Body Scan and Breath Awareness for Psoriasis
A 15-minute home body scan with attention to the breath. A 2024 trial in people with psoriasis tested a two-week group course of eight sessions, each 45 to 60 minutes, whose exercises included the body scan and mindful perception of breath. The steps here are a home version written for this library.
Why it works
The trial defines mindfulness as purposeful, non-judgmental attention directed to the present moment. Its authors proposed a chain: mindfulness and self-compassion would lower itch catastrophising and fear of negative evaluation, and through those, the severity of the skin. Stress is the other route they name: the relationship between stress and psoriasis is thought to be mediated by the stress hormone cortisol. Whether the practice changes the skin is the open question.
One randomised trial, published in 2024, tested a two-week group course alongside usual care in adults with psoriasis on a tertiary prevention programme at a clinic in Borkum, Germany. Of 59 patients allocated to the two groups, 39 were analysed for the short-term results and 32 for the three-month results. Self-reported mindfulness rose more in the course group than in the control group after the course, with p = 0.010. At three months the per-protocol analysis showed a tendency, p = 0.094, and the intention-to-treat analysis found a significant effect. Self-compassion showed a tendency that did not reach significance. Skin status improved in both groups by the end of the clinic stay. At the three-month follow-up, psoriasis severity had fallen significantly from baseline in the control group and not significantly in the course group. Among the 23 patients with complete skin data, the control group started with a higher severity score, and the authors write that the result could be interpreted as regression to the mean. The trial was underpowered: it aimed for 60 patients, and the pandemic cut recruitment short. Every outcome was self-reported, and neither the facilitators nor the patients were blinded. One author reports speaker's honoraria from Novartis.
How to practice
- Sit or lie down somewhere you will not be interrupted for 15 minutes. Set a timer for the end.
- Begin with a few breaths, noticing the breath as it is.
- Move attention through the body one area at a time, noticing whatever sensation is there.
- When the skin itches or stings, notice the sensation, then bring attention back to the area you were on.
- Finish with a few breaths of attention on the breath.
- When attention wanders, bring it back to the area you were on.
⚠ In the trial, skin status improved in both groups during the clinic stay. Three months later, severity had fallen significantly in the control group and not significantly in the course group. Keep your treatment as your clinician set it, and tell them what you notice from the practice. If a body scan brings up distress, pause the practice and talk to your clinician.
