Already taking a deep breath in.
Bringing awareness to your body as you breathe in and out.
I'm just beginning to scan your body and letting.
.
.
The pieces that you are focusing on begin to relax,
Starting at the top of your head.
Moving down into the eyes,
Letting the eyelids relax and be heavy.
All the muscles around the eyes softening.
The ears.
Relaxing.
Your jaw relaxing.
Releasing any tension held in the jaw,
Signaling to the rest of your body that it's safe to drop in,
That it's safe to relax.
Your neck,
Your shoulders softening.
Each breath in and out,
Allowing you to relax even deeper.
Moving down the arms,
To the elbows,
To the forearms,
To the wrists and hands,
Letting the arms be heavy.
Letting them just rest where they are,
Relaxing.
Down into your chest,
Into your upper back.
Into your belly,
Your low back.
All the way down into the hips.
Taking all of that energy and letting it flow down the legs.
Out the feet and into the earth as everything relaxes.
And imagine.
A bright colorful light coming in through the top of your head,
Washing down through your body.
This light is allowing a deeper relaxation.
Bringing harmony to the body,
To the mind.
Going all the way down and out into the earth.
Imagine it rooting deep,
Deep into the earth.
And collecting the energies,
The rooted,
Grounded energies of the earth,
Bringing it back up into the body.
All the way up into your heart space,
All the way up the crown chakra and out into the cosmos.
Just cycling from above to below,
From below to above.
And let's begin tapping,
Tapping on the chest points.
I'm just repeating after me.
Even though I have repetitive critical thoughts about my body.
And they feel automatic and convincing.
I'm open to questioning them.
And even though part of me believes that these thoughts are motivating,
That if I criticize myself,
I'll improve.
I am willing to explore a different approach.
And even though I've rehearsed these body image thoughts for years.
I deeply honor that I was trying to protect myself.
He's taking a deep breath in and moving up to the eyebrow.
Here's that thought again.
Side of the eyes,
That critical voice.
Underneath the eyes,
Pointing out what's wrong with me.
Underneath the nose,
Highlighting what I've been doing wrong,
What needs to be changed.
Down to the chin.
Comparing me to who I used to be.
Back down to your chest.
Comparing me to other people's bodies.
Underneath the arms,
Zooming in on flaws that I perceive.
Underneath the ribs in the front.
Running the same script on repeat.
Coming up to the top of your head.
It feels so true when this script runs.
Coming to the eyebrows.
It feels urgent,
Like I must do something to fix it.
Side of the eye.
Like I need to fix something immediately.
Underneath the eyes.
Like my self-worth is at stake if I don't change.
Underneath the nose.
Like I can't relax until I improve and change.
Down to the chin.
This pressure feels familiar.
Like I've felt it before.
Coming back down to the chest.
It's familiar because I've lived with it for a long time.
Down under the arms because my brain thinks it's helping me.
Underneath the ribs because my brain has used it at some point to protect me.
It's coming back to the top of your head.
My brain.
Is ready to shift.
Let's pause and take a breath here for a moment.
Just feel into your body.
Notice how those thoughts make your body feel.
Let's come back to the eyebrows.
These are just thoughts.
Side of the eyes,
Not facts.
Underneath the eyes.
Not a subject.
Or an objective truth.
Underneath the nose.
It's just a neural pathway that has been practiced over and over.
Down to the chin.
It's just repetition.
Down to the collarbone.
Just conditioning.
And let's come to the hand,
To the outside edge of your thumb.
This old programming no longer serves me.
And then move to the pointer finger.
It is not my identity.
It is not who I am.
Move to the middle finger.
I was taught to evaluate bodies.
Not just mine,
But other people's as well.
Nice and then switching to the other side moving to the ring finger.
I was taught to rank bodies.
To compare them.
To demean them.
Yes and coming to the outside edge of the palm.
I was taught to treat bodies like they're projects.
My body is not a project.
It's no wonder that my brain cycles through this.
It's coming back to your chest.
It's not a process that I created,
It's something I learned.
Coming to the outer edge of the ribs Underneath the arms.
Whatever is learned can be unlearned.
Underneath the ribs in the front.
I can choose which thoughts I am strengthening.
I can fill the ruts.
That have been created by these thought patterns.
And create new thought patterns.
Nice coming to the top of the head as you take a deep breath.
Preparing to interrupt the pattern.
It's down to the eyebrows.
Instead of scanning for flaws,
Outside edge of the eye.
What if I scanned for aliveness?
Underneath the eyes instead of asking what's wrong with me.
Underneath the nose.
What if I asked,
What's working for me?
Down to the chin.
Instead of shrinking away from the thoughts.
What if I stood neutrally?
Down to your chest.
Instead of judging.
What if I observed?
Outside edge of the ribs.
My body is not a before picture.
Underneath the ribs in the front.
It's not a problem to solve top of the head.
My body is a living system.
Down to the eyebrows.
My body is a digesting system.
Outside edge of the eyes.
My body is a healing system.
Underneath the eyes.
My body is always adapting.
Underneath the nose.
My body is constantly supporting me.
Down to the chin even when I criticize it.
Down to the chest.
My body supports me even when I criticize it.
Let's take a deep breath here.
Let's move back up to the eyebrows.
I can change the tone of my inner voice.
Side of the eye.
It doesn't have to be harsh to be effective.
Underneath the eye.
It can be neutral.
Underneath the nose.
It can be kind.
Down to the chin,
It can be supportive.
Down to the collarbone.
I can speak to my body like I'm an ally.
Underneath the arms.
Like someone who wants me to be well.
Underneath the ribs.
Not like someone who wants me to be small.
Back to the top of your head.
I release the belief that criticism creates change.
To your eyebrows.
I release the addiction to self-monitoring.
Side of the eye.
And let go of the urgency to fix myself.
Underneath the eyes.
And instead I choose regulated change.
Underneath the nose.
Sustainable change.
Down to the chin.
I choose change that is rooted in care.
Care for my mind,
Care for my heart,
Care for my body.
Down to your chest.
I choose to let go of shame.
I choose to let go of fear.
It's coming back to the top of your head.
My body deserves to be a calm observer.
My,
Coming down to your eyebrows,
My body deserves a partnership with me.
Not the pressure that I've been putting on it.
Outside edge of your eyes.
My body deserves love and devotion.
Underneath the eyes.
I can be in my body.
Without my mind attacking it and judging it.
I can lovingly look at myself underneath the nose.
I can speak kindly to myself.
Down to the chin.
I can speak truthfully and kindly to myself.
Nice coming back down to your chest and pausing taking a couple of deep breaths as you rest your hands at your heart space remembering that you get to choose the thoughts that will grow you stronger,
That your body is not an object to evaluate.
You are allowed to exist without critique.
And kindness is what creates sustainable change.
Take one more deep breath here,
Really coming into your body.
And gently ask yourself if I stopped criticizing my body.
What might I feel?
Nice and then gently fluttering your eyes open,
Coming back into the space where you are.
