lutz et al., 2009 [ ]	22	Meditation > resting states, EM > controls	10000 to 50000 hours	Buddhist practitioners
Lutz et al., 2013 [ ]	28	Hot > warm, EM > controls	>10000 hours	Buddhist practitioners
Lutz et al., 2013 [ ]	28	EM > controls	>10000 hours	Buddhist practitioners
Manna et al., 2010 [ ]	8	FAM > rest, in EM	Mean 15750 hours	Buddhist monks
Manna et al., 2010 [ ]	8	OM > FAM, in EM	Mean 15750 hours	Buddhist monks
Manna et al., 2010 [ ]	8	OM > rest, in EM	Mean 15750 hours	Buddhist monks
Mascaro et al., 2013a [ ]	29	Self pain task, pain > no pain	8 weeks	CBCT
Mascaro et al., 2013a [ ]	29	Other pain tasks, pain > no pain	8 weeks	CBCT
Mascaro et al., 2013b [ ]	29	RME, emotion > gender	8 weeks	CBCT
Monti et al., 2012 [ ]	8	Post- > pretreatment	8 weeks	MBAT
Monti et al., 2012 [ ]	8	Post- > pretreatment, MBAT > controls	8 weeks	MBAT
Orme-Johnson et al., 2006 [ ]	24	Post- > pretreatment	31.3 ± 2.3 years	TMT
Taylor et al., 2011 [ ]	22	Positive > neutral pictures	1000 hours	Zen
Tang et al., 2013 [ ]	60	IBMT > RT	10 sessions	IBMT
Tang et al., 2013 [ ]	60	IBMT, post > pre	10 sessions	IBMT
Wang et al., 2011 [ ]	10	Meditation 1 > control	30 years	Kundalini
Wang et al., 2011 [ ]	10	Meditation 2 > control	30 years	Kundalini
Wang et al., 2011 [ ]	10	Meditation 2 > Meditation 1	30 years	Kundalini
Wang et al., 2011 [ ]	10	Baseline 2 > Baseline 1	30 years	Kundalini
Xu et al., 2014 [ ]	14	NDM > rest	27 ± 9 years	ACEM
Xu et al., 2014 [ ]	14	Concentrative practicing > rest	27 ± 9 years	ACEM
Xu et al., 2014 [ ]	14	NDM > concentrative practicing > rest	27 ± 9 years	ACEM

Notes . AST: affective Stroop task; MT: mindfulness training; EM: expert meditators; NM: novice meditators; INM: incentive novice meditators; MAAS: Mindful Attention Awareness Scale; IBMT: integrative body-mind training; RT: relaxation training; MBSR: mindfulness-based stress reduction; BWVM: brain-wave vibration meditation; FAM: focused attention meditation; LKM: loving-kindness meditation; CPT: continuous performance test; EPT: emotion-processing task; OM: open monitoring meditation; CBCT: cognitively based compassion training; RME: reading the mind eyes test; MBAT: mindfulness-based art therapy; TMT: transcendental meditation technique; NDM: nondirective meditation; MW: mind wondering.

The studies that investigated structural brain modifications in expert meditators ( Table 2 ) focused on brain structural changes after meditation training and/or in expert meditators compared with control participants; they primarily assessed grey matter changes with whole-brain voxel-based morphometry or cortical thickness mapping of MRI data [ 24 , 48 – 54 ]. These studies principally found that, compared with control participants, expert meditators showed increased grey matter volume at the level of the posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction, angular gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, and subiculum in the medial temporal lobe and the brainstem.

sMRI studies on expert meditators.

Paper		Contrast	Experience	Meditation
Kang et al., 2013 [ ]	92	Meditators versus controls	41.23 ± 27.57 months	BWV
Wei et al., 2013 [ ]	40	Meditators versus controls	14 ± 8 years	TCC
Hölzel et al., 2011 [ ]	16	Pre- to post-MBSR training	8 weeks	MBSR
Kurth et al., 2014 [ ]	100	Meditators versus controls	19.8 ± 11.4 years	—
Kurth et al., 2014 [ ]	100	Correlation with meditation practice	19.8 ± 11.4 years	—
Leung et al., 2013 [ ]	25	Meditators versus controls	>5 years	LKM
Luders et al., 2009 [ , ]	44	Meditators versus controls	24.18 ± 12.36 years	—
Luders et al., 2009 [ , ]	44	Meditators versus controls	24.18 ± 12.36 years	—
Luders et al., 2013 [ ]	100	Meditators versus controls	19.8 ± 11.4 years	—
Vestergaard-Poulsen et al., 2009 [ ]	20	Meditators versus controls	16.5 ± 5.1 years	Tibetan Buddhism

Notes . BWV: brain-wave vibration; TCC: Tai Chi Chuan; MBSR: mindfulness-based stress reduction; LKM: loving-kindness meditation.

Previous neuroimaging studies on the effects of meditation on brain structure and function adopted different meditation techniques and recruited participants with different meditation training. For example, some studies recruited Buddhist practitioners [ 44 ] and others recruited participants with experience in SOHAM meditation [ 47 ] or ACEM meditation [ 33 ]. Several studies reported that different meditation techniques require different cognitive processes and thus produce different neural effects [ 55 , 56 ]. But, despite differences in meditation techniques and underlying cognitive processes, it has been proposed that all meditation techniques share a central process that supports their common goal, that is, inducing relaxation, regulating attention, and developing an attitude of detachment from one's own thoughts [ 57 ]. Evidence from a recent meta-analysis of ten neuroimaging studies [ 57 ] seems to suggest that the caudate body, entorhinal cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex have a central role in supporting the general aspects of meditation effects.

The large amount of data collected over the past decade allows drawing some definite conclusions about the neural effects of meditation practice and allows discussing the positive effects of meditation practice from a biological point of view.

The main aim of the present study was to draw some definite conclusions about the neural network activated during meditation tasks and to explore functional (fMRI) and structural (sMRI) changes in expert meditators. To pursue this aim we adopted a meta-analytic approach based on activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis, which allows performing coordinate-based meta-analyses of neuroimaging data [ 58 ].

2.1. Inclusion Criteria for Papers

The database search on PubMed was performed using the following string: (((((((MRI) AND meditation) NOT Alzheimer's) NOT Parkinson's) NOT EEG) NOT MEG) NOT mild cognitive impairment). A total of 93 papers emerged. From this collection, we selected only papers that (1) included whole-brain analysis performed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), (2) provided coordinates of activation foci either in Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) or in Talairach reference space, (3) studied young and healthy participants, (4) reported activation from group studies, (5) included meditators or required participants to perform a meditation task, and (6) used no pharmacological manipulation. We selected 57 papers: 42 reported fMRI studies and 15, sMRI studies. Out of the 42 fMRI studies, 5 were excluded because they did not provide coordinates of activation foci; out of the 15 papers on sMRI studies, 6 papers were excluded for the same reason and one paper was excluded because it did not include expert meditators.

In line with the aims of the present meta-analysis, individual experimental studies from selected papers were divided according to three main axes: papers reporting (a) functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (fMRI) during meditation training, (b) functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (fMRI) that studied neural modifications after meditation training, and (c) structural MRI studies (sMRI). Note that the fMRI studies on neural modifications after meditation (see Table 1 ) included those that adopted different paradigms. These studies also reported the results of comparisons between pre- and posttreatment or results of comparisons between expert meditators and naïve participants. A meta-analytic approach, which models the probability distributions centered at the coordinates of each activation focus, allows obtaining a general picture of functional neural modifications in meditators.

We included 37 individual fMRI experimental studies on functional activations during meditation tasks (642 participants), 63 fMRI experimental studies (see Table 1 for more details) on functional changes ascribable to meditation (1,652 participants including both meditators and controls), and 10 experimental sMRI studies ( Table 2 ) on structural changes ascribable to meditation (581 participants).

2.2. Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE)

Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analyzes the probability that a voxel will contain at least one of the activation foci; it is calculated at each voxel and results in a thresholded ALE map. In other words, ALE assesses the overlap between foci by modeling the probability distributions centered at the coordinates of each one [ 58 ].

Our first aim was to provide a general picture of areas activated during meditation tasks. Thus, we carried out an ALE analysis of fMRI studies on functional activations during meditation tasks. Then, we performed two ALE analyses to determine whether meditation produces consistent modifications in brain structure and function. In the first analysis we included sMRI studies, and in the second analysis we included fMRI studies on neural modifications after meditation training.

The ALE meta-analysis was performed using GingerALE 2.1.1 ( http://brainmap.org/ ) with MNI coordinates (Talairach coordinates were automatically converted into MNI coordinates by GingerALE.). Following Eickhoff et al.'s modified procedure [ 58 ], the ALE values of each voxel in the brain were computed and a test was performed to determine the null distribution of the ALE statistic of each voxel. The FWHM value was automatically computed because this parameter is empirically determined [ 58 ].

For the fMRI studies, the thresholded ALE map was computed using P values from the previous step and a false discovery rate (FDR) at the 0.05 level of significance (Tom Nichol's FDR algorithm). Moreover, a minimum cluster size of 200 mm 3 was chosen. A cluster analysis was performed on the thresholded map.

For the sMRI studies, the thresholded ALE map was computed using P values from the previous step and a cluster level correction at the 0.05 level of significance, with a minimum cluster size of 200 mm 3 . A cluster analysis was performed on the thresholded map.

The ALE results were registered on an MNI-normalized template ( http://brainmap.org/ ) using Mricro ( http://www.mccauslandcenter.sc.edu/mricro/index.html ).

3.1. Brain Areas Activated during Meditation Tasks

ALE meta-analysis of fMRI studies carried out during meditation revealed a network of areas spanning from the occipital to the frontal lobes that was more highly activated during the meditation condition than the control condition. This network included the caudate nuclei and insula bilaterally, the precuneus, middle and superior temporal gyrus, and precentral gyrus in the left hemisphere, and the anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule (angular gyrus), and middle occipital gyrus in the right hemisphere. We also found that left posterior cerebellum, specifically the declive, was more highly activated during meditation than the control condition ( Figure 1 ).

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is BMRI2015-419808.001.jpg

Results of ALE analysis on fMRI studies of meditation. The ALE map shows brain areas activated during meditation, encompassing bilaterally the caudate nuclei and insula, precuneus, middle and superior temporal gyrus, and precentral gyrus in the left hemisphere (LH) and the anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and middle occipital gyrus in the right hemisphere (RH).

3.2. Functional Modifications in Meditators

We found that meditation practice (see Table 1 ) was associated with increased functional activation in a wide network of areas including the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and claustrum. In the left hemisphere we also found increased activation at the level of the inferior frontal gyrus, precuneus, caudate nucleus, and thalamus; and in the right hemisphere we found increased activation in the medial frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and lentiform nucleus ( Figure 2 ).

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is BMRI2015-419808.002.jpg

Results of ALE analysis on functional modifications in meditators. The ALE map shows brain areas that are more highly activated in meditators than controls. This network includes bilaterally the middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and claustrum. In the left hemisphere (LH) we found activation of the inferior frontal gyrus, precuneus, caudate nucleus, and thalamus, and in the right hemisphere (RH) we found activation in the medial frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and lentiform nucleus.

3.3. Structural Modifications in Meditators

We found that meditation practice was associated with increased grey matter volume in the frontal lobe, at the level of the right anterior cingulate cortex and left middle and medial frontal gyrus. We also found increased grey matter volume in meditators at the level of the left precuneus and fusiform gyrus and the right thalamus ( Figure 3 ).

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is BMRI2015-419808.003.jpg

Results of the ALE analysis of structural modifications in meditators. The ALE map shows increased grey matter volume in meditators in the right hemisphere (RH) at the level of the anterior cingulate cortex and thalamus and in the left hemisphere (LH) at the level of the middle and medial frontal gyrus, precuneus, and fusiform gyrus.

4. Discussion

The main aim of the present study was to identify the neural network activated during meditation and to explore structural and functional brain modifications in expert meditators. We also aimed to explore the relationship between meditation practice and the neural mechanisms that allow maintaining the positive effects of meditation training. For this purpose we adopted ALE analysis, a technique used widely in coordinate-based meta-analyses of neuroimaging data [ 58 ]. The results of this study shed light on the neural underpinnings of the positive effects of meditation practice and suggest the existence of a neural network responsible for these effects in meditators' everyday life.

The first question we tried to answer was which brain areas were activated during mediation. We used ALE analysis to identify the neural networks activated during meditation tasks and carried out the coordinate-based meta-analysis on experimental studies that required participants to meditate during the fMRI scan, regardless of their previous experience. We found that a set of brain areas spanning from the occipital to the frontal lobes was more highly activated during the meditation condition than during the control condition. This network included areas involved in processing self-relevant information, such as the precuneus [ 59 ], in processing self-regulation, focused problem-solving, and adaptive behavior, such as the anterior cingulate cortex [ 60 ], in interoception and in monitoring internal body states, such as the insula [ 61 ], in reorienting attention, such as the angular gyrus [ 62 ], and in processing the “experiential enactive self,” such as the premotor cortex and superior frontal gyrus [ 63 ]. It is not surprising that meditation induces higher activation in all of these areas, because the mental state during meditation is mainly characterized by full attention to internal and external experiences as they occur in the present moment [ 15 ].

As previously described, meditation practice has been found to promote well-being by fostering cognitive and emotional functioning [ 6 ]. Indeed, the positive effects achieved during the training sessions were generalized to everyday life, enhancing both cognitive (i.e., memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive functions) and emotional (i.e., prosocial behavior) functioning in expert meditators. Using the ALE method, we tried to address the question about the brain underpinnings of pervasive positive effects of meditation in expert meditators' daily lives. We carried out an ALE analysis that included studies which compared activations in expert meditators and control participants in a wide range of cognitive and emotional domains ( Table 1 ). Results of the ALE analysis showed that meditators, as compared with controls, showed greater activation in a wide network of areas encompassing bilaterally the frontal, parietal, and temporal regions. In addition to areas also activated during meditation (i.e., the middle occipital gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, precuneus, anterior cingulate cortex, precentral gyrus, insula, and caudate nuclei), this network of areas also included thebilateral middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and thalamus in the left hemisphere and the medial frontal gyrus and lentiform nucleus in the right hemisphere. The network of areas we found more highly activated in expert meditators than in nonmeditators has recently been hypothesized to be part of the enactive experiential self network, which integrates efferent and reafferent processes concerning exteroception, proprioception, kinesthesia, and interoception [ 63 ]. Furthermore, it was previously thought that these areas were involved in self-referential processes [ 64 – 66 ], perspective taking [ 67 ], cognitive distancing [ 68 – 71 ], and sustained attention [ 72 ]. In fact, they were found to be more highly activated in Buddhist meditators [ 1 ]. Expert meditators also showed higher activations in the parahippocampal cortex, which has repeatedly been found to be involved in memory formation and retrieval [ 73 , 74 ] as well as in high-level perception, especially in perceiving complex and ambiguous visual stimuli [ 75 , 76 ]. The higher activation we found in expert meditators may account at least in part for enhanced attention, memory, and perceptual abilities reported in previous studies [ 15 ].

Results of the ALE analysis of sMRI studies showed increased grey matter volume in meditators compared to control groups in the right anterior cingulate cortex, left middle and medial frontal gyrus, left precuneus and fusiform gyrus, and right thalamus. It could be that the increased grey matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex of meditators accounts for the improvement of specific abilities such as self-regulation, self-control, focused problem-solving, and adaptive behavioral responses under changing conditions [ 60 ], which are strictly associated with the functioning of the anterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, the anterior cingulate cortex has recently been proposed to mediate the positive effects of meditation on prosocial behavior [ 63 ]. Nevertheless, it is difficult to state whether this difference as well as many other aspects of cognitive functioning is due to meditation practice or to previous individual predisposition. Studies comparing individuals before and after meditation training may help to clarify this point. Hölzel and colleagues [ 48 ] found increased grey matter concentration from pre- to post-MBSR training at the level of the temporoparietal junction, cerebellum, and posterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, Kurth and colleagues [ 50 ] found a shifting in brain asymmetry at the level of the precuneus that was significantly correlated with number of years of practice. These results, taken together with results of the present ALE meta-analysis, which also found structural change in precuneus volume in meditators compared to controls, suggest that while structural differences at the level of the anterior cingulate cortex dispose to meditation, structural changes after meditation are strongly associated with changes in the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus. The precuneus, which is located in the posteromedial portion of the parietal lobe, was recently found to be involved in a wide range of highly integrated tasks such as visuospatial imagery, episodic memory retrieval, and self-processing operations [ 59 ]. It shows widespread connectivity patterns with cortical and subcortical brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, claustrum, caudate nucleus, and putamen [ 59 ]. The wide range of precuneus connections could account for its involvement in many high-level cognitive tasks. Specifically, involvement of the precuneus in self-referential processing could explain why it is so important in meditation practice. The precuneus was found to be involved in self-relevant information processing when self-relevant traits were compared with self-irrelevant traits [ 77 ]. It was also found to be involved during the performance of goal-directed actions when compared with passive stimulus viewing [ 78 ], the conscious resting state [ 79 , 80 ], and the enhanced consciousness state of yoga meditation [ 55 ]. All of this evidence converges to suggest that the precuneus has a pivotal role in sustaining the positive effects of meditation practice especially because of its involvement in gathering self-relevant information and in representing the self and the external world [ 59 ].

Regarding the differences among meditation techniques, as reported above, meditation practices can be grossly divided into two different approaches: focused attention meditation and open monitoring meditation. Anyway, most meditation approaches use both types of practices complementarily [ 3 , 4 ] and it has been proposed that all meditation techniques share a central process that supports their common goal, that is, inducing relaxation, regulating attention, and developing an attitude of detachment from one's own thoughts [ 57 ]. Our results strongly support the existence of a dedicate brain network that supports the general aspects of meditation effects. Actually, other than confirming the role of the caudate body, entorhinal cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex [ 57 ], the present study, using a large sample of experimental studies, sheds some light on other sets of brain areas which may be essential in supporting the general aspects of meditation effects.

5. Conclusions

Overall, results of the present ALE analysis suggest that meditation practice induces functional and structural brain modifications, especially in areas involved in self-referential processes, including self-awareness and self-regulation [ 63 ], as well as in areas involved in attention, executive functions, and memory formations [ 76 ]. Structural and functional modifications in this network may be the biological substrate of the pervasive effect of meditation practice in everyday life. These findings, taken together with previous ones, are leading to new applications of meditation practice in clinical populations and in disease prevention, especially in at-risk groups such as the elderly. In light of recent findings on the potential effect of meditation on age-related cognitive decline [ 22 , 23 ], it could be intriguing to understand whether neurobiological changes promoted by meditation practice contribute to forming the so-called “Cognitive Reserve” [ 81 ]. Possible applications to a wide range of mental disorders affecting self-regulation and self-awareness, such as mood disorders [ 82 , 83 ], anxiety disorders [ 84 ], and substance abuse [ 85 ], have also to be considered. In any case, further investigations comparing both psychological and neural effects of meditation practice are needed before any conclusions can be drawn.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

MSU Extension Mindfulness for Better Living

The many benefits of mindful body scan meditations.

Tanner Derror <[email protected]> , Michigan State University Extension - March 21, 2024

Mindful body scan meditations can help relieve pain, depression and anxiety, as well as improve the quality of your sleep. Learn how to practice your own body scan and access other mindfulness resources from MSU Extension.

A man closing his eyes and practicing mindfulness outdoors.

Taking a few minutes to practice a brief mindful body scan meditation can be a great way to relieve stress, reduce pain, and help you get better sleep. So, what is a mindful body scan? This type of scan does not involve any sort of medical equipment, like an x-Ray scan does. In fact, you don’t need any equipment at all! All you need is a calm environment and a few moments of your time.

Following along to a guided meditation, like this brief five-minute body scan meditation , that walks you through the process is a great place to start.

Body Scan Basics

A mindful body scan meditation involves the following steps:

Find a calm and relaxing environment. You may practice this body scan while standing; however, it may be more comfortable to be seated or lying down.

Close your eyes if you feel comfortable doing so. If you prefer to keep your eyes open, pick one spot to focus your vision on so you don’t become distracted.
Notice your breath. You may choose to take a few deep breaths — in through your nose and out through your mouth — relaxing any tension as you exhale.
Begin shifting your awareness from your breath to either the top of your head or the tips of your toes. Where you begin your scan is up to you.
Slowly shift your awareness to the opposite end of your body from where you started, pausing briefly to notice any sensations in your calves, knees, thighs, hips, stomach, back, shoulders, neck, and anywhere else you may be holding tension.
Simply notice any feelings or thoughts that come up without trying to control them. Keep breathing.
As you reach the end of your scan, gently bring awareness back to your surroundings, take a final deep breath, and slowly open your eyes.

With these steps in mind, you can build your own body scan routine that works best for you.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Research suggests that mindfulness meditation practices, such as body scanning, can help improve depression, anxiety, pain symptoms, and overall quality of life for people living with chronic pain. Through modern brain scan imaging, neuroscientists have been able to demonstrate that mindfulness meditation practices can lead to lower self-reported pain, less emotional reactivity and even less social pain.

Mindfulness practices provide these benefits by activating our body’s parasympathetic nervous system in a unique way that calms different structures in the limbic system (including the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and connections with the medial prefrontal cortex). The limbic system is responsible for processing pain and emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, and depression. A review of evidence found that mindfulness meditation practices may also improve quality of sleep. The next time you are struggling with negative thoughts, difficult emotions, or getting a restful night of sleep, give mindfulness a try.

Mindfulness with MSU Extension

Michigan State University Extension is here to help. MSU Extension provides health programs covering a variety of topics, including managing stress, chronic pain, and improving sleep.

These programs include:

Mindfulness for Better Living
Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention
Sleep Education for Everyone Program (SLEEP)
Personal Action Toward Health (PATH)

You can find out more about these programs (and many others) by visiting extension.msu.edu/healthprograms .

Additional Resources

You can also learn more about other mindfulness practices by checking out these articles written by MSU Extension educators:

Slow your breath, improve your health!
Begin with breathing for improved health and wellness
Bringing Mindfulness into the workplace
Mindful eating
Tai Chi: A gentle path to preventing falls and improving community well-being

You can also visit our library of guided meditations from MSU Extension here: canr.msu.edu/mindfulnessforbetterliving/guided-meditations.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension . For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu . To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters . To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts , or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Did you find this article useful?

Msu extension meat cutter training course, strongermemory -- online.

new - method size: 3 - Random key: 0, method: tagSpecific - key: 0

You Might Also Be Interested In

Affectionate Breathing

Published on June 9, 2020

Mindful Eating

Self-compassion with a loving friend.

RELAX: Alternatives to Anger Success Story

Published on June 14, 2021

Understanding America's loneliness crisis: Who is lonely and how we can help

Published on November 16, 2022

Mindfulness for Better Living on MCTV Network

Published on April 2, 2024

chronic disease
chronic pain
food & health
healthy relationships
managing farm stress
mental health first aid
mindfulness for better living
msu extension
stress less with mindfulness
chronic disease,
chronic pain,
food & health,
healthy relationships,
managing farm stress,
mental health first aid,
mindfulness for better living,
msu extension,

Type 2 Diabetes
Heart Disease
Digestive Health
Multiple Sclerosis
Diet & Nutrition
Supplements
Health Insurance
Public Health
Patient Rights
Caregivers & Loved Ones
End of Life Concerns
Health News
Thyroid Test Analyzer
Doctor Discussion Guides
Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
Lipid Test Analyzer
Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
What to Buy
Editorial Process
Meet Our Medical Expert Board

What Is the Best Type of Meditation for You?

Health Benefits
How to Start
When It Takes Effect
If You Stop

Meditation , practiced for millennia in many cultures worldwide, offers many benefits for the mind and body. The term “meditation” encompasses a range of techniques that cultivate a state of focused attention and increased awareness to calm the mind and enhance physical and mental well-being.

Each meditation technique offers a unique approach to supporting well-being. Some practices involve focusing on a particular sensation, such as breathing, a sound, or repeating a mantra. Others emphasize awareness of the present moment without judgment. There is no right or wrong way to meditate—meditation practices are as diverse as the millions of people who meditate.

This article discusses the most popular meditation types, how long they take to work, and how often to meditate to gain the most benefits.

Angelina Ishmukhametova / Getty Images

The Overall Health Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is a valuable self-care practice offering numerous physical and mental health benefits. Research shows that a regular meditation practice:

Reduces stress and anxiety : Meditation is a powerful tool for managing stress and anxiety . Studies show meditation can lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone, promoting a calm and relaxed state.
Enhances emotional regulation : Research shows that meditation cultivates emotional awareness, promotes compassion for self and others, and enhances emotional stability and resilience.
Sharpens focus and concentration : Daily meditation, even brief sessions, can improve attention and concentration, allowing you to better focus on daily tasks and activities.
Reduces pain : Meditation increases pain tolerance and decreases the overall perception of pain, making it a valuable tool for chronic pain management .
Improves sleep quality : Meditation can enhance sleep quality by calming the mind, reducing stress, and promoting relaxation.
Boosts immune function : Mindfulness meditation may boost the immune system and help reduce inflammation, potentially helping ward off illness and lowering the risk of inflammation-driven chronic diseases.
Lowers blood pressure : Evidence suggests mindful meditation modestly reduces blood pressure , which may help protect against heart disease and stroke.

Types of Meditation

Meditation encompasses many practices, many of which have roots in spiritual practices. People meditate for various reasons, including stress reduction, improved focus, enhanced self-awareness, and spiritual growth. Understanding the different types of meditation can help you find the practice that best suits your needs.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment and observing and accepting your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.

This type of meditation can include meditating while sitting, as well as when undertaking everyday activities, like walking or eating. Mindfulness meditation can take some time to adjust to, but even a few minutes a day of mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and improve your mental well-being.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a two-step technique that helps relieve stress and build awareness of body sensations. It involves progressively tensing and relaxing specific muscle groups throughout the body and noticing how the tension and release feel in each muscle group. PMR can increase body awareness, helping train your body and mind to release physical tension for deep relaxation.

Breath Awareness Meditation

Breath awareness meditation, or mindful breathing, focuses your attention on your breath. Observing your breath's natural rhythm and focusing on each inhalation and exhalation allows your mind and body to relax, cultivating inner peace. Research shows that breath awareness meditation can help improve focus, attention, and memory.

It can also reduce impulsive emotional behaviors, which may benefit people with impulse-related disorders, such as substance use disorder or binge eating disorder.

Mantra-Based Meditation

Mantra-based meditation involves repeating a mantra—a specific word, phrase, or sound—silently or aloud. As you repeat the mantra, your attention moves away from distracting thoughts and towards the present moment. Mantra-based meditation can help promote relaxation, improve focus, and deepen self-awareness and spiritual growth.

Guided Meditation

Guided meditation involves following a guide’s live or recorded instructions that lead you through specific meditation exercises.

The guide may encourage you to visualize specific imagery or scenery or walk you through various mantras or breathing exercises throughout the meditation. Guided meditation allows you to focus on relaxing and may be helpful for beginners or those who prefer structured meditation.

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation (TM) involves silently repeating a mantra assigned to you by a certified instructor for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, twice a day. TM aims to transcend ordinary thought and achieve a state of pure relaxation, helping reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure.

Focused Meditation

Focused meditation involves directing your attention to a specific object, a visualization, sound, or physical sensation to keep your attention on the present moment. This practice trains your mind to improve focus and concentration while developing the ability to redirect your attention when it wanders.

Movement Meditation

Movement meditation incorporates physical movement into meditative practice. Examples include tai chi, Qigong, and walking meditation. These practices cultivate mindfulness by focusing on bodily sensations associated with movement. Movement meditation provides physical activity alongside mental focus, which may be ideal for those who struggle to sit still for long periods.

Visualization Meditation

Visualization meditation involves imagining a peaceful scene or a specific personal goal or achievement. This technique uses the power of the mind to promote relaxation, enhance well-being, and help achieve personal goals or desired states of mind.

Spiritual Meditation

Spiritual meditation draws upon various religious or spiritual traditions. Practices may involve prayer, chanting, focusing on a deity, or contemplating spiritual texts. Spiritual meditation aims to deepen your connection to a higher power or cultivate inner peace and spiritual growth.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) combines mindfulness meditation and yoga. It is an eight-week course developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn as a structured practice that aims to reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and enhance overall well-being.

It is a popular meditation technique and complementary therapy for treating anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and substance use disorders.

Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation)

Loving-kindness meditation, also known as Metta meditation, cultivates feelings of compassion and goodwill toward yourself and others. Repeating phrases of kindness and well-being directed toward yourself, loved ones, and strangers fosters positive emotions and promotes a sense of connectedness and improved well-being.

How to Get Started With Meditation

Starting a meditation practice may seem a little intimidating initially, but it's a simple way to practice self-care and focus on the present moment. Like any new skill, meditation takes practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate even small moments of calm. Here are a few tips to get started:

Find a quiet and comfortable space : Choose a place free from distractions where you can sit or lie down comfortably.
Set a timer : Begin with short sessions, ideally five to 10 minutes, and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable.
Focus on your breath : Many meditation techniques use the breath as an anchor for your attention. Notice your breath's natural rise and fall without trying to control it.
Normalize wandering thoughts : Your mind will inevitably wander during meditation. Don't judge yourself; acknowledge the thought and gently redirect your attention to your breath or chosen focus point.
Be patient : Like any new skill, meditation takes practice. The more you meditate, the easier it will become.
Explore different techniques : There are many meditation techniques to try. Experiment to find one that works for and resonates with you.

How Long Does Meditation Take to Work?

The time it takes to notice the benefits of meditation varies from person to person. Some people may immediately feel calmer and more relaxed after a single session, while others may need a few weeks of consistent practice to notice changes.

Research shows that even short meditation sessions can produce immediate benefits, such as stress reduction and improved focus. However, lasting changes in areas like anxiety relief, emotional regulation, and improved sleep may take several weeks of consistent practice.

Try not to feel discouraged if you don't experience rapid changes. With patience and consistency, you'll gradually cultivate the skills and benefits meditation offers.

How Often to Meditate

Aim for a daily meditation practice, even for a few minutes, to maximize your meditation experience. Consistency builds the skills and discipline required to cultivate a practice that fosters inner peace and supports your well-being.

Incorporating meditation into your daily schedule may take trial and error until you find what works. Experiment with meditation sessions at different times of the day to find a schedule that integrates seamlessly into your routine. Morning meditation may be optimal for some people, while others prefer an evening session to help unwind before bed.

Ultimately, the ideal meditation frequency is the one you can stick with consistently.

What Happens When You Stop Meditating?

Meditation, like any skill, requires consistent practice to maintain its benefits. When you stop meditating, the advantages you gain from your practice may gradually diminish over time.

While you won't lose the ability to meditate if you take a break, there may be some noticeable changes. For example, you may notice a gradual return of stress and anxiety symptoms or find your focus wandering more than it did when you were meditating regularly.

You can always return to your meditation practice. The skills you develop through meditation can make it easier to restart and quickly regain the benefits. Consistency is vital to maintaining the positive impacts of meditation, but there is always time to resume and reestablish the practice in your daily schedule.

Tips to Improve Meditation

Meditation is similar to physical exercise—the more you practice, the more you'll notice improved skills. But even people seasoned in meditating can find their practice challenged by a wandering mind or difficulty achieving a sense of calm. Here are some tips to elevate your meditation experience:

Set a routine : Pick a time of day to meditate, such as the morning before you get ready for work or the evening when you're unwinding for bed.
Create a dedicated meditation space : A designated area for meditation, whether a comfortable spot on the couch, your car, or somewhere in nature, can signal to your mind that it's time to focus and relax.
Minimize distractions : Turn off electronic devices and let people around you know you're meditating and need some time to avoid interruptions.
Posture matters, but comfort is key : No single "perfect" meditation posture exists. Experiment with sitting on a chair, kneeling, or lying down, and find a position that allows you to maintain an alert yet relaxed state for the duration of your practice.
Work with a meditation app or guided meditations : If you're new to the practice, use guided meditations or meditation apps to receive instructions and support.
Acknowledge and redirect wandering thoughts : It's natural for your mind to wander. When this happens, acknowledge the thought without judgment and gently bring your attention to your chosen focus point.
Celebrate small wins : Focus on progress, not perfection. Even a few moments of meditation are beneficial.
Be patient : Meditation is a skill that takes time and practice to develop.

Meditation offers many benefits for your mind and body, including stress reduction, emotional regulation, and improved focus. There are many types to explore, from mindfulness or loving-kindness meditation to guided or walking meditations.

Begin with short sessions (five to 10 minutes) and aim for daily practice. Remember to be patient and gentle with yourself when you begin your meditation practice. Aim for presence, not perfection, and stay consistent to gain meditation's benefits.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Meditation and mindfulness: what you need to know .

Cramer H, Hall H, Leach M, et al. Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: a nationally representative survey . Sci Rep . 2016;6:36760. doi:10.1038/srep36760

Hoge EA, Bui E, Palitz SA, et al. The effect of mindfulness meditation training on biological acute stress responses in generalized anxiety disorder . Psychiatry Res . 2018;262:328-332. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.006

Luberto CM, Shinday N, Song R, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors . Mindfulness (NY) . 2018;9(3):708-724. doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8

Guendelman S, Medeiros S, Rampes H. Mindfulness and emotion regulation: insights from neurobiological, psychological, and clinical studies . Front Psychol . 2017;8:220. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00220

Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA. Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators . Behav Brain Res . 2019;356:208-220. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023

Shires A, Sharpe L, Davies JN, et al. The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in acute pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Pain . 2020;161(8):1698-1707. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001877

Rusch HL, Rosario M, Levison LM, et al. The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials . Ann N Y Acad Sci . 2019;1445(1):5-16. doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13996

Villalba DK, Lindsay EK, Marsland AL, et al. Mindfulness training and systemic low-grade inflammation in stressed community adults: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials . PLoS One . 2019;14(7):e0219120. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219120

American Heart Association. Mindfulness shows promise as an effective intervention to lower blood pressure .

National Institutes of Health: News in Health. Mindfulness for your health .

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Progressive muscle relaxation .

Quek FYX, Majeed NM, Kothari M, et al. Brief mindfulness breathing exercises and working memory capacity: findings from two experimental approaches . Brain Sci . 2021;11(2):175. doi:10.3390/brainsci11020175

Pozuelos JP, Mead BR, Rueda MR, et al. Short-term mindful breath awareness training improves inhibitory control and response monitoring . Prog Brain Res . 2019;244:137-163. doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.019

Álvarez-Pérez Y, Rivero-Santana A, Perestelo-Pérez L, et al. Effectiveness of mantra-based meditation on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2022;19(6):3380. doi:10.3390/ijerph19063380

Ooi SL, Giovino M, Pak SC. Transcendental meditation for lowering blood pressure: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Complement Ther Med . 2017;34:26-34. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.07.008

Burke A, Lam CN, Stussman B, Yang H. Prevalence and patterns of use of mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation among adults in the United States . BMC Complement Altern Med . 2017;17(1):316. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1827-8

Yoshida K, Takeda K, Kasai T, et al. Focused attention meditation training modifies neural activity and attention: longitudinal EEG data in non-meditators . Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci . 2020;15(2):215-224. doi:10.1093/scan/nsaa020

Wang YT, Huang G, Duke G, Yang Y. Tai Chi, yoga, and Qigong as mind-body exercises . Evid Based Complement Alternat Med . 2017;2017:8763915. doi:10.1155/2017/8763915

Aksu Ç, Ayar D. The effects of visualization meditation on the depression, anxiety, stress and achievement motivation levels of nursing students . Nurse Education Today . 2023;120:105618. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105618

Niazi AK, Niazi SK. Mindfulness-based stress reduction: a non-pharmacological approach for chronic illnesses . N Am J Med Sci . 2011;3(1):20-3. doi:10.4297/najms.2011.320.

American Psychological Association. Mindfulness meditation: a research-proven way to reduce stress .

Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. What is loving-kindness (Metta) meditation?

NHS Better Health. How to meditate for beginners .

Greif TR, Kaufman DAS. Immediate effects of meditation in college students: a pilot study examining the role of baseline attention performance and trait mindfulness . J Am Coll Health . 2021;69(1):38-46. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1650052

Cearns M, Clark SR. The effects of dose, practice habits, and objects of focus on digital meditation effectiveness and adherence: Longitudinal study of 280,000 digital meditation sessions across 103 countries . J Med Internet Res . 2023;25:e43358. doi:10.2196/43358

Riordan KM, Simonsson O, Frye C, et al. How often should I meditate? A randomized trial examining the role of meditation frequency when total amount of meditation is held constant . J Couns Psychol . 2024;71(2):104-114. doi:10.1037/cou0000725

Carpena MX, Tavares PS, Menezes CB. The effect of a six-week focused meditation training on depression and anxiety symptoms in Brazilian university students with 6 and 12 months of follow-up . J Affect Disord . 2019;246:401-407. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.126

Geisinger Health System. How to meditate: 8 tips for beginners .

By Lindsay Curtis Curtis is a writer with over 20 years of experience focused on mental health, sexual health, cancer care, and spinal health.

Oxiline scale x pro review: your at-home version of a dexa scan.

It's easy to have a love-hate relationship with scales. Throughout my life, I've tried to put emphasis on how I feel in my body rather than how I look. This means paying less attention to my body weight and putting more emphasis on how much weight I can lift in the gym.

But as I've started to lean into data tracking to expand my longevity, I've realized that my contentious relationship with a scale needed to end—which led me to the Oxiline Scale X Pro .

The smart scale doesn't just track your weight. It also delivers a real-time breakdown of your bone mass, muscle rate, water weight, and body fat at every weigh-in. This makes using the scale feel less like being in high school gym class and more like completing an at-home DEXA scan .

After testing the smart scale , I've been surprised by how my relationship with a weekly weigh-in has shifted. I'm excited to see how different metrics shift based on changes in my routine—and I've found there's plenty of reason to be impressed with this smart bioimpedance (i.e., body composition) scale.

Oxiline Scale X Pro

What is Oxiline?

Oxiline is a medical device company that creates blood pressure monitors, oximeters, glucometers, TENS units, and smart scales.

The Scale X Pro is the brand's only scale, and it's FDA cleared like most of Oxiline's other products. This means the Food and Drug Administration found the scale's health benefits outweigh the risks (and puts the product on the pathway for FDA approval).

Oxiline Scale on top of gray cloth on tester's bed

What makes the Oxiline scale "smart"

I've dealt with my fair share of scales throughout my lifetime, including scales that connect to a smartphone to help track your weight over time.

But the Oxline Scale X Pro was my very first smart scale and the first time I'd seen a scale provide a much deeper look into my body breakdown.

Here's what the smart scale tracks :

BMI (body mass index)
Body Fat, Visceral Fat, Subcutaneous Fat
Muscle Rate
Body Water (i.e., water weight)
Skeletal Muscle
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

How does the scale track these metrics?

The Oxiline's sheer amount of data is almost overwhelming—and it's hard to imagine the 11-by-11-inch device can calculate that much information. But it all comes down to the ECHO™ Bio-Electrical Impedance Sensor .

Each scale has 12 auto-calibrating sensors that emit a high-frequency sound pulse through your body. It then uses a combination of user data (height, weight, and age) to calculate additional metrics.

Only eight of the device's 16 data points are shared directly on the scale's LED screen, such as bone mass, water weight, muscle weight, and BMI.

I found setting up the connection between the scale and iPhone via Bluetooth to be a super-simple process. The app provides easy step-by-step directions with visuals to walk you through the setup.

Oxiline setup phone screenshots taken by tester

Other reviewers complained about issues connecting to the scale, but my iPhone notoriously has spotty Bluetooth and didn't struggle to connect .

Instead, the app was a useful tool for allowing me to track progress over time with a log of all my old data. It also gave me the option to set up daily reminders to weigh myself until it could become a more regular (and less daunting) habit.

Plus, it was cool to see how the Oxiline ecosystem of products could work together to track a range of data points in the app, allowing users to build an even more expansive understanding of their current health status.

Why more than your weight & BMI need to be tracked

During my first reading with the scale, I was almost overwhelmed by the amount of data coming my way—but it was a great reminder that BMI and weight alone are not always the best indicators of health.

Holistic physician Noemi Adame, M.D., previously explained the complication of just using weight to track your health by using the example of resistance training.

When you first start working out, your muscle mass often increases while your body fat decreases. Your body weight might stay the same and cause you to feel discouraged—even though important changes are happening below the surface.

The Oxline Scale X Pro provides insights into both of these metrics to help you gain a more holistic view of how your body is changed (and it even tracks some of Adame's other recommended metrics like basal metabolic rate and skeletal muscle mass).

Is the Oxiline scale accurate?

Unfortunately, I've never done a DEXA scan, so I can't tell you how closely these numbers compare to the scale's data collection . However, I did play around with the scale to test out the precision and whether the ECHO sensors were actually legit.

Testing the sensors

The first test I played around with was not fully stepping on the scale. Instead, I just pressed one leg onto the scale until it hit the body weight of an average person (but kept the rest of my body off the scale).

I wanted to have a better understanding of whether sensors were actually going through my body—or just calculating data about my body based on the sex, height, and age data that I shared when making my profile.

While the weight populated on my phone screen, other metrics remained empty. The scale wasn't getting the essential feedback that it needed from the sensors to determine my body fat or muscle weight.

screenshot of an inaccurate reading from not fully stepping on scale

Testing the precision

My second test focused on precision. I wanted to see if the scale would give me the same exact weigh-in numbers from different rooms. I first placed my scale in the bathroom and took my numbers; I then moved the scale to my bedroom.

In the past, I've had scales change their reading within minutes (despite no actual changes like stripping off my clothes or eating and drinking).

I was surprised to see the Oxiline scale gave me the exact same data when I tested it minutes apart on different hard floors.

While I can't determine the scale's accuracy until I complete a DEXA scan, this felt like a useful way to at least understand the precision of my measurements.

screenshots of weight taken two minutes apart on Oxiline Scale

Comparing data points

I also decided to compare the heart rate tracked by the Oxiline scale and my Whoop. I wanted to get an understanding of how similar (or different) these readers would be.

My Whoop is typically worn on my hand, while the scale calculates heart rates through your feet. Since chest readers are known to be the most accurate, I expected to see some discrepancies between these numbers.

I found the scale was about 20 BPM higher; however, I was slightly stressed about quickly reviewing my heart rate on the app and livestreaming from my Whoop tracker at the same time—which may have exaggerated the difference.

Editor's Note

What are the pros & cons of the oxiline scale.

Provides a much deeper understanding of your overall health that goes beyond weight and BMI
Bluetooth-enabled scale connects with app to track data progress over time
Precise readings that don't change between rooms
Shares data with other apps including Google Health, Fitbit Tracker, Apple Health & Samsung Health
You need a smartphone to unlock the full scope of the scale's abilities
Heart rate reading does not align with my Whoop reading
The shiny black finish is sleek, but it also attracts pet hair and dust (so I wipe it down every few days)
Not rechargeable; it requires 4 AAA batteries to operate

bathroom scale set up in corner of bathroom

What other reviews say about the scale

The Oxiline Scale has nearly 9,000 reviews on the brand's site with a 4.9 out of 5-star rating. The most common complaints about the scale focus on issues with Bluetooth connectivity, inconsistency with heart rate readings, and some inconsistency between accuracy and true DEXA scan readings.

However, my reviews are overwhelmingly positive with other testers sharing:

"I did a lot of research before ordering. This was recommended as the best smart scale. I want all the info it gives. Not everyone needs this much info but it is still the best value in quality for the money."
"I chose this scale as my first bioimpedence scale because other reviews said it was very accurate on percent of body fat, and because it would talk to Apple Health and several other health/fitness apps. I am quite happy with it."
"I understand that the body composition feature of this scale isn't totally accurate but I do like that it shows the same readings each time. This helps me to keep track of how I'm doing compared to before. I've been using it for a few months and it's been useful."

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 limbs of yoga - what is asana.

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How plants can optimize athletic performance.

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

How ayurveda helps us navigate modern life.

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

4 Signs You Would Benefit From A Creatine Supplement If You’re 40+

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

I’ve Studied Trauma For 50+ Years: Here’s 3 Things You Should Know About Healing

Jason Wachob

Boost Your Brain Function With These 6 Essential Supplements*

Morgan Chamberlain

Yes, Your Hormones Impact Your Social Battery — Here's How (& What To Do)

Hannah Frye

Sleep Like a Wellness Editor With These 5 Essential Bedside Items

Want To Lower Your Resting Heart Rate? Get More Of This Nutrient

Why Women Make Up Nearly 80% of Autoimmune Disease Cases in the U.S.

How To Spot Hidden Trauma Responses, From A Psychologist

3 Reasons Women Should Take A Creatine Supplement In Menopause

4 Signs You Would Benefit From A Creatine Supplement If You’re 40+

Shots - Health News

Full body scans miss the mark when it comes to improving u.s. disease prevention.

Lisa Doggett

Full-body scans often use MRI technology

Consumers are paying cash for preventive health testing with full body scans, which typically use MRI technology. Mindful Media/Getty Images/E+ hide caption

The websites are tantalizing: “You can catch conditions before they become crises,” reads one. Another promises to make cancer “easier to beat” and claims it can detect “over 500 other conditions in up to 13 organs.” Full-body scans are attracting celebrity promoters , tech mogul investors and long waiting lists of people hoping to identify life-threatening conditions, usually more treatable in early stages.

Now offered by private companies in over a dozen U.S. cities, the scans commonly rely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), supported by artificial intelligence, to assess major organs for hidden disease. The scans, which are not covered by health insurance, take about an hour. They are then reviewed by radiologists before results and suggested next steps are shared with the customer.

Although I’m a believer in the power of prevention, I’m not taking the bait.

Scientists can tell how fast you're aging. Now, the trick is to slow it down

I’ve spent much of my 22-year career as a family doctor counseling patients on the benefits of screening for cancer and other chronic diseases, ordering appropriate tests and vaccines, and evangelizing about a healthy lifestyle. But this new race to sign up for full-body scans is troubling, given the scant evidence of benefit and the high price tags (as much as $2,500).

Instead of focusing on the dubious potential of these new scans, our nation should recommit to reaching everyone with established prevention strategies known to save lives.

Missed opportunities

Decades of research prove that regular screenings reduce illness and death. Age, risk and sex-based recommendations include testing for colon, breast, cervical and lung cancer; blood pressure checks for hypertension; and bone density tests for osteoporosis. Children need regular well-visits. Vaccines are available for everyone to prevent infections.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health plans now cover preventive services without cost-sharing by patients (i.e., copays and meeting deductibles).

Yet, according to Healthy People 2030 — a federal initiative to increase rates of preventive health care — only 5.3% of adults ages 35 and older in the United States received all recommended high-priority clinical preventive services in 2020, the last year for which numbers are available. That’s down from 8.5% in 2015.

Though most of us get some of the recommended services, nearly 95% of us are missing out on crucial opportunities to improve our health.

To check if you and your family are up to date on preventive services, see the MyHealthfinder tool.

Meanwhile, public demand is fueling the growth of Prenuvo and Ezra, the two main companies offering full-body MRIs. In February, Ezra announced that it had raised $21 million, with a plan “to be present” in 20 cities and 50 imaging centers by the end of this year. In October 2022, Prenuvo said that it had raised $70 million to fund expansion and technology enhancements.

Media coverage over the last year by major publications also reflects the public’s fascination with full-body scans.

If we could re-direct this enthusiasm to evidence-based — albeit less glamorous — methods to detect and prevent disease, we could avoid a lot of sickness and death.

Weight-loss drugs aren't a magic bullet. Lifestyle changes are key to lasting health

Mammograms — low-dose X-rays of the breasts — for example, are recommended for average-risk women starting at age 40 to identify breast cancer before it spreads. According to the American Cancer Society , the five-year relative survival rate, which compares women with cancer to those in the overall population, is a remarkable 99% for early-stage breast cancer. But nearly a quarter of women ages 50-74 are not up-to-date with their mammograms. Numbers are similar for cervical cancer screening .

For colorectal cancer, one of the most common cancers in the U.S., just under 60% of adults ages 45 to 75 years had received appropriate screening in 2021.

The deficits aren’t limited to cancer. Less than half of people ages 2 and up get regular dental care . A quarter of pregnant people don’t receive early and adequate prenatal care .

A report released last year by the National Association of Community Health Centers estimated that over 100 million Americans don’t have reliable access to primary care, the usual source for most preventive care.

I’ve seen the consequences: a delayed breast cancer diagnosis in a middle-aged single mom, heart failure in an older man after years of unrecognized hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes in many others, raising the risk of damage to the heart, kidneys, nerves and eyes.

Risks of over-testing

With all the benefits of preventive screening, one might argue, why not embrace full-body MRIs?

No preventive test is perfect. False positives are inevitable, creating anxiety and prompting additional investigation. We find — and even treat — early cancers that never would have spread, high blood pressure that never would have caused heart problems or a stroke.

Medical specialty societies, organizations such as the American Cancer Society, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — an independent group of experts — regularly review the latest studies and update recommendations to guide selection of screening tests that balance risks with saving lives.

But with unregulated full-body scans, the guardrails are gone.

The very comprehensiveness of these tests is problematic. According to Dr. Richard Bruno, regent-at-large with the American College of Preventive Medicine, full body screenings in those without symptoms may lead to “incidentalomas” — benign findings in otherwise healthy people. Left undiscovered, many of these findings would never go on to cause problems, but “may warrant further testing and unnecessary procedures such as biopsies that can be costly and harmful,” Bruno said.

In fact, no major medical organization recommends full body scans in healthy individuals.

Low uptake of preventive services

The U.S. needs to shift its lopsided and short-sighted health care spending to focus more on disease prevention. According to Rear Admiral Paul Reed of the U.S. Public Health Service, we spend about 17% of our gross domestic product on health care. Almost all of it goes to “after-the-fact disease management.”

“We have an ever-worsening burden of chronic disease in this country that is coming with an extraordinary cost,” Reed said.

After 40 years of smoking, she survived lung cancer thanks to new treatments

The U.S. spent $4.5 trillion on health care in 2022 — far more than any other nation. Yet only about 3% was directed toward disease prevention.

COVID was a major blow to preventive care efforts, leading to a decline in screenings and vaccines that has been slow to rebound.

A large study led by researchers from the American Cancer Society, for example, showed that the number of women who reported having cervical cancer screening decreased by 4.4 million in 2021 compared with 2019. Breast cancer screenings were down by 1.1 million.

Cost concerns, fear of “finding something,” and geographic and time constraints also contribute to low rates of preventive services. Being uninsured or not having transportation or a primary care provider limit access. Vaccine hesitancy and refusal are at higher rates than before the pandemic.

Lack of awareness is an additional barrier. In my practice, I regularly see patients who don’t know that they are due for colon cancer screening or hepatitis B vaccination.

Clinicians, too, may be confused about the guidelines, which change periodically. Breast cancer screening has created enormous controversy over the years, with reputable organizations disagreeing about when to initiate and how often to repeat mammograms. Pneumococcal vaccine recommendations are so complicated that I routinely have to consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

Better communication and outreach can save lives

The solutions have to start with better communication between doctors and health care systems. Electronic records have the potential to notify busy clinicians when preventive interventions are overdue, but not all systems are equally effective.

Overall, we need a shift in focus from disease treatment to upstream avoidance, including well-funded educational campaigns to highlight the importance of prevention. Targeted outreach to communities known to have low rates of screening or challenges accessing services can improve rates of life-saving tests.

Reed contends that lessons from the pandemic may provide an opportunity to improve acceptance of preventive care. “I believe we — the public health and medical community — ought to leverage the heightened awareness of personal health, right now, and more deliberately engage the public on the importance of [clinical preventive services],” he said.

Full-body scans offer a tempting but unsubstantiated path to good health. If costs and rates of false positives can be reduced, the scans someday may find a place on a list of preventive care recommendations.

For now, however, tried-and-true strategies, from cancer screenings to vaccines, are the most effective way to safeguard our long-term well-being.

“The old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Reed said, “is probably grossly underestimated.”

This story comes the nonprofit news outlet Public Health Watch.

Lisa Doggett is a family and lifestyle medicine physician at UT Health Austin’s Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center and senior medical director of Sagility. She is the author of a new memoir, Up the Down Escalator: Medicine, Motherhood, and Multiple Sclerosis .

The views expressed in her columns do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of Public Health Watch, UT Health, or Sagility. Doggett can be reached through her website .

full body scan

IMAGES

Body Scan Meditation [Complete Guide] along With It's Benefits
Body Scan Meditation: Benefits and Script
How to Do Body Scan Meditation and Its Benefits
Body Scanning: A Therapy Tool for Mindfulness and Meditation
How to do a Body Scan Meditation
10-Minute Body Scan Meditation

VIDEO

Body Scan Meditation
Body Scan Meditation
How do I do body scan meditation? -Mingyur Rinpoche
Body Scan Meditation
Body Scan Meditation and Emotional Check-In
A Body Scan Meditation For Nurturing Your Heart

COMMENTS

The effects of body scan meditation: A systematic review and meta
Body scan only had small effect on mindfulness when compared with passive control (Hedge's g = .268, 95% CI = [0.032, 0.504], p < .05). The attrition rate of long-term interventions was low. The quality of these studies was low. There was high heterogeneity across studies. A sole body scan meditation is not effective enough to improve health ...
Exploring the Potential Impact of a Virtual Body Scan Meditation
Body scan meditation has been found effective in improving self-acceptance, increasing kind behaviors toward oneself, ... Further research could address these issues by having participants engage in more than one session and collecting additional data, including a follow-up assessment. Secondly, all the participants were dog guardians, so care ...
Mindfulness, Interoception, and the Body: A Contemporary Perspective
Mindfulness may also refer to a particular meditation - whether it is an open-monitoring meditation, breathing mediation, or body scan ( Van Dam et al., 2017 ). Mindfulness has been conceptualized as a mental faculty relating to attention, awareness, memory, or discernment ( Davidson and Kaszniak, 2015 ).
How to Perform Body Scan Meditation: 3 Best Scripts
Nervous system response to body scan meditation. Generally, research studies of mindfulness include the entire program (Grossman et al., 2004). There have been a few studies that attempted to specifically examine the effects of body scan meditation. The purpose of these studies was to clarify the benefits of specific practices within the MBSR ...
The Contribution of a Body Scan Mindfulness Meditation to Effectiveness
These results indicate that the use of a body scan mindfulness meditation in CBTI may have an additional positive effect on sleep, above and beyond traditional CBTI techniques. ... Research on mechanisms and mediators of adult CBTI has provided support for most of the theoretical factors of insomnia (Schwartz and Carney 2012). ...
Unified Consciousness and the Effect of Body Scan Meditation on
Objectives The main aim of this paper was to investigate the processes by which body scan meditation (BSM) increases happiness. We hypothesized that BMS would lead to a transition from the narrative self to the minimal self, but also and more importantly to a transition from the minimal self to a state of more unified consciousness characterized by both self-loss and oneness. Methods ...
A Body Scan Meditation Reduces Negative Affect and Food ...
Emotional eaters in the body scan meditation group experienced a significantly greater decrease in negative affect and food cravings post-intervention compared to those in the control group. ... Recent research has shown that the body scan meditation can improve emotion regulation (Ng et al., 2021; Price & Hooven, 2018) and decrease negative ...
How to Do a Body Scan Meditation
Finish your body scan by moving all the way down to your feet and toes, bringing awareness to those areas of the body and how they feel. End the process gently. Slowly bring your attention back to ...
Psychotherapeutic Techniques for Distressing Memories: A Comparative
More generally, in the field of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation, Body Scan Meditation (BSM) is a body-centered practice transversal to several popular mindfulness-based interventions aimed at reducing individuals' stress, and relieving their suffering. ... Our research produced relevant results showing the beneficial effects of single ...
Body Scan Meditation
One of the most accessible meditation practices is a body scan meditation, during which you bring attention to your body, noticing different sensations, as you mentally scan down, from head to toe. ... Research shows that mindfulness meditation — and body scan meditation in particular — has many mental and physical benefits including ...
Body Scan Meditation
The body scan can be performed while lying down, sitting, or in other postures. The steps below are a guided meditation designed to be done while sitting. You can listen to audio of this three-minute guided meditation, produced by UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC), in the player; if it doesn't play, you can find it here or ...
The Power of Body Scan Meditation
Body scan meditation is a technique to help you increase awareness of your body and really truly assess how you're feeling. Basically, it's a way for you to become more connected with yourself. To help us look inward, we're joined by functional medicine specialist, Melissa Young. Dr.
Body Scan Meditation: Benefits and How to Do It
Reduced anxiety and stress. Better emotional regulation. Increased self-awareness. Because body scan meditation improves awareness, it helps people learn to better recognize and respond to their own internal signals. The body scan meditation is a very useful and effective meditation that can help you return to and maintain a relaxed state when ...
Mindfulness meditation and relaxation response affect brain differently
Lead author Gunes Sevinc, a research fellow in Lazar's laboratory says, "By directly comparing the body-scan meditations, ... between brain regions associated with present-moment awareness and bodily attention increased during both types of body-scan meditation. But each program also showed unique patterns of brain activity, in line with ...
How to Practice Body Scan Meditation
Try these steps to practice body scan meditation: Step 1. Take several deep breaths. Breathe from your belly and not your chest, and continue to do so until your breathing rhythm slows down. To ...
Exploring the Practice of Body Scan Meditation
Research has shown that regular practice of body scan meditation can lead to increased gray matter density in areas of the brain associated with emotion regulation and self-awareness. These changes in brain structure may contribute to the positive effects of body scan meditation on stress reduction and mental health.
Body Scan Meditation: 7 Benefits and How It Works
7. Improves focus. Body scan meditation, like other types of mindfulness, gently forces you to focus and pay attention. Mindful practices, including body scan meditation, help improve your attention, concentration, and focusing skills with the potential to keep your brain sharp as you age ( Zanesco, 2018 ).
Body Scan Meditation: How It Works, Benefits, Tips + More
1. Pair your meditation with a sound bath. To take your meditation up a notch, Schieffelin recommends incorporating a sound bath. "I find that combining the guidance of a body scan with the healing sounds of crystal alchemy bowls really helps people to relax into a deeper experience of meditation and healing," she tells mbg. 2.
Body scan meditation: How to do it and benefits
Step 2: Close the eyes. Step 3: Deepen the breath and bring awareness to the body. Step 4: When ready, breathe in and bring awareness to either the head or toes. If sensations are already ...
Advanced Meditation Alters Consciousness and Our Basic Sense of Self
Advanced meditation lends itself to modern, empirical scientific study for several reasons, one of which is the robust research foundation provided by decades of studies from the prior waves.
The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies
1. Introduction. Mind and body practices such as yoga, meditation, progressive relaxation, or guided imagery use mental and physical abilities to improve health and well-being. Over the past decade these practices have received increasing attention in different fields of study in which the physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial ...
The many benefits of mindful body scan meditations
Research suggests that mindfulness meditation practices, such as body scanning, can help improve depression, anxiety, pain symptoms, and overall quality of life for people living with chronic pain. Through modern brain scan imaging, neuroscientists have been able to demonstrate that mindfulness meditation practices can lead to lower self ...
Free Body Scan Meditations
Body scan meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation that involves observing sensations in different parts of our bodies, usually from head to toe. The practice is often used to promote relaxation and present-moment awareness, helping improve mental health and overall well-being.. Body scanning originates from Buddhism and is deeply rooted in the practice of Vipassana, which means "to ...
Mental health benefits of body scan meditation
Body scan is more than a relaxation technique; it serves as a bridge between the mental and physical realms. Regular practice can foster heightened awareness, alleviate stress. and potentially ...
12 Types of Meditation: What Type Is Right for You?
Reduces stress and anxiety: Meditation is a powerful tool for managing stress and anxiety.Studies show meditation can lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone, promoting a calm and relaxed state. Enhances emotional regulation: Research shows that meditation cultivates emotional awareness, promotes compassion for self and others, and enhances emotional stability and resilience.
Oxiline Scale Review 2024: Is The Smart Scale Accurate?
The Oxiline's sheer amount of data is almost overwhelming—and it's hard to imagine the 11-by-11-inch device can calculate that much information. But it all comes down to the ECHO™ Bio-Electrical Impedance Sensor. Each scale has 12 auto-calibrating sensors that emit a high-frequency sound pulse through your body.
Opinion: Body scans miss the mark when it comes to improving disease
Decades of research prove that regular screenings reduce illness and death. Age, risk and sex-based recommendations include testing for colon, breast, cervical and lung cancer; blood pressure ...

Save citation to file

Add to My Bibliography

The effects of body scan meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Similar articles

Publication types

Related information

How to Perform Body Scan Meditation: 3 Best Scripts

This Article Contains:

Nervous system response to body scan meditation

Body scan meditation for managing anxiety

Can body scan help with sleep?

Download 3 Free Mindfulness Exercises (PDF)

Download 3 Free Mindfulness Tools Pack (PDF)

Body Scan Meditation – Jon Kabat-Zinn – Mindfulness 360

Best overall

Best for beginners

Best for sleep

Best for mood

Top 17 Exercises for Mindfulness & Meditation

3 Simple Guided Meditation Scripts for Improving Wellbeing

3 Steps to cultivate mindful awareness

Right Here, Right Now

Toolkit tools

17 Mindfulness & meditation exercises

Article feedback

Related articles

13 Ways Meditation Can Help You Relieve Stress (+ 3 Scripts)

How to Practice Visualization Meditation: 3 Best Scripts

Read other articles by their category

A Body Scan Meditation Reduces Negative Affect and Food Cravings in Emotional Eaters: A Randomized Controlled Study of the Effects, Mediators, and Moderators

Cite this article

Conclusions

Preregistration

Access this article

Similar content being viewed by others

Effects of Decentering and Non-judgement on Body Dissatisfaction and Negative Affect Among Young Adult Women

Eating Disorder Treatment: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Programs

Interpretation bias modification to reduce body dissatisfaction – a randomized controlled pilot study in women with elevated weight and shape concerns

Acknowledgements

Author information

Contributions

Corresponding author

Ethics declarations

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Additional information

Rights and permissions

About this article

Share this article

Body scan meditation to reduce stress

In this article

How to do a body scan guided meditation

Try this three-minute body scan

Here are 3 additional benefits of body scan meditation:

Be kind to your mind

14 days free

7 days free

Similar articles

Learn more about meditation

What Is Body Scan Meditation?

Benefits of Body Scan Meditation

At a Glance

Press Play to Learn More About the Mind and Body Connection

Get Comfortable

Take a Few Deep Breaths

Bring Awareness to Your Feet

Mindful Moment

Breathe Into the Tension

Scan Your Entire Body

How Can Body Scan Meditation Reduce Stress

Tips for Practicing Body Scan Meditation

Keep in Mind

Featured Topics

Explore the Gazette

Stroke risk higher for the chronically lonely

Testing fitness of aging brain

DNR orders for Down syndrome patients far exceeded pandemic norm

Mindfulness meditation and relaxation response affect brain differently

Study found that each program showed unique patterns of brain activity

More like this

With mindfulness, life’s in the moment