Hello,
And welcome to today's meditation.
So as always,
Find a relaxed and comfortable position.
My guidance will always assume that you are sitting,
But you can adapt the instructions to whatever posture you've chosen.
So sitting with your back upright,
But not too tight.
You can place your hands on your knees,
Or in any position they feel comfortable.
And allow your body to rest down into gravity,
Letting it be supported by the floor beneath you.
And gently close your eyes,
If that's comfortable for you.
So as we allow the body to settle into a comfortable position,
We begin our practice by taking five deep breaths.
So you breathe in through your nose,
And you breathe out through your mouth.
You breathe in,
And out.
Breathe in,
And out.
Breathe in,
And out.
Breathe in,
And out.
So now bring your attention to the fact that you are breathing,
Not changing the breath,
But simply observing the air as it comes in and out of the body.
Become aware of the abdomen rising as the air comes into the body,
And falling as the air moves out of the body.
Not controlling the breath in any way.
So now connect with your head,
Moving into the forehead and the face.
Consider your eyes,
How important they are to you.
Everything that they take in,
How they help you identify faces,
Internalize information,
And appreciate beauty.
No pair of eyes are exactly alike,
Your eyes are completely unique,
You are unique.
Consider the beautiful colors and the intricate dimensions of the eyes.
Can you feel any sensations around or in your eyes?
Connect with your ears too,
Admiring their dynamic shape,
Their ability to listen,
To hear.
Can you hear anything apart from this meditation?
Now connect with the nose and mouth.
Take a nice deep breath in through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
Express appreciation for the natural filtration system of the nose,
The tiny hairs help filter the air that you breathe.
Can you smell anything in your nose?
Now moving down the spine,
Feel the strength of these important bones,
The bones that keep your body erect and moving.
Try to be aware of each vertebra,
Aware of the intricate nerves encased in your spine as they branch out to all parts of your body.
Be aware of the muscles and the skin of your back.
Straighten your head,
Neck and back,
And repeat thank you spine and back.
Now connect with your arms bringing your attention all the way down to your fingertips,
Connecting with the muscles here and the delicate bones of the hands.
Those arms and hands help you to carry things,
To grab things,
They are an extension of you.
Thank you arms and hands.
Bring your attention to the chest now,
Once again notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest and abdomen as you breathe.
Feel the fresh air coming into your lungs.
Feel the heart beating in harmony with the rhythm of your breath,
The connection between your heart and your lungs.
Those lungs bring oxygen and your heart carries it to all parts of your body and sends back to the lungs all that is no longer needed.
Can you feel your heart beat without touching your chest?
Thank you lungs,
Thank you heart.
Bring your attention to the abdomen now,
The core of the body.
Feel the slight rise on the in-breath and how it flattens releasing all tensions.
Be aware of your stomach,
Perhaps feeling sensations of digestion.
Can you notice your liver or your pancreas?
Thank you core.
Moving down into the legs now.
Feel the strong bones here and the muscles that help you walk.
Feel your thighs and how great support they are when moving.
Down to your knees and calves.
Feel this extension down to your ankles and feet.
Connect with the feet appreciating every tiny muscle and bone here.
Thank you legs and feet.
Sometimes when we connect with the body,
We become critical.
You may have noticed your mind drifting into judgment as you explored your body.
If so,
Take a few moments to return to the areas where appreciation was a challenge and sit with these body parts and allow any and all thoughts to surface,
Good,
Bad or in between.
Now clear the judgmental mind,
Once again using the breath,
Creating a blank slate and making room for appreciation,
Clearing away the dark thoughts,
The doubts or the negative self-talk and seeing your body for what it truly is,
A remarkable vehicle,
A true gift.
You are lucky to have this body.
Your body protects you.
It nourishes you.
It allows you to experience everything that life has to offer.
So take a few moments to treasure it,
Appreciating it for its uniqueness and divine beauty.
Fulfilling appreciation flowing from the top of your head,
Flowing into the spine,
Down into the arms and fingers,
Spreading through your chest and abdomen,
Down into the legs and feet,
Feeling your whole body glowing with gratitude.
Imagine your gratitude as a flow of positive energy or a light going through your whole body,
Starting from the crown,
Your head,
And going all the way down to your feet.
Visualize this caring,
Kind and energizing light,
Appreciating all parts of your body as they are,
Making you feel proud of this body,
Making you own this body as your temple and making you feel great and confident with who you are.
Take a deep breath in to let this flow of gratitude spread into your whole body and breathe out all that is no longer needed.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
And now let go of any control of the breath,
Allowing yourself to lay here in complete stillness.
Let your breath return to a rhythm that is natural to you,
Just easy inhales and exhales.
Becoming aware as you lay here,
Fully experiencing the body and the breath,
Seeing yourself as complete right now,
Just as you are.
So whenever you are ready,
Gently open your eyes and experience being totally awake,
Being complete,
Seeing yourself as a whole,
Accepting this body as it is right now.
I hope you have enjoyed this meditation,
Thank you for meditating with me and I hope to see you next time.
Bye for now.
