Body scans arose from Vipassana meditation and take inspiration from the practice of “sweeping” in the Burmese U Ba Khin tradition. Body scanning gained global popularity in 1976, when meditation instructor Satya Narayan Goenka taught it at his Vipassana retreats. And as Schieffelin tells mbg, “By bringing loving awareness and relaxation to each body part and allowing that energy to be released, we can experience deep and lasting physical and emotional healing.” Schieffelin also adds that body scans can help with things like negative body image, by helping you bring loving awareness and healing to those areas. “Regularly practicing body scan meditation can help you to heal your relationship with yourself and feel a deeper sense of self-love for yourself—both inside and out,” she says. In the case of any pain, stress, or tension, she says you can simply acknowledge it and allow it to pass before you move on to the next body part. “If there is a part of your body that you feel a block around, have trouble connecting with, or feel self-conscious of, imagine bringing love and healing light to that body part,” she recommends.
