Welcome friends,
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position,
Either sitting or laying down,
In a quiet place where you can fully relax.
As you settle in,
Maybe closing your eyes.
Bringing the attention to the places of contact,
Like the feet on the floor or the legs against the chair or bed.
Feeling how you are supported and seeing if you can allow the body to soften into this support.
And then soften a little bit more.
Lengthening through the spine and finding a gentle opening through the chest.
Relaxing the jaw.
Letting the shoulders fall away from the ears.
Maybe feeling the temperature of the air on the hands and face.
Noticing how the body feels today.
If you are ready,
Shifting your attention to your breath.
Where do you feel the breath in your body?
Maybe you feel the cool air of the inhale on the skin of your nose.
Or the warm air of the exhale.
Or maybe you feel it more in your abdomen and chest,
Rising and falling.
Focusing on where you most feel the breath in the body.
Connecting to the body through your breath.
See if you can intentionally breathe into areas of tension,
Allowing a softening with the breath.
There is pressure on our bodies to look or feel a particular way.
Our bodies are always changing,
Always changing.
Our bodies are always aging.
It can be hard to accept these changes,
Especially when they come with physical or mental pain.
We can get stuck wishing our body was different.
Wishing we looked or felt younger,
Stronger,
Healthier,
Slimmer.
Noticing what comes up for you.
Noticing your feelings,
Just as they are,
Without judging.
It is common to struggle with expectations about what we think we should be able to do or what we think we should look like.
Remember to tell yourself,
My body is beautiful now.
My body does amazing things now.
My body works to find equilibrium,
To heal,
And protect me.
See if you can bring to mind a recent situation that you felt peaceful.
This can be something simple like hugging someone you love,
Taking a walk on a sunny day,
Listening to the sound of the rain.
A simple,
Ordinary interaction.
Visualizing this in as much detail as possible,
As if it were happening now.
Noticing how this experience feels in your body.
Noticing what you see,
What you smell.
Noticing the sounds you hear,
If they are soft and subtle or more engaging.
Taking the next few minutes,
Immersing yourself in this interaction,
Down to the smallest detail.
Breathing into this feeling.
Your body is capable of experiencing so much beauty.
The heartbeats,
The blood pumps,
The cells regenerate,
All without conscious effort.
Your body is a true miracle.
Take a full breath in,
And a full breath out.
Offering yourself loving kindness,
Repeating in your mind,
May I love and accept myself.
May I love and accept my body.
May I be at ease in my body.
May I feel safe in my body.
May I love and accept myself.
May I love and accept my body.
May I be at ease in my body.
May I feel safe in my body.
Inhale through your nose,
And exhale out your mouth.
Your body is beautiful just as it is now.
If your body doesn't feel the way you want it to,
If you're healing from something,
If you're struggling with your body changing,
You are not alone.
You are beautiful in all stages of life.
You are whole in all stages of life.
You are worthy of love in all stages of life.
In the words of Rumi,
There is a gem in the mountain of your body.
Seek that mine.
Namaste.
