Our bodies are our one and only precious vessel that carry us towards our destinations and our dreams.
We inhabit this body and through it we experience the full spectrum of life.
The beauty of holding a newborn child and feeling their skin against yours for the very first time.
The flutter in your stomach when seeing your beloved after being apart for a long time.
And even in each earth shattering heartbreak of grief and loss,
We get to taste all of life's bittersweet moments through this gift that is our body.
And yet,
We often forget how precious this vessel is as we become occupied with our day to day living.
An endless list of things to be done,
Goals to be achieved,
Responsibilities to be fulfilled that we lose touch with our own bodies.
How hard this intricate system of universe within us needs to work in order to keep us healthy and functioning at our best.
When we lose the sense of grounding within our bodies,
We lose our guiding star.
We feel lost and out of touch with what is true within us,
Causing us to relentlessly pursue,
Grasp and run after things that we aren't even sure we really want.
Practicing the following meditation as soon as I wake up in the morning helps me to find some grounding in my body.
Gifting myself the opportunity to thank my body that works so hard to allow me to experience life in every way,
But also to find my way back into this body and into this present moment,
To be in touch with what I most truly need in this current moment.
This practice will guide you through parts of your body as we cultivate gratitude for each of its purpose in helping you experience life at its fullest.
Without moving to touch these parts of your body,
Just acknowledging them in your mind as we move through the practice.
And so,
Whenever you are ready,
Finding a quiet and comfortable place to lie down in a space where you will be uninterrupted for the next few minutes.
You may even choose to do this practice in bed when you first wake up.
Allow your body to sink into wherever you are lying down,
Feeling your spine and back fully supported.
And feeling your arms rest to your sides and your legs to gently relax.
Close your eyes and begin to bring your attention to your breath.
Feeling the air moving in as you breathe in and out.
Allowing your breath to remain at its natural pace without changing or controlling the rhythm of your breath.
Just breathe in and out,
Allowing the body to settle and find stillness.
Now begin to draw your attention to your eyes.
Without opening your eyes or moving them,
Bring your attention to this area.
Your eyes allow you to see the beauty that is already within you every time you look into the mirror.
It projects the emotions you are feeling and unspoken thoughts to those who know you very well.
They allow you to see clearly where you have been and where you are going to.
Silently repeat the following.
Thank you eyes.
I am grateful to be able to see clearly what is already present within myself so that I may mirror it to others.
I am grateful for these eyes that allow me to see beauty and love in others and for guiding my way every day.
I love you.
Draw your attention to your nose.
The part of your body that allows you to experience the anticipation of a warm,
Good meal by its delicious smell.
Or the familiar distinct smell of your loved ones that evoke so many beautiful memories that you have shared together.
Silently repeat after me.
Thank you nose.
I am grateful to be able to hold these beautiful memories within these intricate smells.
I am grateful that you play such an important role every day in allowing me to enjoy my nourishing meals.
I love you.
Bring your attention to your lips and mouth.
Sensing your lips relaxing as you draw your attention to this area.
Imagining the corners of your lips gently turning up in a subtle smile.
Your lips are the portal through which the world hears you as you express your thoughts and emotions.
Each part of your mouth,
The tongue and teeth all playing a role in allowing you to express yourself fully to others.
They are also the portal through which you taste the wonders of the world.
From the food that you eat and through it your body receives its nourishment daily.
Thank you lips.
I am grateful for the ability to share who I am with the world.
Thank you for allowing me to give others my smile so that they too may share in my joy.
Thank you for the ability to taste and appreciate every subtle flavors that exist in my meals.
So that I could enjoy giving my body the nourishment it needs.
I love you.
Now draw your attention to your throat.
Envisioning this area as a central engine of communication.
As it allows you to make the right sounds at the right pitch.
So that others can begin to understand the thoughts you are sharing with them.
Thank you throat.
I am grateful for the ability to fully express my inner world to others through sound.
I love you.
Bring your attention gently to your two arms.
And without moving any parts of your body.
Begin to sense your fingertips.
Holding your attention here for a moment.
And see if you can feel the subtle vibrations and movement in the air through your fingertips.
It's okay if you don't feel anything for now.
Just keep holding the image of your fingers in your mind.
Your hands and fingers allow you to experience the world through touch.
The warmth of your loved ones as you embrace them.
Or the luxurious feeling of smooth soft silk between your hands.
Thank you hands for allowing me the ability to feel the physical world.
I am grateful to be able to hold my loved ones in my arms.
And to care for myself through my own hands and fingers.
I love you.
Now move your attention to your chest and heart area.
Envisioning your heart steadily beating at its perfect pace each time you breathe in and out.
Feeling your heart that has held your joys and your happiness.
Your grief and disappointments.
And feeling its innate strength to always allow the beauty of love to heal all the parts that you feel is broken within you.
Thank you heart.
I am grateful for all the joys and grief that I have experienced.
For with it comes lessons that I could not have learned otherwise.
Thank you for letting me feel the full spectrum of joy and pain.
I am grateful for your resilience and strength dear heart.
I love you.
Bringing your attention to your belly.
Seeing in your mind all the organs that are working hard to digest and absorb nutrients from your food.
To keep your body healthy.
Your stomach is also the area where you feel that familiar instinctual gut feeling.
It alerts you of potential dangers or when something is not quite right.
It is the seed of your intuition communicating to you through flutters or twisting or tightening of the stomach.
Thank you belly for providing a soft home for my loved ones to find comfort when they are tired or fearful.
Thank you for turning what is delicious into something healing and nourishing for this body.
I am grateful for all the instincts that reside within you and for guiding me always towards what is best and right for me.
I love you.
Moving your attention to your legs.
Feeling it heavy and relaxed.
These legs that carry you to places that you have never been.
To the job that brings sustenance to your family.
And to those places that remind you truly of what is most important to you.
Thank you legs.
I am grateful for your strength to carry me to the places I need to be in.
Thank you for allowing this body to move safely to wherever it needs to be all the time.
I love you.
And now imagine that you are seeing yourself from the top.
Looking down at your body lying on the bed.
Seeing it peacefully resting,
Breathing and feeling a full appreciation for inhabiting this body that you are in.
Sending your love and your gratitude that you are alive through this body today.
And begin to slowly bring the sensation back into your fingertips and toes.
Slowly drawing circles with your fingers.
Wiggling your toes.
And whenever you are ready,
Roll to your side and sit up.
