Gratitude for the body.
So the body is something we only notice when something is not right with it usually like oh I have back pain,
Oh I twisted my ankle,
Oh I have a headache.
That's usually how we notice the body.
In today's practice we're going to do something different and I'll ask you to tune into different parts of the body with appreciation,
With warmth,
With gratitude.
So begin by finding a very comfortable seat with your spine straight and you might rest one hand inside the other,
Not crossed,
Just resting gently on your lap.
Let your spine lean back against the chair and we will begin this practice of befriending the body.
We'll bring awareness to different parts of the body and we'll just say thank you.
So when you're as comfortable and as warm as you can be,
Let your weight relax fully against the chair.
Let all the muscles of your face release and bring awareness to your feet with your eyes closed.
Peel into the feet.
Notice any sensations about the feet and bring to mind one way your feet have served you in your life.
It might be today or this week or this lifetime.
Asking how have my feet served me?
What are my feet doing for me?
And bring awareness to your legs.
Ask yourself what have my legs allowed me to do?
Thank your legs.
Thank your feet for every place they've taken you,
For supporting you,
For moving you through life and feel into the hips and the belly.
Thank the stomach and the belly for making the act of breathing easy,
For digestion.
Bring awareness to your back and feel the uprightness and the flexibility that's there in your spine.
Asking yourself how has my back supported me?
Sending warmth and appreciation to your back,
To your spine.
Thinking of all the postures,
Of all the positions your body was able to take thanks to your spine.
And now bring awareness to your heart.
You might even place the hands on your heart for some extra appreciation if that feels good.
Feel that heart beating and thank your heart for pumping blood all through your body,
Physically.
And maybe metaphorically thank your heart for caring,
For feeling love,
For feeling joy.
Thank the heart for the emotions you experience and for connecting with others.
Expressing gratitude to your heart for being as it is and for your rich emotional life.
And you can place the hands down if that feels good and bring awareness to those hands,
To those arms and ask yourself how have my arms and hands supported me in life?
What have they allowed me to do?
We use our arms and our hands so often.
Express gratitude now for all the amazing things they do for you.
Feeling the warmth of those hands and those fingers and those palms and think about every moment you've held someone's hand.
Thank your hands for everything you've cooked,
For every note you were able to handwrite,
For everything you've created with your hands.
And thank your arms for all the things they've carried throughout your lifetime.
Just think for a moment all the objects that you have carried and expressing gratitude.
Expressing gratitude for these instruments of skill and creativity.
And finally bring awareness to your face and your head.
Let the skin on the face relax.
Let the jaw relax.
Let the neck relax and thank the neck for carrying around your heavy head.
Let the forehead and the eyebrows relax.
Feel into the face and the head and ask yourself what do my face and head allow me to do?
Every minute,
All the time,
So much,
So very much.
To smell and taste,
To hear,
To hear beautiful music,
To hear the words that your loved ones speak.
Thanking the face and the head for being able to see.
Thanking the mouth for being able to smile.
Letting gratitude rush over you.
Gratitude that you can speak your words of truth.
Gratitude that you can hear so many beautiful sounds.
Gratitude that you know what water tastes like and you can take a sip of water and you can see so many beautiful things around you.
And now feel grateful for your mind that is processing your whole experience.
You might especially thank the mind for getting you through this meditation.
When it might have been more interested in distracting itself or entertaining itself.
So thank the mind for being open to friendliness,
Self-friendliness.
And now just feel into your whole body.
Welcoming the body as it is.
Appreciating this complex body as it is and thank your whole body.
Thank your body for getting you here to this moment so far and knowing that there is no experience you've had in this life that is separate from this body moving you through life.
Knowing that it will be with you for the rest of the journey.
And as an act of appreciation set the intention to take good care of your body and to serve your body in gratitude.
And now take a deep breath in.
Take a deep breath out through the mouth and without rushing gently softly opening your eyes.
Coming back to our shared space and maybe feeling into your body with increased gratitude with this increased appreciation after the practice.
