Body scan meditation for exhaustion (10 min), on the way in

About this practice

10 minutes to meet exhaustion with less of a fight. A body scan practice, on the way in. A guided session of about 10 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: exhaustion

Exhaustion is what is left after the reserves are gone. The body has stopped asking; it is now insisting.

It tends to show up as:

• Feeling hollow and drained
• Emotionally flat
• Physical heaviness all day

This is not the state to push in. The whole point here is to ask nothing and let the body be heavy.

Doing this on your commute

• Headphones on, eyes open or closed depending on your comfort
• Keep one part of your attention on your stop
• Do it standing if sitting is not possible — nobody is watching

Commuting time is already dead time. Nothing is being given up.

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

1. 0:00Then find the nearest sound. It's probably your own breathing.
2. 0:12Start at the crown of the head and move down slowly. Do not skip to the parts that hurt.
3. 0:28Let the rhythm of your breathing set the pace, not the words.
4. 0:41Notice the pause at the end of each breath. It's short, but it's there.
5. 0:55Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, if that's comfortable.
6. 1:08Notice the first breath of the day versus this one. They're the same mechanism.
7. 1:22Notice the small movement in your belly when you breathe.
8. 1:34Notice your ears, which mostly just receive things.
9. 1:45Notice the weight of your thighs, all the way down.
10. 1:57Feel your upper arms hanging. They're heavier than you remember.
11. 2:09If the body asking you to stop shows up, let it be there without arguing with it. You are not trying to remove it, just to sit beside it.
12. 2:30Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the drained feeling that rest has not touched is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
13. 2:50If you're bored, stay with the boredom for a moment. It's usually thinner than it looks.
14. 3:05Your only job is to notice what is there, region by region, without fixing anything.
15. 3:19Quiet for a moment. No need to fill it.
16. 3:30Notice if you're being hard on yourself about any of this.
17. 3:42Move at the speed of your attention, not the speed of a checklist. There is no schedule to keep.
18. 3:58Let me stop talking. Follow the breath instead.
19. 4:09If a worry shows up, name it quietly and let it sit beside you.
20. 4:23We will travel down through the body, one region at a time, and leave each one softer than we found it.
21. 4:40Pause here. Count three breaths if you need an anchor.
22. 4:52Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
23. 5:03Stay here a little longer.
24. 5:12Feel the parts of you that have gone quiet.
25. 5:23Notice the difference between the breath at the front of your nose and the breath in your chest.
26. 5:39Let the pause stretch out.
27. 5:48Feel your upper back against whatever is behind it.
28. 5:59Notice if your breathing is faster than you expected. Don't correct it. Just note it.
29. 6:13Let this one be unhurried.
30. 6:22Notice your pelvis resting on the surface below you.
31. 6:33Count four breaths silently. Then stop counting and just follow.
32. 6:45Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
33. 6:57You do not have to like the hollow tiredness to breathe through it. Liking was never the requirement.
34. 7:13If the body asking you to stop starts telling you a story, let the story finish without you adding to it.
35. 7:30Breathe as if you had all evening. There's no rush in this part.
36. 7:43Let the drained feeling that rest has not touched be exactly as big as it is, and let your breath be exactly as slow as it is. They can coexist.
37. 8:04You might be planning something. Notice the planning, then come back.
38. 8:16Notice the pull to make this mean something. It doesn't have to.
39. 8:29Let's rest here in silence. It's short.
40. 8:39If a region feels numb, that is a finding too. Note it and move on.
41. 8:53Stay a moment longer than is comfortable.
42. 9:03Take one breath that's a little fuller than the others, and let it out through your mouth.
43. 9:18Stretch whatever feels stiff, then carry on.
44. 9:28A few seconds more.

Questions people ask

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