Embracing Physical Flaws Body Appreciation Meditation

Living in a world where we are constantly bombarded by cultural standards of beauty, it is easy to hyperfocus on what we perceive to be our flaws. Use this meditation when you find yourself being overly critical of your physical body or when you want to cultivate gratitude for all of the ways the physical body supports us throughout our days.

Transcript

Hi,

This is Junie Boucher and today we will be doing a body appreciation meditation.

So every day we are asking so much of our physical bodies,

Whether that's sitting when we would prefer to be moving or moving when we'd really prefer to be sitting.

We are just in constant request and demand in our physical bodies and that doesn't even account for the incredible amount of negative self-talk that typically goes on as we assess whether our features,

Our body type or physical characteristics are good or bad.

So in today's meditation we are going to extend a little bit of gratitude to these bodies that give us so much.

So when you're ready find a comfortable position and let's take a couple deep breaths in through the nose and just gently let that go.

Let's do that one more time in through the nose and just gently release that on an audible exhale letting everything go arriving here in the space.

If you'd like to just gently flutter those eyes closed now.

So I'd invite you to imagine something that your body has done for you that you have gratitude for.

Now this may be the birth of a child,

Beating an illness,

Some type of athletic accomplishment or perhaps it's just gratitude for moving throughout your day allowing you to see,

Hear,

Taste,

Experience everything the world has to offer.

There's no right or wrong answer here,

Just envision something that you appreciate and allow those feelings of appreciation to fill your heart and overflow into the rest of your body.

You may even want to say silently or out loud thank you.

Now I invite you to envision something that you consider a physical flaw.

And once you have determined this part of yourself that you tend to criticize,

I invite you to take the gratitude we cultivated in the previous visualization and radiate it to that characteristic that you tend to criticize.

So as you're inhaling,

You're cultivating,

Gathering,

Appreciating,

Overflowing and as you exhale,

You're radiating onto this piece with acceptance,

Appreciation,

Just for this moment letting go of any judgment for this particular feature.

Letting go of any idea that there is beauty and non-beauty and accepting that this is this is a part of you,

Something that makes you wonderfully unique.

So again,

We're cultivating on the inhale gratitude,

Unconditional love and on the exhale,

We are radiating onto this feature.

So let's begin.

Cultivate,

Radiate,

Cultivate,

Radiate.

Can you Cathy bear the And if you happen to drift away,

That's okay.

Just come back to the breath.

Cultivate.

Radiate.

Ho you you Release the visualization and just notice how you feel Allow your body to vibrate in this gratitude And gently bring your awareness back to your breath I'll line the time and when you hear my voice just sit gently you you you Start to deepen your breath And as we slowly come back to the room Bring some movement back to your fingers wiggle your toes Take any intuitive movements that your body would like to make right now and whenever you're ready you can gently open your eyes and As you move throughout the rest of your day today.

I would encourage you to Take a moment to pause if you do notice yourself being Critical of something in your physical body and just remember that you have the option to choose Whether or not that thought shames you or serves you That's one of the gifts of meditation is it allows you to take a moment Introduce a pattern interrupt and then determine if you'd like to proceed with that train of thought So thank you so much for meditating with me today and sharing your practice As always I am wishing you well

Reviews

This was one of the most helpful and applicable meditations I have come across in the app. It is exactly what I needed to hear. I will return to it often. Thank you for this!

I’m a greatful humble thankful Christian actor sisnegrvwith courage kindess and a purpose to inspire people around the world to never give up on their dreams amen and so it is!

Cultivate and Radiate. Thank you Juni for this practice I plan to use throughout my day 🙏😊

This was very profound and powerful to do. Her parting words gave me something to think about moving forward to help me move beyond negative self talk.

Thank you🥰

Okay this may sound like a joke but as I finished my beer belly felt kinda like a six pack.

Very calming 🙏🏻