During this practice,
You'll be guided through a full body scan that invites you to explore each of the five koshas or the five layers of being.
Anamaya Kosha,
The physical body.
Pranamaya Kosha,
The energy or breath body.
Manomaya Kosha,
The emotional body.
Vijnanamaya Kosha,
The mental or wisdom body.
And finally,
Anamaya Kosha,
The spiritual or bliss body.
Through this practice,
You will tune into,
Welcome,
And befriend your whole being.
The aim of listening and connecting to all five koshas is to deepen the awareness of the full breadth of human experience.
Befriending all the multifaceted layers of the self in this way can help build your practice of self-compassion and self-acceptance,
Allowing you to embrace where you are and who you are in this moment.
This meditation can be practiced at any time of day.
It makes a great daily ritual before breakfast or bed and can be used as an intentional self-care practice to manage symptoms of stress,
Overwhelm,
And anxiety.
So let's begin the practice.
You may wish to begin by laying on the floor or in a comfortable seat or in any position that feels supportive and nourishing for you.
If it feels right in your body to lie on your back,
Bend your knees and bring your feet flat on the floor.
Use as many props here as necessary to move towards comfort.
Wherever you are,
Make your final adjustments and see if you can come into stillness.
In that stillness,
Let your attention go inward.
You may wish to close your eyes or soften the gaze.
From this place,
Invite yourself to be here right now and repeat to yourself the following,
I welcome my whole self today.
With this mantra,
Bring a quality of acceptance to your practice.
Now begin by scanning your whole body and ask yourself,
Am I present in my body today?
You might notice sensations that reveal the presence of your physical body,
Perhaps noticing how your body makes contact with the ground or maybe how the props and or chair support you.
Let gravity weigh down your body here,
Feeling the body's connection to that support,
Letting your head,
Face,
Neck,
And arms soften.
Release any tension from your back and abdomen.
Relax the hips and the legs.
Allow the feet to melt down into the earth.
Notice if there's any point of tension or discomfort and then allow that area of the body to soften and rest here,
Fully supported.
If it feels right,
You might move your hands,
Arm to your center,
Whatever that might mean to you.
Maybe it's a hand to your heart,
Your hands to the abdomen,
Or your hands resting on the legs.
Offer some gesture of kindness,
Of care and compassion,
Bringing your attention to the way your palms rest on your body.
Notice if there is a sense of warmth,
Let there be a softening at your center.
Repeat,
I welcome my whole self today.
Breathe with what's here.
You might begin to take full conscious breaths as a way to help further anchor yourself in the present moment,
Mindfully bringing awareness to the in-breath and the out-breath.
Inhaling and exhaling,
Reacquaint yourself with the movement of the breath in the body.
Notice the sensations that reveal the presence of your breath,
Perhaps the different qualities of the breath.
Is the breath deep or shallow?
Notice the rhythm.
Is it flowing smoothly and evenly or broken and ragged?
Is the breath warm or cool?
Can you sense the slight rise and fall of the belly?
Just observe these aspects of the breath without the desire for change,
Without judgment,
And repeat to yourself the following,
I welcome my whole self today.
Shift your awareness to the mind.
What are the qualities of your thoughts?
Are they racing or is there a story playing in the background?
Are your thoughts circling back to the same thing,
Stuck in a loop?
Perhaps there are some residual thoughts from earlier in the day or past events,
Maybe about an interaction with someone or something that may occur in the future.
Just bring gentle awareness to these thoughts and when you're ready,
Repeat,
I welcome my whole whole self today.
What is the tone of your emotions at this moment?
Is there a word,
A color,
A texture or flavor that best identifies how you are feeling?
Sit with what comes up for as long as it feels comfortable for you,
Acknowledging when and where there is discomfort.
You might sit with these feelings only if it feels safe for you today.
Sit here mindfully or perhaps let go of the emotions,
Knowing that at any time you can come back to the practice.
Take a few deep breaths in and out,
Anchoring in the present moment.
Repeat the intention,
I welcome my whole self.
You might even whisper to yourself out loud,
Consciously calling on your awakened heart to come forward.
That place inside you that is unchanging,
Everlasting,
Unbreakable and sense that you can feel with that inner wisdom.
Lean into the sensations of kind and wise witnessing.
Feel into that place where presence resides within the heart and spirit and know at the deepest depths of your being,
You are whole,
Complete and perfect just as you are.
Stay here for as long as it feels right for you,
Tending and befriending your whole self.
Repeating the intention,
I welcome my whole self.
As you're ready,
If you're lying down,
Roll over to one side and slowly make your way to sitting.
If you're sitting,
Gently open your eyes if closed.
Bring the practice to a close,
Perhaps by bringing your chin to chest,
Offering yourself a gentle reverent bow of gratitude.
Thank yourself for taking time to connect to your whole being.
Namaste.
