Peaceful Expansion Through The Joints

Use your own touch and intention to comfort, attend and expand the body, either as a soothing practice before sleep, or to support yourself through a moment of grief or other strong emotion. Your own hands have healing potential, and this guided meditation can help you train your attention and presence as you practice being with yourself.

Music: Boundless, EdRecords

Transcript

Welcome to our beautiful slow flow joint meditation for today. Joints do so much for the body, Stabilizing and enabling our movement. Passing blood, Nutrients. Energy and information through the body. You can think of them like communication hubs, Connecting the sections of the body to one another. We tap into and expand our sense of our joints. The whole body expands and breathes more deeply with us. The subtle body or energy body is more able to nourish the physical body as we open and settle, Increasing our sense of calm and capacity to be fully present in the here and now. As we go, Feel free to pause these instructions at any time in order to slow the practice down to your own speed, Especially if this kind of body awareness is new or fresh for you. There's no pace too slow for learning to be more present again. To begin, Find a comfortable seated position where you can be both relaxed and focused, Ideally with the spine and pelvis well supported. And our intention guides experience. Take a moment to commit to the intention to support your body, To soften into a deeper state of calm and presence. When you're ready, Let's start by putting the right hand on the left shoulder. Right hand to left shoulder. Take a moment to feel both ends of that connection. You are the hand holding the shoulder softly. Giving warm, Firm support and attention. You are also the shoulder joint. Receiving that nurture and attunement. Feeling the containment and pressure from the hands. Feel down through the layers of the joint. Skin of the shoulder. The fashion. The muscle. In the cartilage and bone of the joint. As you move down through the layers, Notice how it feels to bring your attention to the center of the joint. How does the center feel? Is it tight or closed? Open, Release. Is the joint breathing with you? Imagine the joint itself softening and looming open as it receives the touch from your hand, If it could. And as you see this in your mind's eye, You might notice something shift a little in the tissue of your joint or arm. Maybe it relaxes or drops a little. You might notice a little flush of warmth or tingling or something hard to describe in the quality of the energy or feeling of the joint. Whatever it is, Sense that for a moment and let it be. Now let's bring that left elbow to the top of your left knee, Crossing your left leg over the right to make it easier to reach if you'd like. Left elbow on the left knee and the right hand still on the left shoulder so that both the left shoulder and left elbow are receiving touch and connection. If it's not possible to touch your knee to elbow, Just tuck the left elbow close to your ribs and feel the connection and warmth from your torso and that joint. Feel into the left elbow in the same way we did the shoulder. Start to feel the connection support from the knee or the ribs touching the elbow. Feel the elbow recognize and receive the connection, The attention. Drop gently into the center of the elbow joint and the energy flow there. See what it's like to let your attention be inside the elbow, Listening. And imagine again, This elbow joint also breathing or opening, Softening. As you allow that shift, You might begin to feel a connection or resonance between the two touch points opening as well. If not, Feel back up into the center of your left shoulder and imagine with your mind's eye a golden light of connection from the center of the shoulder to the center of the elbow. Pulsing and glowing a little bit. You can also softly stroke your hand down the length of the upper arm, Joint to joint, To wake up the tissue and your sense of interoception. To bring sensation to the whole connection. Feel the flow of that light through the core of the upper arm. The joy and warmth of two joints getting to connect and converse. This is presence. Next, Let's move our left wrist down to the knee or the ribs. And that right hand will move down to the left elbow. And here we'll repeat the steps, Elbow to wrist. Feel gently into the center of the left elbow. And then into the wrist down through those tissue layers. Imagine or feel the invitation for the joints to soften, Bloom, Expand again. Notice any shifts in the warmth or sensation in the energy. You might notice small changes in your breathing as well. Or maybe a little more space to expand or land in the torso or the larger body. Begin to see or feel the connecting pathway between the left elbow and wrist. The flow of communication and connection. Allowing a soft, Subtle expansiveness. Enjoy. If you like, You can now shift your right hand back up to your left shoulder. And connect the whole left arm. Shoulder to wrist. The center of the joints. The beautiful connecting line of flow in between. Breathe here. Slow inhale. Deep exhale. When your left arm feels complete. You can relax both arms against the body or chair for a moment and rest. And even take a moment to see what's different now between the left and the right arm so far. Next, We'll mirror our actions by bringing the left hand to the right shoulder. Once again, Feel yourself in the hand. Covering the shoulder joint. Feel the presence of the joint under your touch. A soft salutation to this side. Now feel into the shoulder joint, Receiving the touch of the hands. The attention and support. Feel your attention softening into the center of the right shoulder. Down through that skin fascia, Muscle and bone. In this joint to invite or allow breath, Softening, Expansion. And feel it relax open to the slow gravity of the moment. Bring your right elbow to your right knee, Crossing your right leg over the left to make it easier, Or simply tuck the right elbow gently against your torso. And feel that touch, That company for your elbow. Oh this awakens the sensations there. Soften the attention deep into the center of the elbow joint. Allowing it to breathe and open. Notice the dual resonance between the two touch points again. The hand on your right shoulder. The knee or the ribs against the right elbow. How is it for both of them to soften and bloom open at the same time? As you do this, You might accidentally become aware of that channel that opens naturally between the two hubs, Beginning to flow even before you offer the invitation. If not, Offer that an image again of beautiful golden light flowing down from the shoulder. Filling the channel between the center of both joints. And supporting your expansion, Even if you don't feel it. Next, Let's move our right wrist down to the knee and that left hand will move down to the right elbow. Feel gently into the center of the elbow. And then again into the rest. Imagine or feel the invitation for the joints to soften again. Begin to see or feel the connecting pathway between the left elbow and wrist. That flow of communication and connection. Using your left hand, Trace that pathway with touch if needed. If you like, You can also move the left hand back to the shoulder. And feel the connection through the whole right arm. Gently pulling or pulsing. Feel the energy of the arm and the upper body expand and release. Might feel like liquid spreading or warm 3D eating. Or just like an opening in your energy. I like this. Savor that feeling for a moment. Maybe notice how it feels for both arms to be open and connected in this way. Can you feel the impact on the upper body or the torso? Maybe your breath or your diaphragm is also expanded or feels looser, More spacious. Maybe you had some yawns moving through. As you enjoy the exercise. Maybe your head or your neck feel a little less full or tense. Maybe you feel the impulse to stretch as your neck and back wake up a little bit. Just sensing these changes, These improvements. See if you can allow your energy and tissue tone to be more open, Unbraced. And breathe here. When you're ready we'll move down to the legs. Cross your right leg over your left so you can easily reach the right hip bending. With your right hand, Find the hip crease of the right hip. The femur connects up into the groin area rather than the outer edge of the hip. So imagine that connecting place and rest your fingertips there with the palm of the hand resting comfortably on the curve of the joint. And place your left hand over your right kneecap. Once again, We'll use our attention and touch to locate the center of the hip joint, Sinking gently into the space in the middle of this incredibly powerful, Important hub. With your exhale, Imagine the hip also softening. Opening. Expanding. Letting go. If you find the hip area is difficult to do this with, Make sure first that you're not tensing or bracing unconsciously through the pelvic bowl or the belly. Use your exhales to let go. To let down. Releasing through the viscera. Then you can find the center of the hip again. And see the invitation in your mind's eye. Softening, Opening. Resting into the support of your seat beneath you. Keep breathing. And feel gravity catch the expanse and ground it. Take your time. When your hip feels complete, Bring your attention to your knee. And feel the weight of the touch on your knee. Follow that weight to the center of the joint. Imagine tissue and cartilage relaxing open. Breathing. Letting go. Feel this change for the legs. There's so much space for the energy and emotion in the lower body. And most of us unconsciously move away from inhabiting this part of ourselves in this way, Even though we're using the muscles and joints all day, All the time. Feel that connection between the opening in the hip. And the O opening in the knee. Feel or imagine the line of connective energy. Flowing between them. It's alive and potent. Energizing but calming at the same time. And all it needs is to not be blocked out or made rid of. Move your right hand down to your right knee. And the left hand can come to your right ankle. Once again, Feel that opening in the knee joint. Slow pulse of available life force. Bring that same attention to the ankle. You can give a gentle squeeze or tap with the hand if you like to help it to wake up. And feel that touch, That supportive pressure all the way to the center of the ankle. Past the skin and fascia and tendons. All the way to the middle of the chart. And feel that invitation to open and let go again. See it open and breathe in your mind's eye, Releasing any small, Intangible grace left over from the last time you had to meet a challenge. Notice any changes in your foot as you do this. Maybe there's a little more energy or blood flow available. Feel the connection between your knee and your ankle. Two more hubs opening to the flow of light. Energy, Life in your lower body. Save for the qualities of expansion and openness. You can move your right hand back to your hip if you like, Connecting hip all the way down to ankle. How does this feel for the whole body? You might notice more energy migration downwards. Life force spreading itself out more evenly through the whole body now that it's available. Maybe your breath opens up again one degree deeper. Maybe any pressure or stress or emotion you were noticing several minutes ago feels a little more tolerable or dissipated. Maybe there's been some muscle change, Shoulders dropping. Back or neck feeling more grounded or relaxed. Or maybe you feel more aware of your surroundings or yourself in some neutral or pleasant way. Take a moment to sense any of these small changes. Remember to stay with the breath. Ready? Let's switch again. Crossing your left leg over the right leg. Bringing your left hand to your left hip. And the right hand to your left kneecap. Take a moment to feel and enjoy the contact again. Finding that left hip crease with your left fingertips. And imagining where the femur connects up into the pelvis. Bring your attention softly, Deeply into the hip joint. Feel the exhale of breath and letting go at the center of the hips. The opening and the letting down. Resting into the surface beneath you. Joining the right hip across the pelvis in a resonance of gentle surrender and curiosity. Noticing for a moment how it is for both hips and the whole pelvic bowl to find this tissue tone of calm expansion. And bringing your attention to the hand on your left knee. Feeling down through the warmth of the hand into the center of the knee joint. Blooming, Releasing, Opening to the upper and lower legs. Feel the relief of the body getting to open to itself over and over again Feel the connection between the hip and the knee. The filling of the channel with warm energy flow. Feel how the expanded resonance of the upper legs impacts the whole body. The availability, The spaciousness, Clarity. And last but not least, You can move your left hand down to your left knee and your right hand to the left ankle. Feeling the open resonance of the knee as your hand cradles it. Or return to it if distraction took you away. Be on the right hand on the left ankle in the center of the ankle joint. Breathe and allow this final limb space to open and receive. And delight in just being here. Feel that same growing connective flow from knee to ankle. Like an irrigation channel that has just been opened, Filling with life force. If you want, You can move your left hand back to your hip. And feel the connection in the whole left leg, Top to bottom. You might feel your pulse in your foot more easily. Or maybe notice that warmth is increasing there if you have habitually cold feet. Lastly, Bring both hands back to the hip creases. Gently aligning the spine so your head and neck are stacked easily over your pelvis. Supported but relaxed. Check in one more time with the whole body. Come back to a sense of these opened joints and how they sing to one another. There's a call and response of connection and communication through the host. Nourishment of the subtle body, Your body energy. Flowing easily in and out of your physical cells. Soft open flow. Breathing with the whole self. Slowly and easily. Find balance between upper body and lower body. Between left body and right body. Front body and back body. The body is one flow. Take your time here as we close. This is your body. You can always return home.