Hello and welcome,
My name is Pratikha.
This meditation is called The Body Responds to Thought.
The body is constantly listening to the mind,
Listening to its interpretations,
Its predictions,
Its stresses,
And over time the body slowly learns the emotional atmosphere the mind repeatedly creates.
If the mind moves towards pressure or uncertainty,
Judgement or fear,
The body's nervous system responds accordingly.
Muscles prepare,
Breathing adjusts,
Attention focuses.
The nervous system becomes increasingly familiar with remaining alert to all potentials over long periods of time.
And after enough repetitions,
These reactions can begin to feel normal,
Personal,
Part of one's overall identity.
And over time,
We can begin believing these conditioned reactions and these feelings are who we are.
Many people do not realize how much tension and emotional weight the body is silently carrying.
The nervous system simply continues repeating learned patterns over many,
Many years,
Layer upon layer,
Reactions upon reactions.
And over time,
These accumulated layers can begin impacting the body's natural sense of joy,
Ease,
Relaxation,
And well-being.
Now sit for a while and reflect on this.
Can you personally recognize repeated emotional reactions?
Have you noticed or can you feel now where in the body these emotions may be held?
Perhaps around the forehead and eyebrows,
Known areas where stress is often stored.
The jaw muscles also,
The neck and the shoulders,
And the muscles around the chest and the regions around the stomach.
Have you also noticed how quickly a distracted mind moves towards any new point of interest or recalls old experiences or memories?
The mind is projecting in an attempt to stay ahead of life,
Trying to manage what is expected,
Imagined,
Or desired.
And the body responds energetically to these projections accordingly.
Which means the body's central nervous system can be constantly preparing for potentials that are not actually happening or may never happen.
Preparation continuing internally long after or before a moment has arisen or passed.
And yet,
All these movements are being quietly noticed.
And this is where something really important can begin to be recognized.
There is a significant difference between being aware of something and awareness itself.
Right now,
Thoughts are being noticed,
Sensations are being felt,
Sounds are being heard.
Yet beneath all experiences,
There remains a quiet presence within awareness itself.
Regardless of internal or external happenings,
There is a presence which remains calm,
Open,
And aware.
And in recognizing this,
There can be a gentle loosening around one's belief in thought.
And as this opening happens,
The body and the nervous system can also begin to relax.
As one slowly comes to recognize that thoughts are simply temporary appearances within awareness,
They no longer define the infinite presence of what you are.
Blessings to you.
