Hello and welcome.
This practice is about returning to your body with kindness.
Perhaps after a long time of treating it just as something to manage,
Fix or put up with.
So find a position that lets you rest.
If it feels okay,
Gently close down your eyes.
And then take one slow deep breath in and let it release out through the mouth.
And then again,
Breathing in and then letting go.
Let your shoulders drop,
Let your jaw go slack,
Let your belly release.
For these next few minutes,
There's nowhere else you need to be.
So just notice where your body is making contact with what's beneath you.
Feel the texture of that support,
The way gravity takes the weight.
Notice your breathing,
The gentle rise and fall,
The temperature of the air as it moves in and out.
So we're going to travel through the body exactly as it is right now,
Slowly,
Kindly,
Without judgment.
We're not looking for problems,
We're simply acknowledging you're here.
Begin at the feet.
Notice whatever is present.
Warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling,
Pressure,
Even numbness.
And begin to let your awareness move slowly upward through the ankles and then the lower legs,
The knees,
Now the thighs,
The pelvis.
This area often holds tension.
Let your breath reach down here without trying to change anything.
Bringing awareness to your lower back,
To your belly,
And then up into the chest.
Notice if your breathing feels open here or restricted or somewhere in between.
Just noticing.
Next bringing your attention to your shoulders,
Then into the arms and finally into the hands.
These hands have done so much.
Let them rest now.
Now moving your attention back up to the neck,
Into the throat and then the jaw.
See if you can allow the muscles around your eyes to just gently soften.
And finally bringing your awareness up to the top of your head.
Now feel your whole body all at once.
Not as separate parts but as one living system that has been working for you every moment of your life.
Take a slow breath and imagine it moving through your entire body.
Very gently ask your body,
What do you need from me right now?
Listen without expectation.
The answer might come as a word or an image,
A sensation,
Rest,
Movement,
Thirst,
Warmth or just quiet.
If something becomes clear make a small promise to honor it today and if nothing does then that's okay too.
Next place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
Feel the warmth of your own touch.
Your nervous system recognizes this as safety.
See if you can say to your own body,
I'm here and also thank you.
Just quietly recognize that this body has never once stopped working for you.
Healing every wound and keeping your heart beating through every heartbreak,
Through joy,
Through sleep,
Through everything.
It has been on your side and working for you this entire time.
Now notice if there's any particular sensation anywhere in the body that feels particularly alive right now.
Tightness somewhere or heaviness or something more subtle.
Just notice if there are any sensations that seem to be particularly asking for attention.
What does it feel like?
Does it have a shape?
Is it moving or still or does it have a color associated?
You don't need to do anything with it.
Just notice if there's any sensation speaking a bit more loudly than any other.
Just rest your attention on that most obvious sensation.
If there's any shift then just allow that and if there isn't then that's okay too.
And on your next exhale just offer your body these words,
I know we've been a little bit of war at times but I'm here now and thank you for sticking with me.
If any emotion rises just let it move,
You're safe to feel it.
Take one deeper breath in and just drawing kindness towards this body of yours.
Not because it's perfect but because it has carried you through everything.
And as you breathe out see if you can feel yourself releasing just one layer of any old conflict.
Let your hands rest again.
Notice the surface beneath you,
The sounds around you,
The simple fact of being alive.
Take a fuller breath in and then let it go with a soft sigh.
Begin to bring gentle movement back.
Fingers,
Toes,
Shoulders,
Neck and when it feels right softly open your eyes.
You've taken a step toward coming home.
Your body may be tired,
Scarred,
Imperfect,
Changing but it is yours and it's been waiting for moments like this.
This practice comes from the course Healing the Self Relationship where we explore this theme more deeply.
May this support you in strengthening the relationship you have with yourself.
