Body scan for insomnia: 10 minutes, on a train journey

About this practice

Slow, spoken guidance for insomnia. A body scan session you can do on a train journey. A guided session of about 10 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: insomnia

Insomnia is often maintained by the fear of not sleeping. Anticipating a bad night raises arousal at bedtime, which produces the bad night.

It tends to show up as:

Dreading bedtime
Hours awake with a busy mind
Sleeping worse as the week goes on

Removing the pressure to sleep is the active ingredient. This gives you something to do that is not trying.

Doing this on a train

Pick a window seat if you can and let the view do part of the work
Set an alarm for your stop
Keep the bag on your lap rather than unfastening to find it later

The motion can make reading or screens uncomfortable, which is another reason audio works better here.

How body scan works

A body scan moves attention systematically through the body, region by region. It does not try to change what it finds — it builds a map of what is actually there, which is often different from what you assumed.

Move slowly, head to feet or feet to head, and do not skip the uncomfortable areas
Meet each region with plain curiosity rather than a verdict
Numbness and absence of sensation are findings too

What happens, minute by minute

0:00Put both feet flat on the floor and let them take some of the weight.
0:14We will travel down through the body, one region at a time, and leave each one softer than we found it.
0:31Settle into the fact that for the next few minutes, nothing is required of you.
0:45Let your body be exactly as tired as it is.
0:57Let your ribs widen on the in-breath instead of your shoulders lifting.
1:10Feel your breath move down your back, all the way to your lower ribs.
1:24Notice your ears, which mostly just receive things.
1:35Feel your ankles. Let them be loose.
1:45Notice your elbows. Odd things to have, but there they are.
1:57Notice your eyebrows. They're probably doing something small right now.
2:09You are allowed to be unimpressed by the frustration of not sleeping. Indifference is a legitimate response.
2:24Think of the wide-awake mind at 2am as a guest that arrived without knocking. You can let it stand in the hallway.
2:42You might be planning something. Notice the planning, then come back.
2:54Start at the crown of the head and move down slowly. Do not skip to the parts that hurt.
3:10Let me stop talking. Follow the breath instead.
3:21If your mind has wandered, that's not a mistake. Noticing is the practice.
3:34If a region feels numb, that is a finding too. Note it and move on.
3:48A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
3:59If a song is stuck in your head, let it play in the background.
4:13Visit each area with plain curiosity, not with a verdict. Sensation is information, not a problem.
4:28Pause here. Count three breaths if you need an anchor.
4:40Notice how you're sitting. Adjust if you need to. Then settle again.
4:53Notice the small gap after each exhale. Rest there for half a second.
5:06Let this one be unhurried.
5:15Notice your whole body as one shape, sitting or lying here.
5:27Follow one full breath from the moment it starts to the moment it ends.
5:41A few seconds more.
5:50Notice your pelvis resting on the surface below you.
6:01Notice that you don't have to start a breath. It arrives by itself.
6:14Keep following the air.
6:23Feel your upper back against whatever is behind it.
6:34Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, if that's comfortable.
6:47Quiet now. The next part will wait for you.
6:58If you catch yourself fighting the counting of hours until morning, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
7:16Each time your mind hands you the frustration of not sleeping, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
7:35If you're holding your breath at the top, stop. There's no need to hold anything.
7:49If the wide-awake mind at 2am is loud right now, make your attention smaller. Just the next breath. Nothing beyond it.
8:06If you're sleepy, sit up a little. Or let the sleepiness be there.
8:19Notice how quickly your mind labels things: good, bad, boring, nice.
8:31Silence. Let your shoulders drop again if they've crept up.
8:43Move at the speed of your attention, not the speed of a checklist. There is no schedule to keep.
8:59No need to open your eyes yet.
9:09Stretch whatever feels stiff, then carry on.
9:19Take one more breath at your own pace, then let your attention come back to the room.

Questions people ask

What does this session help with?

Insomnia is often maintained by the fear of not sleeping. Anticipating a bad night raises arousal at bedtime, which produces the bad night. Removing the pressure to sleep is the active ingredient. This gives you something to do that is not trying.

Where and when should I do this one?

Pick a window seat if you can and let the view do part of the work. The motion can make reading or screens uncomfortable, which is another reason audio works better here.

What actually happens during the 10 minutes?

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.