A gratitude meditation for the body.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Once you are comfortable,
Take a deep breath in and then hold the breath in for a moment.
And now exhale through your mouth,
Sighing,
Ah.
Do that two more times.
Inhale,
Hold it at the top,
Maybe sip in a little bit more,
And then let it go with a sigh,
Ah,
Releasing all the tension.
Last time,
Inhale holding at the top,
Biggest breath yet,
And then let it go,
Ah.
Now let your breath be slow and natural as I guide you through some gentle tension and release movements in the body.
Raise your shoulders towards your ears,
Then let your shoulders relax,
Dropping into a comfortable,
Loose position,
Feeling your shoulder blades settling and releasing and softening the neck and upper traps.
With your shoulders relaxed,
Allow your jaw to drop slightly,
Creating space between your top teeth and your bottom teeth.
Allow the muscles of your face and jaw to release.
Wiggle your toes,
Feeling the muscles engage,
And then allow your feet and legs to relax and become heavy,
Dropping into stillness.
Gently open and close your hands,
Making a fist.
Feel the tension in the wrists and arms,
And then relax,
Your hands and arms gently softening by your sides or in your lap,
Feeling all the fingers softening and the palms opening to a comfortable position.
Take another deep breath in,
Feeling the tension in your chest and stomach as you hold that breath,
And slowly allow your chest and stomach to relax as the breath escapes.
Allow the muscles of your back to relax.
Allow your neck to relax.
Allow your middle back to relax and your lower back,
Feeling your whole body relaxing.
Notice any areas of tension in your body,
And with each breath,
Your body will continue to relax deeper and deeper,
Loose,
Heavy,
Relaxed.
Now in this relaxed state resting here,
Begin witnessing all the amazing things that your body is experiencing and doing.
Witnessing the breath as it comes and goes.
Notice your lungs.
Your lungs draw in oxygen and release carbon dioxide over 15,
000 times every single day.
Take a moment to thank your lungs.
Thank you lungs.
Witness your heart beating.
Feel the gentle pulse.
Your heart beats about 100,
000 times every day of your life.
Thank you heart.
Thank you for keeping me alive.
Your heart and your lungs allow for life-giving oxygen to be carried through the hundreds of miles of blood vessels,
Nourishing each and every cell.
All this occurs without conscious thought or effort.
Thank you lungs.
Thank you heart.
Thank you blood vessels.
Feel your bones resting in this relaxed state.
Your bones not only provide your body with a strong structural framework,
But the marrow deep inside the bones produces blood cells.
Thank you bones and marrow.
Now let your awareness travel to the muscles,
Ligaments,
And connective tissue that surround the bones,
Which form your unique shape and make movement possible.
Feel the muscles relaxing,
The tendons,
The ligaments,
And connective tissue.
Each of these parts allow for movement.
Thank you for the freedom of movement.
Thank you for the suppleness and strength that you provide.
Feel the skin surrounding your whole body.
All of your skin cells making up the largest organ and spanning about 20 square feet.
The skin serves as the first layer of protection and defense against the outside world.
Thank you skin.
Your immune system furthers the protective defenses fighting disease on a daily basis.
The colds we contract are few compared to the number that have been detected and eliminated already.
I appreciate and thank you immune system.
Lymph is the immune system's highway.
This silent transportation network reduces inflammation and maintains health.
I appreciate and thank you lymphatic system.
The endocrine system is made up of seven glands that secrete hormones like a finely tuned symphony of chemical communication and function.
Thank you endocrine system.
Thank you to those seven glands.
Thank you to your hypothalamus.
Thank you pituitary.
Thank you thyroid.
Thank you to the parathyroids.
Thank you adrenals.
Thank you pineal gland.
Thank you reproductive organs.
Thank you to the entire symphony of the endocrine system.
Thank you to the vital organs.
Thank you to your liver,
Which has over 500 functions for the body.
Thank you liver.
Thank you to the spleen,
Stomach,
Intestines,
And pancreas.
Thank you for processing and digesting the nutrients in all that we consume and stabilizing blood sugar and eliminating waste.
Thank you.
Thank you to the kidneys and the bladder processing the fluids we consume and straining toxins.
Thank you to all these vital organs,
Which work in ways beyond comprehension and allow life.
The brain and the billions of nerves in the body combine function with the network responsible for managing the body's other systems.
Thank you brain.
Thank you billions of nerves.
Thank you body for all that you continue to do and have done.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
For this,
I am thankful.
Feel the breath as it comes and goes.
Feel the incredible intelligence that surrounds and makes up your body.
The systems and organs working together to make you healthy and whole.
Let yourself feel the specialness and awe of your unique body and feel the tremendous appreciation and love that surrounds you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
