Dear Chest, Thank You

This meditation is part of a series designed to help you reconnect with yourself, one part at a time. Each week, you gently explore a different area of your body with presence, appreciation, and healing. You can access this whole series through the playlist at the bottom of my profile on Insight Timer.

In this meditation, you will arrive at your chest, the rhythmic center where breath and emotion meet.

You will be invited to gently feel into this space, express gratitude for your heartbeat and breath, and send it healing so it may feel open, held, and at peace.

Return to this practice when your chest feels tight, your breathing is shallow, or when your heart feels heavy or closed.

This meditation was recorded during one of the live events on Insight Timer. So, if you find this meditation helpful, you can support my work through a small donation.

Transcript

Hello wonderful being, Thank you for choosing me to be your guide today. So begin by coming into a comfortable position. You can either sit, Stand or lie down, Whatever your body needs right now. Allowing your spine to get just a little bit taller. Aligning your head with the spine and allowing your hands to be either in your lap, On your knees or by the sides of your body. As you settle into this posture, Allow your eyes to close. And if you don't feel safe to close your eyes, Then alternatively, You can choose to lower your gaze, Looking downward at the floor in front of you. And now as your attention has turned inward, Become aware of the surface beneath you. Feeling held by mother earth. As you feel supported in this manner, Allow your awareness to hold your breath. So taking a deep breath in through your nose and a slow breath out through your mouth. In, Arriving in your body and now bring your awareness to your chest. The sacred space where breath, Life and love resides. Noticing the skin around your chest. Becoming aware of the cloth or air touching the skin of your chest. Noticing the temperature of the air or cloth. Is it warmer or cooler than your skin? And now bring your attention inside your chest. So beginning with your ribs, The curved bones surrounding your chest, Protecting your vital organs. Notice the subtle expansion as they move with the breath. Rest your awareness here. Noticing your ribs. Your ribs moving with the breath. And as you connect with them, Allow some appreciation for them to flow in. Allow the gratitude to flow and touch this part of your body through my words. Thank you, Dear ribs. Thank you for creating the shelter that holds breath and life. For flexibly expanding with each inhale. For shielding the vital rhythm and all the vital organs of those present in the chest. For allowing me to twist, Reach, Hug, Dance and leave safely. Now shift your awareness to your lungs. Nestled beneath the rib. Expanding and contracting breath after breath. Letting your gratitude for them sink in through my words. Thank you, My dear lungs. Thank you for receiving the world with every inhale. For releasing the weight of life with every exhale. For exchanging oxygen for life and for whispering that life into every cell of my body. For sighing when I am tired. For gasping when I am surprised. For releasing tears, Laughter and relief. For adapting even when my breath is short and fast. Now bringing awareness to the diaphragm. The dome-shaped muscle that separates your chest from your belly. This muscle is located just beneath your lungs. And it moves with every breath. It moves down so that you can draw air into your chest. And moves up so that you can release and press that air out again. So expressing gratitude to your diaphragm. Thank you, Diaphragm. Thank you for your tireless motion. Contracting, Relaxing. Contracting, Relaxing. Thank you for making space for the life-giving air. Thank you for massaging my organs with every wave of breath. You are the silent engine behind my breath. And now turn inward into your heart. The muscle that began beating before you had a name. The first sign of life. So as you turn your attention to your heart. Notice the quiet and steady rhythm deep in your chest. You may not feel the heartbeat directly. But you know it's there. Pulsing behind every moment of your life. So taking some time to express gratitude to your heart. Thank you, My dear heart. Thank you for sending life to every corner of me. Tirelessly and faithfully. For carrying my joy and my sorrows. For loving, For loving even when it's risky. For softening when I forgive. And standing strong with courage when I must. For rushing with excitement. For aching with loss. For opening again and again. To love, To hope and to life. Thank you, Every part of my chest. Thank you for being the home to my breath, To my voice and to my feelings. Thank you for holding all that I have carried and for making space again and again for life. I know I haven't always noticed you. I may have tightened you with stress or silenced you in sadness but I see you now. I thank you and I honor you. And now I invite you to imagine a golden light, A soft golden light all around your body. You are sitting, Standing or lying down around it with a bubble filled with soft golden light. This light is soothing and healing with every breath that you take. See this light flowing in through your nose and pooling in the lungs, Bathing your heart, Your ribs, Your diaphragm and your whole chest. Imagine all the vital organs and the muscles and the nerves in your chest being bathed in this golden light. As you feel the warmth of this light, Noticing your breath deepening and slowing down. As you inhale, You are drawing in more warmth and compassion and as you exhale, You are releasing what no longer serves you. As you inhale, Letting this light open your chest area, Bringing in some ease and as you exhale, Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Continue breathing in this manner. Letting this light linger just a little bit longer in your chest. Healing every step, Every cell within your chest. Noticing how does this healing and this whole meditation is making you feel. As we reach the end of this meditation, Taking a deep breath in, Soaking all the wonderful feelings from this practice and as you exhale, Letting go of this meditation, Allowing yourself to return and become aware of your whole body. Bringing in some small movement like wiggling your toes and your fingers. Letting your body move in whatever manner it wants to. Moving your shoulders back so that you have an open chest and you can carry this beautiful practice within you as you go about your day. As you exhale, Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Letting go of any tension, Constriction or heaviness held in this area. Bye-bye. Take care.