Hello,
My name is Dr Howard Johnson.
Welcome to this brief practice to help us to reconnect with and befriend the body.
Something that can be practiced regularly to help us to stay grounded.
So let's begin by finding a sitting posture which is comfortable and relaxed and yet upright,
Dignified and allowing our eyes to close whenever we're ready.
Begin simply by acknowledging what's here right now.
Perhaps a racing mind.
Agitation and restlessness.
Feeling peaceful,
Relaxed.
Asking ourselves what's the texture of the body.
Is it sleepy and tired?
Awake?
Is there an emotional tone?
Happy,
Sad,
Dull,
Excited.
Whatever we find right now.
Just one of the ways we can find a human being.
So opening to whatever we find.
Simply acknowledging the way we are right now.
What's here?
And then moving into the second stage of the practice.
Coming to notice the breath moving in and out of the body.
The temperature of the air on an in-breath.
The rise in the chest and the stomach as the in-breath builds and the tiny pause at the end of an in-breath.
And then the out-breath.
The air leaving the body and the body falling back down.
The tiny gap at the end of an out-breath.
Saying to ourselves as we notice the breath,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Seeing if we can follow a whole in-breath from the beginning to the end.
And then following a whole out-breath.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
If the mind wanders,
Then there's no problem with that.
Perfectly natural for the mind to wander.
Very gently and patiently but with clear intention.
Coming back to the breath.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Continuing to notice the breath.
Noticing a couple more breaths in our own time.
And on an out-breath when we're ready,
Expanding the attention back out to include a sense of the whole body as we move into the third and final stage of the practice.
And beginning to imagine now that the body was a very dear friend or relative.
Someone who had something very important to tell us.
It may be something that has upset this person or something they feel very strongly about.
So we sit down next to them and as best we can,
We give them our undivided attention.
So allowing the body to speak to us in this way through its own language which is the language of sensation.
The buzz,
The tingle,
The contraction,
The expansion,
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Movement,
Shaking,
Sharpness or dullness.
The body is speaking to us.
So let the body have its own say.
Just like listening to our friend,
Our dear friend.
Not interrupting,
Not trying to control them.
Not being distracted or turning our attention away.
But welcoming them to tell us anything they need to.
So listening to the body in the same way.
The body sitting,
The breath breathing.
Unconditional,
Receptive,
Caring attention that we are giving the body,
Our best friend,
The body.
Especially listening to any areas of this discomfort,
Even pain.
Offering our extra caring attention.
Extra gentle,
Receptive to these messages the body gives us.
And if the mind wanders,
Then that's fine.
Perfectly natural but making it the intention to bring our kindness,
To bring our listening back.
Bringing it again and again to this body,
Our dear friend.
Knowing that at any point in the day we can come back to our friend,
Open up to them,
Let them in and give them our undivided caring attention.
But for now,
Opening the eyes again.
