Hello and welcome to this gentle guided meditation practice.
That will invite you to cultivate compassion for your whole body.
Before we get started.
Just take a moment to find a comfortable position.
Either seated or lying down.
Lengthen your spine gently if you can.
And then allow your limbs to relax.
Down.
Draw your attention to your breath.
Take a few cleansing breath cycles.
Consider that each breath in fills you with fresh,
Restorative oxygen.
And each breath out clears you of what you no longer require.
And after your next cleansing out breath,
Continue to breathe naturally.
As you mind the breath's effortless ebb and flow.
In a moment,
We will move into a body scan.
Calling upon loving energy.
To fill each part of the body.
This process will look and feel different for each one of us.
Since we all occupy our own unique body.
Some body parts will feel spacious or light.
Others might feel numb or contracted.
And some might hold difficult emotions.
Our intention in this practice is not to judge.
What is present within the body.
But do nourish it.
With compassion and love.
Awareness.
Regardless of how it feels.
Or how we feel about it.
Know that at any time during this practice.
If a body part feels too difficult to be with,
You can let your attention move elsewhere.
Resting in a place that feels easier to witness with love.
While we aren't here to avoid difficult feelings,
It might take a bit of time before we can fully embrace certain body parts with compassion.
So let's begin by drawing your attention towards your feet.
Notice how each foot feels without judgment.
And without expectation.
And regardless of what you observe here.
Send your feet the gift of your loving awareness.
You might experience this loving awareness as a gentle soothing quality.
Or perhaps as loving words such as,
To fill you.
I see you.
I thank you.
I appreciate you.
Gently let your attention rise from your feet now.
Passing through your ankles and your lower legs.
In that same way,
Notice what is here.
Then offer your lower legs the gift of loving awareness.
Now gently moving up.
Through your knees and into your thighs.
And in that same way,
Hold your thighs with open.
Curious non-judgmental awareness.
And then offer them love and care.
Or gratitude.
For their hard work.
Again,
This might be a sensory experience or it might come in The form of words like,
I see you,
I thank you,
I appreciate you.
When you are ready,
Gently draw your attention up to your hips.
Holding your entire pelvic area.
In your awareness.
Offering this part of your body the same quality of presence.
And compassion.
Now if you encounter any difficult emotions or sensations along the journey,
See if you can witness these without making them right or wrong.
Just recognize the difficulty of being present with them.
And offer them love and care.
And compassion.
And then rising into your chest area.
Invite a sense of care and compassion.
And ease to fill your heart.
And the entire space around it.
Knowing that this practice is not about forcing good feelings,
Rather it's about opening up to our inherent ability for self-nurturance.
Let your attention rise up from your heart into your shoulders.
Just allow your shoulders to feel your care.
And then allow that care to seep all the way down to your arms.
And down to your hands.
That your entire arms feel your love and compassion.
Reaffirm this by any loving words that might arise naturally.
Now draw your awareness now all the way back,
Up your arms and into your throat,
Feeling a sense of care filling this region.
When you are ready to move on,
Gently guide your awareness.
To your face.
Noticing what it feels like.
That fullness of your face.
And grant it love and care.
Remember there is no right or wrong way to experience this.
Each one of us will experience body parts differently.
As it continues to change moment to moment,
Day to day.
Just allow yourself.
To own this experience.
And then let your entire head fill with loving awareness.
Your forehead,
The crown of your head.
And all the way to the back of your head.
Now hold your entire body in awareness now.
Offer your body.
Compassion,
Tenderness,
And care.
Without it having to be a certain way.
You're worth giving.
Unconditional love and compassion.
Now.
Gently rest your hand on your heart and repeat.
May I move forward with love and compassion for my whole body.
May I move forward with love and compassion for my whole body.
May I move forward with love and compassion for my whole body.
Now take a couple more mindful breaths.
As you feel into the surface that continues to hold you.
Gently wiggle your fingers and your toes And when you are ready,
Take another deep breath in and out.
Your own time.
As you gently open your eyes back to the room.
Thank you for joining me for my meditation today.
That you take this compassion.
For the rest of the day.
