Hello and thank you for joining me for this guided meditation practice on the three ends of nurturing the body.
As can be true in all meditation practice,
You may notice that difficult or even deeply troubling thoughts or emotions might arise.
If this happens to you,
Please know that this is completely normal and not something that you have to stay with for more time than you can reasonably tolerate.
If you start to feel overwhelmed,
It's important to stop,
Open the eyes,
And ground yourself in the sturdy things surrounding you that will remind you there is no real threat here.
You are safe.
You might find it helpful to have a journal by your side and write down any thoughts that arise for you at the end of the practice.
Take your time.
Feel free to pause the recording and respond to your needs in whatever way your body is calling you to.
Okay,
Let's settle in.
Find a posture that is comfortable and alert.
You can leave eyes open with your gaze soft and unfocused or gently close the eyes.
Take a few deep breaths,
Settling into the body.
Soften across the forehead.
Release the muscles around the eyes.
Relax the jaw.
Allow the shoulders to drop down the back.
And feel this next breath received by a soft belly.
Now begin to bring your awareness to the sensations of the whole body.
Feeling from the inside out,
Feel the body sitting.
With a gentle,
Kind attention,
Open to the body with a willingness to receive it just as it is.
If it is helpful to offer yourself phrases to anchor into this practice,
You might try something like,
May I feel my body just as it is.
May I be kind and patient with myself as I bring awareness to my body.
Whatever arises,
A feeling of pressure,
A tingling,
Warmth or coolness.
Stay with it.
Watch the changing play of sensation over time.
When the mind wanders,
Simply meet this with a light noticing.
Perhaps a soft smile at the corners of the mouth.
And gently come back again to the sensations of the body.
If there is some restlessness or aversion,
Ask yourself if it feels possible to soften into this discomfort.
Perhaps again offering yourself a phrase like,
It's okay sweetheart.
Whatever it is,
It's okay.
Let me see if I can feel this too.
With the N of non-identification,
We know that whatever arises is not you.
Sensations and thoughts,
They all follow the same cycle as everything in nature.
They will arise,
They are here for a time,
And then they fall away.
Everything that comes into our awareness is nothing more than something to be observed.
The kind and non-judgmental curiosity.
A phrase that may be helpful here might sound something like,
May I be undisturbed by the coming and going of thoughts,
Sensations and emotions that will arise when I bring my attention to the body.
May I be undisturbed by the coming and going of thoughts and sensations when I bring my attention to the body.
To nourish our bodies is to provide whatever is necessary for our growth,
For our health and our well-being.
This includes food,
Hydration,
Movement.
This includes doing what's necessary to keep the body safe from harm.
Responding to cues that tell us there's some ailment that needs your attention.
Responding to a pang of hunger.
Allowing your hand to massage out that knot in your neck.
It's okay.
Phrases you may offer yourself might sound something like,
May I hold my pain with kindness and compassion.
May I be safe and protected from inner and outer harm.
May I care for my body and respond to its needs.
May I live with ease.
As we end this practice,
Before you open the eyes,
Ask yourself if it might be possible to take something with you back out into your daily life.
