What is body scan meditation and how is it different from regular meditation?

Body scan meditation is a progressive awareness technique where you systematically move your attention through different parts of your body, noticing sensations without trying to change them. It comes from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), the program Jon Kabat-Zinn developed at UMass Medical Center. Unlike breath-focused meditation where you anchor attention on one point, body scan moves your awareness methodically — typically head to toe or toe to head — spending time with each body region. It’s less about clearing your mind and more about tuning into what your body is actually experiencing. This makes it particularly effective for people who struggle with traditional sitting meditation because there’s always a clear ‘next step’ to follow.