Hello and welcome.
Today we will be practicing using body awareness to feel grounded,
Settled,
And peaceful.
I wish you a peaceful and enriching practice.
To begin,
Find a comfortable spot,
Preferably seated or lying down.
You can close your eyes or gently gaze downward.
Starting with the breath,
Allow your lungs to fill up slowly and gradually exhale,
Allowing steadiness to fill you with each breath.
You can try to make your exhales slightly longer than your inhales by slowly pushing the air from your lungs at a steady rate.
Now take a slow scan of the body from head to toe,
Looking for any place that feels good,
Relaxed,
Or peaceful.
Starting at the crown of your head,
Slowly move down through the forehead,
Mouth and jaw,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Arms and hands,
Chest,
Around and down your spine,
Into your back,
Into your belly,
Your hips,
Pelvis,
Sit bones,
Thighs,
Knees,
Calves,
Ankles,
And feet.
And after completing the scan,
Pay attention to where in your body you found something good.
It's okay if nothing feels positive.
If that happens,
Perhaps look for an area that feels neutral or spacious.
Maybe there's an area that has a pleasant warmth or a steadiness.
And without working or making anything show up,
Just allow yourself to lean into this sensation.
Notice how good it feels to stay with the body and to soak in this restful,
Positive,
Peaceful feeling.
And if your mind wanders,
Know that is okay.
Sometimes our mind looks for what is wrong and it takes practice to stay with the good stuff.
Just gently return to this place of good feeling and let your attention absorb all that is peaceful here.
And as you lean into this pleasant sensation,
See if a word or phrase comes to you that encompasses this feeling.
And as you stay with this pleasant feeling,
See if you can imagine that this area is filled with a ball of energy or light.
Simply allow whatever comes up,
Letting your body's wisdom lead the way.
Maybe there's a color that feels right or a texture or an appearance to the energy.
And begin to imagine that this energy is radiating from this place of comfort and beginning to grow and pulsate outward.
Continue to breathe and simply allow yourself to melt into this expanding area in your body that holds limitless energy that leaves you feeling peaceful and settled.
Know that this energy is abundant and it can grow and spread as far as you'd like it to.
See if you can give yourself permission to take in this peaceful feeling,
Allowing it to spread to every cell of your body.
And welcome in this expanding area and soak up all of the sensations that are good or positive.
You might even see if you can notice whether the area that feels peaceful has a temperature and imagine that warmth or coolness spreading even further to coat your entire body in stillness and peace.
And should you notice any areas that are holding resistance,
Gently place a hand there and give that place permission to relax and to take in goodness.
You might even share an affirmation with yourself such as,
I am worthy,
I am receptive,
Or I am peace.
And take another few moments here,
Allowing yourself to soak in and be present with everywhere in your body that feels good.
Continuing to allow your breath to wash in and out,
Feeling that even your breath and your lungs can be filled with this steadiness and peace.
And if your whole body feels a sense of peace,
You might even extend this energy to your surroundings,
To the room you're in,
Perhaps to your neighbors and community,
To your city,
As far as you can,
Perhaps even out to the whole world.
See how far this peaceful energy can reach,
Knowing that it is limitless,
Abundant,
And always flowing.
And as our practice together nears its close,
Remind yourself that your body always contains this resource,
And this inner peace and stillness can be harnessed within you at any time.
And perhaps offer yourself gratitude for connecting to your body and thank your body for its wisdom and support.
And if you're ready to wrap up your practice,
Begin to slowly widen your attention,
First with your breath,
And then maybe wiggling and stretching your body in any way that feels good.
And slowly,
Honoring your own pace,
Widen your awareness to your surroundings,
And open your eyes.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
May you bring this inner peace with you throughout your day.
Namaste.
