Finding Ease And Comfort When Physically Unwell

This is a guided practice for when you’re under the weather and when potentially the mental frustration of being sick can be just as draining as the physical symptoms. This is a soft landing for those days when you’re struggling with a cold, flu, or fatigue. We are not aiming for a miraculous recovery; instead, we seek a "1% shift", a small pocket of ease amidst the discomfort. Through a gentle breath practice, a soothing body scan, and a quiet observation of your thoughts, we move away from "fighting" the illness and toward easefulness and acceptance so that our bodies can healt and regenerate.

Transcript

As you might hear from my voice, I've been all unwell this week, And so if you're finding yourself in the same boat and just going through the motions of a cold, A bug, Or just coming out of it healing, I invite you to just sit with me and find some ease. Just notice that even if we're feeling uncomfortable, Congested, In pain, There's still scope of finding little pockets of ease and peace and groundedness. So make yourself comfortable, Just drop in. You might still be in bed. If you have access to a green space or an outdoor space, That would be wonderful. Somewhere where you can feel the wind and see the sky, Perhaps allow yourself to be kissed by the Sun. And just drop down. I invite you to just hold my hand. Lovingly noticing your breath. Noticing the quality of your breath. Whether it's shallow or fast, It's not trying to change anything. Just being with what is. And if your body allows it, Just start by making your breaths, In-breath and the out-breath, Just consciously a little longer, A little juicier. Starting with the in-breath, Breathing in, Feeling your lungs, Your belly. Holding at the top, And then releasing and letting go. Doing this again, Breathing in, Either through your nose or mouth. And doing this one more time, Just the deepest breath you've taken all day, Breathing in. It's often the case that when we're feeling unwell, We tend to squeeze, Tighten, Hold our bodies, Our breath, Without even realising it. And so if we can consciously pay attention to the breath and lovingly making it deeper, Fuller, Releasing, Letting go. And you can really allow yourself this moment of healing, This moment of presence, Acceptance. I now encourage you to run a gentle, Loving body scan, Scanning the various parts of the body. And noticing if there is any gripping, Any holding, Any parts where perhaps there's pain, There's congestion, There's pressure. See if you can notice those parts, And if you can breathe into them, Releasing, Releasing and accepting. Starting from the top of your head, Your forehead, Your eyebrows, Your ears, Your cheeks. Your lips, The inside of your mouth, Your whole face, Your jaw, Your shoulders, Your chest, Your abdomen, Your belly, Your hips. The pelvic area, Pubic bones, Your buttocks, Your knees, Your ankles, Your feet and your toes. And lastly, Your arms, Your hands, Your fingers. And without my voice, Just run the scan from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, Just noticing, Are you still gripping? Are you still holding? Can you let go even a little bit more, A tiny bit more? We're not looking for magic, Miraculous healing, We're not looking for anything that's unreasonable, We're just looking for a 1% change, A 1% improvement, A 1% letting go, Finding new usefulness. See if you can just allow your body to relax, Release the holding, The gripping. And lastly, I invite you to pay attention to any thoughts. Again, When we're not feeling well or when there's something not right with us, Mental chatter is not always the nicest. We tend to feel sorry for ourselves, We feel like we're missing out on, You know, Plans and different events. We want to speed up this process of healing. Why is my body sick? Why can I not be healthy again? Why have I taken this for granted, This or that? We can be really unfriendly in that. Can we sit with that? Can we notice that mental chatter? Just what is your mind saying? And again, We're not looking to change this, We're not looking to ban this voice if it's critical, We're just looking to be aware of it, Shine that spotlight on it and see if we can let it go for even a second. Can we just allow it to be and just drop down, Keep breathing, Releasing, Give yourself some respite, Even if it's just for a minute. Allowing yourself to be exactly as you are, Trusting that your body is healing, That your body is working to regenerate your cells, Your organs. It just needs time and love to rest and to heal and you're doing just that. So just taking another deep breath before we close down the practice and I invite you to rest for a few minutes in this sensation of easefulness, In this perhaps relaxation. Just rest in here a little longer after the practice stops, See what comes up, See if there's any other areas or thoughts or emotions that you can work through, Just in the same loving awareness, Acceptance way. And thank yourself for showing up today. Hope you get well soon. Thank you.