Welcome to this meditation of listening to your body.
Listening to your body is about giving your inner wisdom a chance to offer you some guidance on what it is that you really want and how to take care of yourself.
This reflection will help you get in touch with that part of you that wants to nurture your body,
Nurture your mind,
And your whole self.
So come into the position that is most comfortable for you in this moment.
If there's anything you can do to make yourself feel even a little more comfortable,
Do it now.
And allow yourself to find your breath,
Letting the breath lead and the mind follow.
For the first part of the meditation,
We'll just ride the waves of the breath,
Noticing the rhythm of the inhalation and the exhalation.
Bring your full awareness to it.
And now as you inhale,
Say in your own mind,
Inhale.
And as you exhale,
Say in your own mind,
Exhale.
When the mind wanders,
Bring it back to the breath.
Begin now for two minutes.
Now tune into the body,
Feeling into the body inside and out.
And notice what is already there in the body.
If there's any discomfort present,
Allow yourself to notice it.
If there's hunger or fatigue present,
Allow yourself to notice it.
If there's lightness or ease present,
Allow yourself to fully notice it.
Just this noticing with compassion and without judgment and without having to immediately fix what you notice,
This is already the willingness to listen to your body.
Observing your body closely and with compassion allows it to communicate with you.
I will guide you through a few questions.
When you hear each question,
You might repeat it in your own mind one or two times.
And then just wait and see if anything comes up.
You might be surprised by what comes up.
Try not to reject anything.
Needs that have been ignored or denied can sometimes go undercover and are only comfortable reviewing themselves when you're willing to welcome all thoughts with curiosity and compassion.
And sometimes when you hear a question,
Nothing will come up.
And that's fine also.
You can just stay with the question or come back to the breath anytime.
So let's begin by bringing our full awareness to the body,
Noticing the feet and legs,
Hips and back,
Noticing your shoulders,
Chest,
Arms and hands.
Notice the belly.
And notice how the belly moves as you breathe.
Notice your neck.
Notice your face and head.
Notice your eye,
Your nose,
Your mouth.
Notice your ears,
The top of your head.
And now notice the whole body all at once.
Can you imagine you can breathe in and out of the whole body?
Sending the breath into the body and right out of the whole body.
What sensation do you feel in this field of awareness?
Just gently noticing what is your body carrying?
What emotions are there now?
Feel the body inside and out,
Whether it's light or heavy,
Comfortable or not.
Feel its moves.
Feel its many sensations.
And now ask your body,
Like you would ask a dear friend.
What do you wish for?
What wishes do you have?
Keep asking the question and listening to the answer.
Like you would ask a friend you really care about.
What do you wish for?
I want to be there for you.
Body,
What can I do for you?
And asking your body,
Is there anything you need more of that I can give you?
I want to be there for you.
Is there anything you need more of that I can give you?
And now asking your body,
What would give you more energy?
What can I do with the mind or with the body that would give you more energy?
What can I do or stop doing that would give you more energy,
More vibrancy?
Asking your body,
Again,
Like you would ask someone who you really care about,
With a tone of warmth and concern.
What can I do that would nourish you the best?
What would really nourish you?
Is there anything I can offer you or give you a break from that would really nourish you?
Now asking your body this question,
How would you like me to treat you?
How would you like me to treat you?
Finally,
Asking your body,
Is there anything else I should know?
Please tell me anything else that I should know.
Know that the answers to all your questions will come with time.
And asking the question and then giving it space is a way of honoring the question.
Now that you've connected to the body and communicated with your body,
Let's ask your body for forgiveness.
Feeling the body and asking your body for forgiveness,
That sometimes you may have treated it harshly or indifferently.
Feeling into this body,
This gift you have to take care of,
And asking your body for forgiveness for the times you did not listen to it or did not offer it your attention.
From the bottom of your heart,
Asking your body for forgiveness and welcoming your body into your heart as it is right now,
And resolving to treat it with kindness,
To treat it with care,
To treat it with nothing less than real affection.
Imagine that with every in-breath,
You're sending light into your whole body.
Sending light into your body with every breath until you imagine your whole body filled with the most beautiful,
Radiant light.
And ending with some wishes for yourself.
May I listen to my body.
May I understand my body.
May I give it attention.
And may I deeply care for myself,
Including my body.
May I let myself be happy where I am,
And be happy with my body just as it is.
Noticing if your body feels different now at the end of this meditation.
This practice of listening to your body will bring more energy to the body with time,
And will make it easier for your body to communicate with you with time.
Let yourself feel this willingness to take care of yourself as you take a deep breath in,
And a deep breath out through the mouth.
Feeling the air as it touches your skin.
Opening your ears to any sounds in the room,
And bringing your awareness back to your outer space.
Thanking yourself as I thank you for doing this meditation.
