Your Container: Creating Boundaries

Strong, healthy boundaries keep your sense of self intact so you don't absorb outside energies and remain grounded during difficult times. This meditation guides you to create an imagine of yourself as a container. After filling your inner space with grounding energy, notice how your vessel changes. Feel the gentle strength of your container and the boundaries of your true self.

Transcript

Hello, I'm Debra Rodgers, Holistic Occupational Therapist. This meditation is creating your container. Creating the container that holds all of you. And maintains the boundary of you with the rest of the world. So I invite you to imagine if you were to describe yourself as a container, How would you describe yourself? Which shape would you describe yourself as, This container? Would it be a vase or a different type of container? And what would it look like on the outside? And the inside. And what is this container made of? Is it made of porcelain or ceramic? It could even be a ceramic bowl or a glass jar. And does your container hold water or what does it hold? Or is it more of a purpose of decoration today? And notice that there's any cracks in it. Or blemishes. And notice is your container. More valuable to you. As its aesthetics, How it looks, Or in its functionality. Ray Bradbury said, We are cups constantly being filled. So as you imagine yourself as this container, Take some time to be aware of your container. And notice how it feels. Notice how the edges of it feels. As you are this container. Notice what it may even be holding. It's so important to ground and fill ourselves so our container can hold ourselves. Holding all of our energy, Like holding the water without leaking. And it's so important that we fill out. Of it up and repair any cracks that might be in there. Or simply surrender the original container that we have chosen and find one that fits best for you on this day today. Your container may be different. Depending on the day. And we'll get the in grounding and filling. Yourself up with energy from your feet all the way to your head. Like water filling up in a cup. So I invite you to just feeling your buttock bones on the chair or the bed. Feeling any support that might be on your back. And feeling the weight of your body. Just allowing your body to get heavier with each breath. Even perhaps feeling the weight of your skeletal system, The bones of your body. And if you feel like you have any racing thoughts that are ahead of you, Just say, I invite all those thoughts, All those worries. Back into myself as energy to rest inside of me. Or the intention that they come in and just rest. And your body gets calmer and calmer. And then gently bringing your awareness down to your feet and feeling the soles of your feet. Feeling the weight of them as they may be resting on the floor or the heels, Maybe on the bed. And even the space. Between your feet. And then if you have roots from your feet, Imagine roots just coming out of your feet going down. Down to the center of the earth. Just anchoring deep into the center. Roots don't feel right, Perhaps imagine a beam of light where or your feet in the sand, Whatever works for you and your imagination. And then just saying hello to Earth, Mother Nature. And as you say hello to Mother Nature, Just thinking with love of the beauty that Earth offers us. The beauty of the mountains, The trees. The oxygen we breathe. The flowers that bloom. The ocean. The warmth of the sand on a summer day. And even the soil of earth that helps nourish the food that grows. That we eat. So much gratitude and love for Earth. That nourishes us and takes care of us. And then asking Mother Earth whatever nourishing energy you need right now. Inviting it to come up through the roots into your feet. And filling you up, Filling your container up. Filling into the tiny bones of the toes, Feet out to the skin. And just imagine and perhaps feel the sensations. Notice if you feel any sensations of warmth or tingling as the energy continues to fill into your lower legs. To your knees. Up your thighs. Just filling you up deep into the cells and the bone marrow all the way out to your skin. Filling the space between the muscles and the muscles and you continue to be filled up into your hips Filling the bowl of your pelvis around and inside the organs. And not force anything, Just allowing the energy to fill your container. Like filling a vase with water so flowers can bloom. And the energy continues to come up into your entire back. Going up your back and even up each vertebra and the space between each vertebra. All the way up to your neck and into your neck. Feeling your back muscles, Your neck muscles. Fascia, The bones. Filling around the ribs and the space between the ribs inside of the ribs Like a gentle stream, It fills your chest and abdomen. And washing over and into every cell and every space. Line up your whole torso and your whole trunk. This liquid light. It's liquid energy. And then filling into your shoulders. Energy just glides down your arms, Your wrists, Into your hands and fingers. So noticing any sensations you may feel. And if you feel tension anywhere, Just noticing that. Just noticing what you notice. And if you don't feel anything, Just trusting that Earth is filling your body. Allowing this healing, Nurturing energy into your body. And the energy continues up into your jaw, Relaxing those jaw muscles. And even the area with your neck. And the back of your skull meet. And coming up around your eyes. Cheeks forehead Even inside your head, Deep into your brain. And into the scalp. As the energy keeps coming into your feet. Filling you up. Imagine the top of your head like a blowhole whale. The energy just begins to spout out, Wrapping around you. Cocooning you in this fountain of energy. Perhaps you even imagine the energy as a color. The whole of you is filled up. Your whole container. Is filled with this energy. And notice what that feels like. Feeling connected and grounded, Just not to Mother Earth but to your body. To yourself. And sensing not just the inside of your body but around your body, The skin. Skins that boundary of your body, Your physical being. Boundary of the structure of you. Your first protective layer. And expanding your awareness to even the energy around you in that cocoon that you formed. Another energetic boundary that you've created. And just feeling that energetic boundary. See if you want to make it thicker, Stronger, Thinner. Just noticing what you notice. And notice, Did you even think of when you first imagined your container, Did you think of it as expansive? And think of the space around your container as also you. Perhaps that feels right for you or maybe it doesn't, Just notice. What and where are your boundaries? What is your container? And then going back to the first image of the container. That you created and notice now. Are there any differences from the first container that you imagined? Now. Is there a different color or shape? Or depth or thickness. Perhaps cracks are sealed. Just notice what your container is like now that it's filled, Now that you've connected to it. The container that holds all of you. Protects you, Creates the boundary for you. Some people like to place lids on their containers or keep them completely open. Now where is what you like? Play with the image a little. It's your container, You can change it if you want. You could watch it change. Or just let it be as it is. As you feel it filled up with energy. Nourishing energy and support. Thich Nhat Hanh said, Your body is your first home. Breathing in, I arrive to my body. Breathing out, I am home. I'm home in my container. Breathing in, I arrive to my body. Breathing out. I am home. I am home. In my container. And setting the intention. Of this container, Feeling it. Been in touch with it. Throughout the day as it holds you. As you are home. In your container.