Practice Gratitude For The Body

Cultivate love and gratitude for the body with intention, breath, and a loving body scan. Lean into kindness and acceptance for the miracle of our bodies. Can you lean into a sense of effortless ease, just for today, to deepen your connection with your body?

Transcript

This practice is designed to cultivate love and gratitude for the body.

There is a Zen meditation teaching that says,

The most important thing to remember is the most important thing.

In other words,

Setting an intention before meditation builds in a reminder of why you are meditating in the first place,

A sort of anchor during the practice.

Take a moment and think about your body.

How can you use this time to deepen your connection with the physical body?

Even if just for today,

We are programmed to be unkind to our bodies.

Rarely do we take the time to marvel at the amazing miracle of our own human bodies.

As you settle on your intention for today's practice,

Let's prepare for meditation.

You can lie down if that's what your body is calling for,

Or you may be seated.

If seated,

Find a posture that enables you to maintain the natural curve of the spine,

Finding in the body a stable base with sit bones grounded into the surface beneath you.

Seated so that ears are positioned over shoulders,

Arms relaxed and elbows by the sides of the body.

Broaden through the chest to open the heart and the crown of the head reaches toward the sky.

Jaws relaxed,

Face relaxed.

You can close the eyes fully or keep them softly open if you prefer.

Relax your body and ease into letting go.

Pay attention to any areas where you might be holding tension,

Including your jaw,

The eyebrows and the area around the eyes,

The forehead,

Chest,

Belly,

Neck.

Soften these areas while you take several full deep breaths into the belly,

Filling upward into the lungs.

And with each exhale,

Consciously let it go.

An invitation to deepen your connection with the body.

Love your body for doing its work.

In spite of any imperfections or flaws or pain,

Your body works for you in every moment,

Day in and day out.

Without ever being asked,

It works for you.

As you pursue your passions and your purpose in this lifetime,

Your body is a reliable vehicle that carries you through life,

Keeping the focus on the physical body with knowledge that the mind,

Emotions and soul are one with the body.

Your body speaks your mind and nurturing your mind supports the body as well.

Often we identify with pain in the body or physical limitations or perhaps even perceived imperfections.

But identifying with pain or disease holds us back.

For today,

Invite a sense of love and gratitude in your body as you tend to each part and shower love on them.

Being kind to yourself,

Loving your body,

Let go of past labels,

Past labels of disease,

Limitations,

Imperfections.

Checking in with your position,

See that you're still settled into a state of effortless ease,

Hands resting and relaxed,

Perhaps closed eyes.

Maybe you feel drawn to deepen your connection further.

You may wish to place the left hand on the heart and the right hand on the belly or whatever position is calling to you.

Make any adjustments needed and continue to relax completely.

Deep breath in through the nose,

Sending the breath down the length of the spine,

Exhaling out through the mouth,

Releasing any tension.

One more time,

Deep breath in,

Exhale to sigh it out.

Feel the body continue to soften and relax as you enter a state of introspective awareness.

Settle into a natural breathing pattern.

During this time you've set aside to care for yourself,

The world will go on around you,

Sound will happen,

Thoughts will surface.

Acknowledge them and allow them to be part of the background as you invite your awareness inward.

Attention to the breath as it flows in its natural rhythm without changing or forcing expectation of what it should be.

Notice its path,

Notice its tempo,

Notice its fullness.

Perhaps the breath is beginning to slow and deepen as you continue to relax.

Whatever you're experiencing in this moment is perfect.

Simply be with each sensation as it arises and notice any movement of the body connected with the rhythm of the breath.

Rise and fall of the belly.

The rise and fall of the belly.

Continue to practice sensing the breath as it flows with each inhale and flows with each exhale.

A few more rounds of breath.

And if the mind begins to wander or follow thoughts,

Lovingly return your focus to the breath.

I invite you to move the focus slowly to your physical sensation.

Beginning at the crown of the head,

Scan any sensation of your body on the inside with intention all the way down to the soles of the feet.

As you sense each part of the body,

Inhale.

And as you're ready to move on,

Exhale and release.

Once your awareness reaches the feet,

Bring attention back to the top of the head and begin again.

This time noticing any areas of pain or discomfort.

Be with each sensation without labeling or telling a story of why.

Breathing into these areas with a sense of ease.

Exhaling to release.

Notice if you skip or avoid any areas as you scan or feel judgment toward any area.

Simply thank your body for its ability to feel.

Thank your body for its ability to heal.

Let go of past expectations or stories you may have about your body.

Simply send love to your body.

As you continue this flowing body scan practice,

Begin to feel loving kindness as you sense throughout the body.

Feel a sense of gratitude for everything your body automatically does for you.

Thank the body for its ability to digest food and turn it into fuel.

Thank your body for releasing toxins,

For breathing and thinking,

And for allowing you to move around.

Appreciate the body's senses that allow you to smell a favorite scent,

See a favorite scene,

Taste a favorite food,

Or feel the touch of a loved one's embrace.

See if you can offer every part of your body gratitude and loving energy.

And feel every part of your body.

The skin,

Bones,

Organs,

Energy,

Maybe a beating heart.

You may find it difficult to send love to areas with pain or disease.

Simply do your best to be with everything that is part of you.

Pain is still a part of you,

A part in need of loving kindness.

Continue sending positive healing energy to those parts.

You may be drawn to place a hand on an area that's in pain,

Or a place in need of love,

To bring relief or positive energy to that area.

Let's stay with these sensations for a little longer,

Taking a few moments to bask in a sense of gratitude.

I'll bring you back when it's time.

And if you're struggling with this practice,

Perhaps use this time to reflect on the amazing functions of your body.

Perhaps simply sending gratitude and love to each and every part of your body,

Heart,

And soul.

The more connected to your body and aware you become,

The more you see that your body speaks your mind.

Important messages if you're willing and open to listen.

Just for today,

Practice loving your body and listening to the body's important messages.

What does your body have to say?

Begin to deepen the breath to awaken your relaxed body.

And on your own time,

Bring gentle movement to the body,

Perhaps the fingers and the toes.

Taking your time,

Open the eyes when you're ready.

And as you prepare to move through the rest of your day,

Take a deep breath in and cross the arms across the chest,

Embracing your beautiful,

Amazing self.

Exhale,

Releasing the arms.

Let's do one more breath to seal today's practice.

Inhale through the nose,

Breathing in from the belly,

And hold for three,

Two,

One,

And release,

Exhaling completely through the mouth.

Thank you for sharing your practice with me today and with your body.