Bee’s Tuesday Tip #15: A 3-minute body scan you can do anywhere (yes, even in a meeting)

Feeling tense, scattered, or just not quite “in” your body today? Let’s shift that. And there’s no yoga mat, incense, or mountain retreat required.

We’ve all had those moments - your body’s screaming “slow down,” but your calendar says “keep going”. Whether you’re on a Zoom call, standing in line at the store, or even just trying to get through a chaotic Tuesday, it’s easy to disconnect from the one place that always tells the truth: your body.

That’s where the 3-minute body scan comes in. It’s one of my favourite tools to bring myself back into the now - especially when I feel like my mind is running the show and my body is just along for the ride.

And yes, you can do this anywhere. No one needs to know. Not even your boss.

Why a body scan? Because awareness is healing. Tension tends to build up quietly - in your jaw, shoulders, belly - until suddenly you’re wondering why you feel heavy or short-tempered. A quick body scan invites you back into gentle contact with yourself. It’s like sending a little love note to your nervous system: Hey, I see you. Let’s soften a bit.

How to do it (in 3 minutes or less):

Step 1: take one conscious breath

Just one. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Let your exhale be a little slower than your inhale. It signals to your system: we’re safe, we can slow down.

Step 2: bring awareness to your body

Without moving, shift your attention inward. Where are you holding tension right now? Common culprits include:

• Jaw

• Shoulders

• Belly

• Hips

• Hands

You don’t need to fix anything, just notice. Awareness is step one.

Breathe consciously, bring awareness to your body and scan from head to toe. You don't have to be in a rice field in Bali to do this - you could even do it in an office meeting.

Step 3: scan from head to toe

Gently bring your awareness to each area, like a warm spotlight:

• Forehead: Can you soften it?

• Eyes: Let them rest back in their sockets.

• Jaw: Unclench.

• Shoulders: Let them drop, even just a millimetre.

• Hands: Are you gripping anything unnecessarily?

• Belly: Allow it to be soft, not held in.

• Legs & Feet: Feel your weight supported by the chair or ground.

You don’t have to name every muscle - just follow your attention from top to bottom, pausing wherever you feel tight or disconnected.

Step 4: breathe into the heaviest spot

Where did your scan land you? Where does it feel the “loudest”?Take another slow breath into that space (even if it's imaginary - your body still responds). As you exhale, imagine letting a little of the tension melt or float away.

A few notes on this quick but efficient body scan:

• You don’t have to close your eyes (though you can).

• You don’t have to change your posture (but a small shoulder roll never hurts).

• You don’t have to “do it right”. There’s no such thing. 

• This is a moment of reconnection, not correction.

This little practice is a pocket-sized invitation to come home to yourself. Not in a dramatic, stop-everything kind of way. Just in the midst of your actual life.

The more you do it, the easier it becomes to stay connected - and the more your body begins to trust that you’re listening. Because you are.

So whether you’re mid-meeting, mid-meltdown, or just want a soft moment to check in: this scan is here for you.

Here’s to more presence, less pressure - and feeling a little more you, wherever you are.

I hope you enjoy this and that it brings you some relief! Let me know how you get on.

xo Bee