Body Scan Script for Beginners
Body scanning is one of the most foundational mindfulness practices that many of us are introduced at the beginning of our investigation into meditation. It’s a useful practice for many reasons, and can serve many different purposes. I love body scans because of their versatility, being a great tool for both newcomers and experienced meditators to develop insight.
If you want to skip ahead to download the body scan script, click here.
What is a Body Scan?
A body scan, as the name suggests, is a scanning of the body with mindful awareness. There are many different ways to do a body scan, but the general idea is we move through bit by bit to bring mindfulness to each place in the body. We may do this by simply watching each part of the body, or by actively relaxing each part of the body. You can learn more about different types of body scans and find free guided practices here.
It has its roots in a teaching called the Discourse on Establishing Mindfulness, a core teaching of the Buddha. In the 20th century, Burmese Buddhist monks like U Ba Khin and Ledi Sayadaw adapted this ancient teaching to a more sequential body scan. In the 1970’s, Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the body scan as we generally know it today in the West for his MBSR program and offering the practice to a more secular audience.
The Purpose of a Body Scan
I think it can be helpful to understand this history because we can understand where it comes from and what it was intended for. Initially, this form of mindfulness of the body was intended to develop insight into concepts known as the three marks of existence. Building insight into these qualities (impermanence, non-self, and dukkha) was the entire point of mindfulness practice in early Buddhism.
As the practice got adapted into a more secular practice by Jon Kabat-Zinn, it became focused on several things. First, Jon describes the practice as a powerful way to cultivate moment-to-moment awareness. I agree completely. He furthermore emphasizes its potential to teach us nonjudgemental awareness, especially toward stress and pain. He also of course spoke of impermanence.
So at its core, the body scan was a way to build deep insight into the nature of experience. In the modern usage, it is a way to build both present-time awareness and nonjudgement. The beautiful part to me is that we can do all of these just by working with the body in this way! We can develop deep insights into the impermanent nature of the body, use it as a grounding exercise to return to the present moment when we’re struggling, and/or use it to cultivate a nonjudgemental mindfulness of experience.
Body Scan Script
To download my body scan script, click the button below. It should download as a PDF. If you have any issues with it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. In addition to this body scan script, I do have a free collection of meditation scripts Elizabeth and I wrote together. Elizabeth is a licensed therapist, and the collection has fifty different meditation scripts that can be found here.
Things to Remember
When practicing a body scan, it’s natural that you may run into some difficulties. The mind wanders, we feel restless or sleepy, or there’s discomfort in the body. Here are a few tips that may be useful to keep in mind.
Thinking Happens
Let go of any expectations of a perfectly empty mind. As I cover in my post Do You Have to Clear Your Mind to Meditate?, thinking is a normal part of practice. When the mind wanders off into thought, notice that it has happened and return to the body. The idea that we need to stop all thoughts is one of the biggest misconceptions about meditation, and we can check in with our expectations to make sure we’re not setting ourselves up for disappointment.
Find the Right Posture
When we think of meditation, we may think of someone sitting in a full lotus position on a meditation cushion on the floor. As I write about in this post, you don’t have to meditate in any particular posture. Find a posture that works for you. It may be standing, sitting, or lying down. Each has their benefits and drawbacks, so investigate for yourself!
Short Can Be Sweet
As I cover in my post For How Long Should Beginners Meditate?, short meditation periods are sometimes the best way to go. You don’t need a thirty minute body scan to center yourself, find grounding, or build mindfulness. Sure, longer meditation periods have benefits. But short little practices can also help us build the habit and investigate in a way that feels accessible.