By: Lorelis Ploche, ATR, RCMHI
Have you ever wondered what your body would say if it had a voice? Imagine your knee screaming if it got bruised, or your neck whining after a long work day. As silly as this sounds, our bodies have a unique way of letting us know how we are feeling and experiencing the world around us. This can be displayed in a number of ways, from getting a headache when a stressful project is due, to feeling a tingling sensation in your stomach right before a big presentation. Once we understand the language of our bodies, it becomes easier to navigate our emotions and provide ourselves with optimal self-care. One powerful tool that is used to help individuals achieve this form of self-exploration is body scan art therapy. Body scan art therapy utilizes mindfulness and creative practices to translate our needs as well as the needs of others.
What is Body Scan Art Therapy?
Body scan art therapy is a multi-dimensional art therapy practice that helps individuals increase their body awareness, emotional identification, and understanding of one’s self. This practice is conducted by an art therapist and is facilitated in three parts: meditation, illustration, and interpretation.
During meditation, the art therapist invites the participant to relax and mindfully “scan” their bodies while noticing how each body part is feeling, from the top of their head to the tips of their toes. Questions will be asked throughout the meditation to clarify the sensations the participant may be experiencing, such as tension, tightness, poking, burning, rolling, or complete relaxation. Once the full body scan meditation is complete, the art therapist then guides the participant towards the illustration phase of the directive.
During the illustration phase, the participant is given a printout of a body outline as well as coloring materials. Using the materials at hand, the participant is invited to use colors, shapes, lines, and patterns to illustrate the sensations they experienced in the meditation. The participant is free to use any symbols they would like to articulate their experience and color the entire body outline. The artist will also be asked to create a key to identify what each symbol represents to them.
Finally, during the interpretation phase of the directive, the participant is invited to share their findings, recognize the emotions associated with their body sensations, and identify ways that they can appropriately navigate their emotional responses. Similar to most art therapy directives, it is important to note that a body scan is a snapshot in time. It captures how the body feels at the time of the mindfulness meditation. Therefore, a person’s body scan may vary significantly across weeks, days, hours, or even minutes!
The Benefits of the Body Scan Art Process
There are several transformative benefits to engaging in body scan art therapy. As previously mentioned, body scan art supports body awareness and emotional regulation. Furthermore, the body scan can also help participants identify physical signs of triggers in the body and proactively work towards mitigating these symptoms. For instance, if a person senses tension in their shoulders, they may be experiencing early signs of stress. In order to mitigate further development of this stress, the individual may get a shoulder massage or take a warm shower. This form of self-care will allow the individual to treat precursors of worsening symptoms before they escalate.
Another benefit of the body scan is that it offers a sense of groundedness to the body, making it an optimal for treating elevated emotions. The body-mind connection offered by this exercise allows individuals to relax, re-center themselves, and embrace the present moment. This empowers one to reclaim their power when emotions become overwhelming.
The body scan also has the benefit of being extremely adaptable for a variety of populations. Let’s explore which populations have benefited from this art therapy directive.
Who Can Benefit from Body Scanning?
Since body scan art therapy has ties to mindfulness and relaxation, the most common populations that utilize this exercise are individuals struggling with anxiety and depression, anger management, and trauma. However, body scanning can also be done in group settings, family systems, and across various age groups. In addition, the transformative process of body scan art therapy has demonstrated its effectiveness with individuals on the autism spectrum. Whether it is used to identify triggers or merely engage in a different form of self-care, the body scan directive is a versatile exercise for many populations.
Body Scanning for ASD
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by deficits in social emotional learning, communication, repetitive behavioral patterns, and specified interests (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Individuals with autism tend to have difficulty understanding their emotions and engaging in perspective taking when identifying the emotions of others. Through body scanning, individuals on the spectrum can begin building their understanding of themselves and others. The creative process provides a non-threatening way to build on their social emotional learning, which can in turn promote emotional regulation and stronger relationships with others.
Body Scanning for Self-Care
Though body scanning is used to treat individuals with a variety of conditions, it can also be used as a simple art therapy exercise for self-care. Whenever you would like to relax or have some “me” time, body scanning is a wonderful tool.
Conclusion
Body scan art therapy is more than just an art-making exercise—it’s a powerful journey toward self-awareness, emotional regulation, and holistic well-being. By tuning into the body’s subtle messages through mindfulness and creative expression, participants can uncover hidden emotions, recognize early signs of stress, and develop proactive self-care strategies. Whether you’re seeking a tool to manage anxiety, support trauma healing, or simply take a mindful pause in your day, body scan art therapy offers an accessible and transformative approach.
This directive’s adaptability makes it suitable for individuals of all ages and backgrounds—from children learning to understand their feelings to adults looking to ground themselves in the present moment. It’s also a valuable tool for families, groups, and individuals on the autism spectrum, fostering connection, communication, and emotional growth.
So, the next time you feel disconnected or overwhelmed, consider picking up some art supplies, closing your eyes, and asking your body what it wants to say.
Reference
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html. Accessed April 4, 2017.
