Resting in the Body with Loving Awareness

In this restorative meditation, Dr. Julien Lacaille gently guides you to rest in your body with a loving awareness. This meditation may help you cultivate more ease and loving presence in your daily life.

Transcript

BELL So settling into a lying posture.

Making the adjustments to make sure we're comfortable.

And also doing what we can to embody wakefulness.

So if we're feeling really tired right now,

We might want to keep the eyes open,

Slightly open.

And taking a few moments now just to form our intention for this practice.

Why is practicing right now important for me?

And then slowly becoming more and more aware of the whole body just laying here in the exact posture that it's in right now.

Maybe just scanning with your attention the parts of your body that are touching something.

So often the back of the body that's touching the cushion or the floor.

Just being aware of your weight.

And also being aware of stillness.

So knowing that I can move my body if I want to move my body,

But that I'm choosing to not move my body,

Choosing to be still.

Noticing the stillness.

Even though most of the body is still,

There are parts of the body that just keep moving.

For most of us it's going to be the chest or the belly.

We just can't help but breathe in and breathe out to stay alive.

Just kind of placing your awareness in the front of your body now,

The chest or the abdomen.

And perhaps even maybe placing the palm of one hand on the chest or the abdomen.

And for now just kind of riding the waves of breathing.

And if our hand is there we can just delicately place our attention in the space between the palm of the hand and the body.

And just letting that become the anchor of our attention for now.

So when the attention wanders somewhere else just gently bringing it back just right there.

The space,

The contact point between the hand and the body.

And just noticing what's there to be noticed.

So it might be movement.

It might be tingling in the palm of the hand.

It might be warmth,

Some vibration,

Coolness.

Doesn't actually matter what's showing up it's just becoming aware of what's there from moment to moment.

And seeing if it can kind of bring a sense of curiosity of discovery to this area of the body.

Like what does it actually feel like right this moment?

And is it always exactly the same or are there kind of subtle variations?

So maybe one in-breath is a little bit more shallow than another,

A little longer than another.

Maybe the temperature in the hand is changing from moment to moment,

Getting warmer,

Getting cooler.

So as though you're becoming kind of an interior researcher,

An interior explorer and you're kind of going into your body just right in that area between the hand and the belly.

With almost like a sense of awe.

And seeing if in addition to being curious we can also be kind.

So cultivating kindness as though we were touching someone,

Touching someone that we really cared about.

So it's a kind touch,

A warm touch.

And as we keep touching our belly and the body keeps breathing,

We can even imagine ourselves smiling,

Maybe even the whole body smiling.

So,

For now,

Just resting with curiosity,

With kindness.

Just at the belly region with this in-breath and this out-breath.

For now nothing else to do,

Nothing to attain,

Nothing to do.

Just resting in being with the breath as though this was enough for now.

Okay.

And slowly now starting to expand our awareness around the hand or around the belly region.

As though we were kind of throwing a little pebble in a calm lake or calm pond.

Just the rippling out of the waves of our attention to include the whole front of the body.

If we're noticing warmth at the hand we can also imagine that this warmth is spreading throughout the front of the body.

Into the chest,

The rib cage,

The lower abdomen,

Pelvic region.

Again,

Just keep breathing with the front of the body.

With this attitude of curiosity,

What does it actually feel like to be me in the front of my body right now?

And with lots of kindness,

Is it okay to be me as is right now?

Just letting the awareness spread even more to include the arms of maybe the other hand.

Okay.

Starting down the legs,

From the thighs all the way down to the ankles.

And further down in the feet.

Letting the awareness spread.

Maybe letting the warmth spread.

And meeting every sensation along the way with lots of curiosity.

Kind of like welcoming them when we see them,

When we notice them.

And again,

Just breathing with the legs,

With the feet,

With the hands,

With the arms,

With the front of the body.

Maybe even spreading to the back of the body,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back.

And even if we meet sensations that are not particularly pleasant,

For holding some tension or there's some pain,

Seeing if we can get curious even of those sensations.

Seeing if we can meet even those sensations with kindness,

Even though we might not like them for now.

Is it okay for you to be you as you are right now,

Even with pain,

With discomfort,

With all your imperfections?

And even maybe letting your awareness spread to your face and your head?

Seeing if we can be aware of the body as a whole,

From the very top of the head to the very bottoms of the feet.

Seeing if there's enough room in our awareness for all of it.

Seeing if there's enough room in our hearts,

Metaphorically speaking,

For all of it also.

So what is it like to be me right now lying here in this body?

Without having to do anything,

Without having to be different than the way I am right now?

Can I just for the next few moments just hold my whole being in awareness with lots of mindfulness,

With lots of kindfulness?

Just practice accepting myself and my body as it is from moment to moment.

Is it really okay for me to pay attention every now and then during our life now,

But 있어서.

Thank you.

Reviews

Very helpful for relaxation and embodied awareness. Thank you!

That was just lovely. Gently paced, so simple and so kind and anchored. Thank you.

Beautiful experience of what “human being” means. Thanks Julien!

The instructions really worked well for me. The pace is good. There is not a lot of silence in between but the guidance is so gentle that it didn’t feel a distraction. Thanks. Very good!

Very effective. Thank you.

Very helpful in calming a person down during times of high stress.

Wonderful. Love that this meditation had no background music.

Just perfect! I didn’t want to stop. The voice and guidance made me feel contented and relaxed. Thanks!

Perfect for letting me be introspective with my body. I have been running around a lot this week not giving my body the attention it deserves. This was a great way to reset.

Healing meditation.

Excellent! Great pace, very simple, very effective, made me very present, Ty.

Clear minimal direction, lots of silence. Reminded me of mindful meditation at the pain clinic, which I miss.

So excellent . ..trying to walk a spiritual path as well.

Calm soothing awareness appreciating the body.