Welcome to the soft return.
This gentle pilgrimage back into the holy terrain of your own body.
For so long,
Many of us have lived just a few inches above ourselves.
Hovering in the mind,
Negotiating our worth.
Measuring or shape.
And comparing our reflection to a thousand illusions.
We have been taught to see our bodies as projections,
As projects and problems,
As things to fix or sculpt or apologize for.
And in that long forgetting,
We have drifted from the truth.
That the body is not an object.
But an oracle,
A living altar,
A holy creature of earth and star matter.
There is a room inside of you,
Perhaps you felt it,
A room where your truest self waits.
It's a room with soft light and furniture covered in the dust of neglect,
With curtains drawn tight against the sun.
This room is your embodied home.
And for reasons often unconscious,
We have left it untended.
As we have left ourselves untended,
But today we return.
Today we return the so reverent act of pulling open those curtains,
Of brushing the dust from the furniture.
And of befriending the woman.
The man,
The being.
Kneeling at the river of your own life,
Waiting to be seen.
Your body is not the enemy.
Nor is it an obstacle,
But a threshold.
It is the doorway through which your soul experiences this world.
It is the vessel that has carried you through every heartbreak,
Every initiation,
Every joy.
It is the companion that has never left your side.
And so,
In this meditation,
We will not try to change the body.
Nor will we try to force it into a shape or a story.
We will simply come home to it with tenderness,
Curiosity,
And devotion.
Let us begin.
Close your eyes.
Allow your shoulders to soften.
Let your breath fall into its natural rhythm like a tide returning to the shore.
Feel your feet.
Feel the weight of them,
The groundedness.
Begin to imagine roots coming out from your soles,
Extending through the floorboards,
Through the surface that you're sitting or lying on.
Sinking deep into the earth.
Anchoring you here in this present moment.
Bring your awareness to your belly.
The center of your power.
Your intuition,
Your deep knowing.
Place a hand there if you wish,
If you feel called to.
And feel the warmth beneath your palm.
Notice any colors or images that come to the mind.
As you connect with your life force and your inner son.
Take a deep breath in and as you do imagine a soft golden light rising from your belly.
Spreading through your ribs.
Exhale as that light continues to rise into your heart and your throat inhale again and allow it to move slowly like honey warming in the sun if any part of your body feels tight.
Or tense.
Simply notice it.
Breathe deeply into that part and allow that golden honey to warm Breathe through it.
As though you were lighting a candle in a dark room.
Whisper inwardly to yourself,
I see you.
I honor you.
I am coming home.
Let your awareness travel to the places you have criticized.
Your stomach,
Your thighs,
Your arms.
Your face.
Touch them with your mind as though you are touching a beloved friend's cheek.
Soft and reverent,
Without agenda.
Your body has never betrayed you.
It has only ever tried to protect you.
It has housed your soul.
It has carried your stories,
Your memories,
Your fears and your hopes.
And it has been your loyal companion in every season.
Breathe again.
And let the golden light fill your entire form now.
From the crown of your head to the soles of your feet.
See yourself glowing.
Fully present.
You are here and you are home in your one magnificent body.
Stay here for a few breaths.
And let the warmth settle.
With the room inside of you brightened.
And open the curtains.
When you are ready,
Whisper,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you.
Thank you for carrying me.
Thank you for holding me.
Thank you for walking with me.
When you are ready.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Billing all of you.
All of your body.
Here in this moment.
Welcome home.
