Comparing the effects of sitting meditation and body scan on working memory in undergraduate healthcare students: a single-blind randomised trial.
BMC Psychology June 4, 2026 Weeranan Yaemrattanakul, Kanokwan Manachamni, Jutharat Ruangrattanapong et al.
Both sitting meditation and body scan, practiced for 10 minutes daily over four weeks, were associated with improvements in working memory and mindfulness among undergraduate healthcare students aged 18-25. However, no statistically significant differences were found between the two mindfulness exercises on any outcome, including stress, which showed only slight changes over time. The study suggests that brief, audio-guided mindfulness practices may benefit cognitive function and mindfulness in this population, but neither technique proved superior to the other.