Tuning In To Our Senses and Body Wisdom

Taking a journey inward through our senses to sources of wisdom in our gut, heart and head. Practicing gratitude for all the points of sensation and knowing in our body.

Transcript

Closing your eyes either fully or partially taking a few deep breaths being aware that you are a being a human being sitting in the space that you're in right now maybe feeling what it's like to be a sensing being to have access to your senses your sense of touch smell hearing your eyes are closed you're still seeing something you're seeing the darkness behind your eyelids maybe there's even a taste in your mouth from you your coffee or the last meal so you are a sensing being in the middle of this space that you're in just noticing that that's who you are maybe touching in with each of your senses how is it to be experiencing your environment with your your five senses hearing sight touch smell taste you Being curious about this experience of being human,

Who's meeting the world through your senses you you you you and even imagining that all of these ways that you're experiencing your environment through your senses imagining that these gifts from your environment the gift of a bird singing the gift of the sound of the heater switching on the sound of my voice as a gift gift of the smell of the air maybe you smell the carpet or flowers the laundry powder that your clothes were cleaned in gift of touch feeling of your clothes on your back air across your skin ear buds in your ears if you're using them the gift of taste then the taste of your own saliva just the neutral taste in your mouth maybe you're tasting the drink that's by your side the meal you had earlier then without opening your eyes the gift of sight then getting curious about what you're seeing behind your eyelids if your eyes are closed are they colors is their movement you you then moving your awareness from these places where you meet your external environment moving your awareness to your internal environment imagining you're able to travel into your body below the layers below the surface of your body becoming aware of any vibration you feel under your skin pulsation maybe you feel your your pulse your heartbeat pressure on muscles and ligaments and bones where you're sitting or leaning internal pressure maybe you're feeling the inside of your throat as you breathe nostrils or your diaphragm or chest moving as you breathe you there are sensations in your belly becoming aware of this rich inner landscape of sensation and if you notice any stress or any difficulty as you bring your awareness to internal sensations knowing that this is not uncommon their body holds pain tension tightness my body experiences inflammation exhaustion now is it to meet these experiences in your body with a sense of compassion with a sense of of course you feel that way of course that's your experience anybody who's had these experiences would be feeling this way and if you are feeling any tension or any tightness maybe offering words like these I'm sorry you feel this way right now I'm here for you I care about you you if you're feeling any judgment coming up in your mind any criticism of your body knowing that this too is not uncommon my mind has a tendency to judge our body maybe moving your awareness down from these thoughts in your head moving your awareness down to your body and seeing if you can offer kindness and compassion from your body to your body in a way that means your thinking mind is not involved maybe from your belly you feel courage determination grit staying power curiosity and so from your belly you might offer some of these qualities to another part of your body maybe a part that's feeling some stress some tension right now what might your belly say to this other part of your body that's feeling tension we're not trying to guess what a belly might say we're moving our awareness down to our belly and waiting to see is there anything that our belly is communicating to us and if you find you're not really feeling anything in your belly that's okay it's not a problem releasing as much as you can any striving releasing any trying hard to hear your belly your belly will communicate when you give it some space imagining releasing a clenched fist opening a hand and what unfolds in that space what do you hear in that space what is your belly saying what wisdom is it imparting then tuning in and seeing if your heart has anything to offer you maybe in response to stress or pain you might be feeling in other parts of your body from your heart you might feel love kindness gentleness caring concern nurturing what qualities are coming from your heart what messages or information can your heart give your body when you offer it some space you once again we're not imagining with our mind what our heart might be telling us we're opening a space for our heart to speak if there are words if there is communication there may not be and that's okay it's no need to force anything.

Then moving our awareness once again up to our head.

It can be a lot of activity in our mind,

But there's also a lot of wisdom there as well.

Can you take a wider perspective?

Can you give your mind a large landscape with the details,

The rumination,

The planning,

The depression,

The anxiety?

All of these things become smaller.

How is it for your mind to open into some more spaciousness?

And what wisdom comes from your mind when you expand awareness out?

What might your larger mind be saying,

Especially in response to any stress in your body?

Opening a large space for the wisdom of your mind to come through.

If you find your awareness starting to draw in again to details in your mind,

Invite your awareness out,

This broader perspective,

This larger mind,

This big mind.

And as we now start to transition out of this meditation,

Let's do that slowly.

And acknowledge each part of our body we've just been getting in touch with.

So we might acknowledge our mind first,

Maybe offer a little gratitude for our mind.

Move our awareness down to our heart,

Offering a little gratitude to our heart.

Moving to our belly,

Offering a little gratitude there.

Moving to any site of tension or pain in our body.

And it can be tricky to offer gratitude to points of pain in our body,

But pain is our body communicating with us.

It's information.

It's trying to help us to be happy.

If you can,

Without forcing it,

Offering a little gratitude to places in your body where you're getting information about pain,

About inflammation,

About stress.

Moving your awareness one by one to your hearing,

Offering some gratitude to your hearing,

Your sight,

Offering some gratitude to your sight.

And even if we're not seeing as well as we would like to,

All those mechanics of sight are trying,

Trying to give us sight.

Maybe not always succeeding,

But they're trying.

Moving our awareness to a sense of smell,

Offering some gratitude for smell.

Taste,

Offering gratitude for taste.

Becoming aware of our tactile sensations,

Our sense of touch,

Feeling some gratitude for our sense of touch.

Getting in touch with the physicality of our body,

So starting to move our body,

Moving our fingers and our toes,

Wrists and our ankles,

Shoulders.

Very gently,

Very slowly,

And you're ready,

Opening your eyes,

Maybe taking a look around the room that you're in,

Just to place yourself in this room.

Having a stretch,

A sip of your drink.

Reviews

This was really grounding and helpful for me. I am currently in an experience of highly intense bodily sensation that I have dissociated from due to trauma, and am now feeling. I am also dealing with chronic pain and inflammation of my digestive tract and womb also from stress. I have been trying to maintain the stance that my body is my friend and my teacher and my home despite the current suffering I’m in, and it’s trying to help me. This meditation will be so helpful in my path for healing as it reorients me in a friendly compassionate stance toward my somatic experience, even in pain. Thank you so much 💙

Another lovely meditation, really appreciate your work Kristy ❤️🙏

Thank you. It is great to be do deeply in contact with the senses and the body.

felt a lovely supportive practice. Thank you 😊🙏🌟

I love Kristy's meditations, they are so well paced and her voice is lovely and kind, her wisdom simple and heartful. This one was perfect today, exactly what I needed to reconnect to myself in depth and with love and kindness. 💕💗💖🧘🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 Thank you Kristy and Namaste!

Lovely! I liked the consideration of gifts.

This is a lovely mindfulness practice, left me feeling full of gratitude. I would love a longer version with more periods of silence to practice the suggestions. Thank you! 🙏❤️

Thank you, very lovely $