Coming Home To Your Body: A Somatic Healing Journey

Reconnect with your body's wisdom through this gentle somatic meditation. Move from disconnection to embodied presence as you rediscover what it means to truly inhabit your physical self with compassion and curiosity.

Transcript

So welcome everyone.

So today I invite you on a very gentle journey of reconnecting with your body.

This remarkable vessel that carries us through life holds our experiences and also when we listen offers great wisdom.

Now in the world that we live in most of us spend our time caught in thoughts,

Plans,

Worries and mental activity.

And this disconnection from our physical self is not surprising.

Now all of us from a very young age,

Most of us we learned we are conditioned to prioritize thinking over feeling.

Knowledge over wisdom and doing over being.

Now what I have observed is that this disconnection from the physical body often lies at the root of many struggles.

From persistent fatigue,

Tension in the body,

Anxiety and just a background feeling of not being at home in our lives.

So the body isn't just a vehicle that carries the mind from place to place.

It is an intelligent,

Responsive living system with its own innate intelligence.

And when we lose connection with this wisdom we lose access to this natural source of grounding,

Guidance and aliveness.

So today's meditation offers a gentle pathway back to embodiment.

That sense of fully inhabiting your physical self with awareness and care.

Now this practice is not about achieving a perfect state of connection but rather beginning or for some of us deepening a conversation with our body which continues to unfold over time.

Now many people report feeling a profound sense of coming home to themselves after this practice.

A feeling of being more present,

More completely here.

So let's begin this journey of coming home to the body.

Returning to the wisdom and presence that has been waiting for you all along.

So let's find a comfortable position either sitting up or lying down or lying down.

And just allow your body to be fully supported right now.

Take these moments to make any adjustments that you need.

Shifting position adding support where you need to lying down,

Sitting up whatever you do.

When you feel fully settled you can very gently close your eyes if that feels comfortable for you.

Now let's take a deep breath in through your nose and release it slowly through your mouth.

Take another deep breath in and then exhale completely.

Every breath that you take in now you start to feel a little bit more relaxed and you start to feel a sense of slowing down.

I am aware of my breath just slowing down now.

Your body at this stage is relaxing,

Beginning to relax.

Your breath at this stage is finding its natural rhythm.

There is no need to control or change anything.

Simply notice the flow of your breath.

Now let's begin by bringing your awareness to the fact that you have a body.

Now this might sound obvious but when we are thinking when we are in our head all the time we often move through life almost forgetting the physical self that carries us.

I want you to now notice the space that your body occupies.

Feel the boundary of your skin.

This intelligent membrane where you meet the world.

I can also feel the weight of my body now being supported by the chair,

By the floor,

The bed,

The earth,

The hard surface.

Also notice the temperature of the air on your skin.

Simply taking this moment to acknowledge your physical presence.

This is you taking the first step towards coming home to your body.

Now let's begin a very gentle journey through your body bringing this awareness to each part.

This is not about changing or fixing anything.

It's simply about noticing,

About being present with your physical self.

So let's begin by bringing your awareness to your feet.

Notice any sensations that may be present in your feet.

Perhaps warmth or coolness,

Heaviness or lightness,

Tingling or stillness.

There's no need to judge what you find.

Just notice.

Now let's gradually move your awareness up to your ankles,

Calves and knees.

Notice any sensations that you may have there.

Some areas might feel very alive with sensation while others might feel numb or distant.

Whatever is coming up for you is perfectly fine.

Just notice.

Now let's continue moving your awareness up to your thighs your hips and your pelvis.

The part of your body that holds your center.

Your thighs,

Your hips and your pelvis.

Notice any sensations,

Any feelings that you may have there.

Now bringing your awareness a little bit further up to your belly.

This soft,

Vulnerable center that holds so much of your emotional life.

Is my belly relaxed?

Is my belly tense?

Constricted?

Or spacious?

Just once again simply observe without trying to change anything.

Now move your awareness up to your chest.

The home of your heart and your lungs.

And just notice the gentle movement of your breath here.

Feel your heartbeat if you can.

And notice any emotions that might be present in this area.

Now bring your awareness to your back.

Let's go from the base of your spine all the way up to your shoulders.

Base of your spine all the way up to your shoulders.

And I can then extend this awareness to my arms and my hands.

These are extensions of me that reach out to the world.

Just notice whatever you notice.

Sense what you sense,

See what you see.

We are not here to fix,

Change or heal anything.

We are listening,

Observing,

Allowing.

And now finally bring your awareness to your neck,

To your jaw,

To your face and your scalp.

Neck,

Jaw,

Face and scalp.

Now many of us hold tension in these areas without realizing it.

Simply notice what you notice without judgment.

Now expand your awareness to include your entire body all at once.

Feel yourself as a whole unified being and just notice how it feels to be present in your complete physical self.

As you rest now in this whole body awareness just take a moment to appreciate the profound intelligence of your physical being.

Your body is constantly working on your behalf.

Your heart is beating,

Your lungs are breathing,

Your cells are regenerating and most if not all of this happens without any conscious effort on your part.

Now the wisdom of the body is not limited to automatic functions.

Your body also carries an intuitive knowing many people call it gut feeling that warns you of danger,

Your heart which recognizes love and the throat the tightening of my throat signals when something doesn't feel right to say so that information is coming from somewhere.

When we disconnect from our bodies we also disconnect from this intelligence so coming home which you are doing now means your body is reclaiming access to its natural wisdom.

So now I invite you to deepen this reconnection through breath and movement.

Now let's take a slightly deeper breath now and as you exhale allow a small gentle movement to emerge now whatever your body wants in this moment.

A gentle movement is emerging now perhaps it's a slight stretching of your fingers turning of my head softening of my shoulders or maybe it's a subtle shift in my position.

Let this gentle movement arise naturally from within rather than being directed by your thinking mind.

Now take another breath and as you exhale there is another gentle movement.

Each breath each movement is a conversation with your body a way of saying I am here I am listening.

Now place one or both of your hands somewhere on your body that feels like it wants attention or connection right now.

It might be your heart your belly your throat or anywhere else.

Feel the warmth of your hands meeting your body.

Feel the connection between the touching and the touched hands and the body.

This simple act of self-contact reminds us that we can offer presence and care to ourselves creating a sense of safety in our own skin.

Now from this state where I am tapped into the wisdom of my body we also know that our bodies don't just carry physical sensations they also carry emotions.

So as you continue to rest in your body's awareness what emotions are present in your physical self right now?

What emotions are present in your physical self right now?

Now as you receive my words you may sense a lightness or heaviness in your chest a knot or an opening in your heart and a tension or relaxation in your jaw.

Or there may be another way your body is showing you where it may be holding on to something.

These physical expressions of emotions are part of your body's wisdom they are part of your body's processes life experiences.

Whatever emotions you find in your body right now just acknowledge them with kindness allowing them to be exactly as they are.

Now for the next few moments as these emotions are coming to the surface as physical sensations allow your breath to move freely through your body.

You might imagine your breath at this stage like a gentle river.

Any areas that feel tense or disconnected my breath can flow to those areas bringing softness and presence.

I'll use my breath which I'm seeing as a gentle river flowing to any and all areas that feel tense or disconnected and I'm feeling softness and presence.

Continue this for a few breaths and if you feel comfortable you can repeat these words to yourself I am here I am home I am here I am home Dear body I am here I am home You can now leave this with me.

I am here I am home I am listening.

Now as we begin to draw this practice to a close remember that this reconnection with your body is not something that happens once and is complete.

It's an ongoing journey,

Conversation,

Relationship that has to be nurtured and developed over time.

Begin now to deepen your breathing slightly slowly bringing a little bit more movement into your body wiggle your fingers and your toes perhaps stretch if it feels good feel the aliveness of your physical self whichever way and now when you're ready open your eyes slowly carrying this embodied awareness with you.

Coming home to your body is one of the most profound journeys we can undertake in a world that values disembodiment in a world that prioritizes mental activity over physical wisdom you can simply choose to be present with your body when you interact with the world.

This reconnection can help you with decision making relationships,

Creativity and your own healing.

In the hours and days ahead you can explore bringing this awareness into your everyday moments just being aware that I have this vessel,

I have this body in which my soul lives and as I bring attention to it as I start to listen to it something else begins to open up for me.

Your body has been waiting for you waiting for your attention and your presence and it's never too late to come home.

So may you continue to discover the wisdom and belonging that comes from the practice of living with your physical self.

So thank you very much for joining me today for this practice and until next time Namaste

Reviews

A useful, healing, gentle practice to bring awareness to body sensations and inner wisdom.

Loved it