This is a somatic meditation to explore self-awareness of the core parts of your being and how you experience them in both your inner world and your outer world.
These are the body,
The mind,
The heart,
And the spirit.
You may want to keep your journal close by to note down any insights that come up for you as we go.
In this meditation,
You will be invited to explore moving through self-awareness of different parts of your life.
Some of these aspects may feel uncomfortable,
And you might notice your body respond with tension in your muscles or shallower breath.
Your thoughts may start to wander or create distractions,
Or you may even feel a strong emotional charge.
If this happens,
Please know that this is okay.
This discomfort is a clue for you about what you want to see change,
And might even be an indicator that you are ready for it to change.
If the discomfort feels overwhelming or too big to stay aware of,
Then it's okay to shift out of this practice.
You can do so by moving your body around,
Shaking out,
Or humming to yourself.
If you're able,
You can then come back to the meditation.
If not,
You can sit and listen to the meditation and journal without doing the somatic visualizations.
Let's start by inviting your body to be comfortable and take a moment to explore how you can allow your body to rest with as little tension as possible.
You may be more comfortable seated or lying down.
You may find it helpful to use pillows,
Bolsters,
Or blankets under your knees,
Behind your back,
Or to support your neck.
As you find your way into a space of comfort,
With every exhalation,
Invite your body to melt.
Invite softness.
Invite openness.
And take a few moments to just notice your breath.
You don't need to change anything about it.
Just notice the natural flow of the breath coming in and going out.
Notice how the ground is supporting you,
How gravity is holding you.
Feel how this support creates the possibility of more ease as you breathe in and out.
Let's start by tuning into our body and the practical aspects of our lives.
You may want to place a hand on your belly or to press your feet into the ground.
Whether your eyes are open or closed,
Take a moment to think about or visualize the space that you are in.
You might think about the land you are on,
Or the plants that grow inside and outside your home.
You may want to visualize the deep roots of trees,
Or think about the way that nature shows up around you.
What in your space supports you?
What nourishes you?
What brings you comfort?
Take a moment to think about your home and your living situation.
Think about the space you sleep in.
Think about the space you prepare food in.
Think about the space you socialize in.
Notice if tension starts to arise for you or if your breath changes.
Remember,
It's okay if you experience discomfort thinking about these.
Discomfort is a clue about things we want to see change.
Invite yourself to take a long breath in and out.
And now,
Turn your awareness to your internal world of support and your physical body.
You might visualize the muscles and bones and organs of your body.
Or,
You might think about where in your body you feel ease,
Or where in your body there is tension,
Pain,
Or discomfort.
Let yourself notice these sensations.
Your body has a story about everything it has experienced in the past and everything it is experiencing now.
This story may be one you know very well,
Or it might be one that you haven't listened to in a while.
Ask your body,
What is it that it wants you to know about its story right now?
Invite yourself to take a long breath in and out.
Take a moment to stretch your body out in whatever way feels comfortable for you and say a quiet thank you to your body for its wisdom.
Allowing your body to again come into a state of ease and rest now,
Notice your thoughts.
You may want to place a hand behind your neck or on your forehead,
If it is comfortable to do so.
Alternatively,
You can rest your hands together in your lap,
Or to your sides.
You might imagine them as clouds floating through the sky,
Or you might think of them as a long chain of conversation that you're having with yourself.
Invite your thoughts to slow down,
Knowing that anything important will come back to you when we're done.
Take a moment to think about the people you have conversations with,
The people you enjoy sharing with.
Maybe these are people in your spiritual community,
Or perhaps they are people you live with or work with.
Whose presence nourishes you?
Think about the spaces where you feel welcome,
Able to express yourself with ease,
And have an easy time listening to others.
Think about the spaces where you hold back,
Catch yourself struggling to feel welcome,
Or worry about intruding on others.
Notice if tension starts to arise for you,
Or if your breath changes.
Remember,
It's okay if you experience discomfort thinking about these.
Discomfort is a clue about things we want to see change.
Invite yourself to take a long breath in and out.
And now,
Invite your awareness to turn to the inner world again,
And to your mind.
You might visualize your nervous system with signals moving from your brain through the central nerves in the spine to the rest of your body all the way to your fingertips.
You may think about the wisdom that exists in your nervous system.
Notice how thinking about the social relationships you have in the world has impacted your mental state right now.
Let yourself notice your mental state,
And the state of your nervous system.
Even if you don't have words to describe it,
Just notice the sensations.
Notice what thoughts arise about those sensations.
Your mind holds incredible wisdom and insight.
You can ask your mind what insight does it want to offer you right now.
Invite yourself to take a long breath in and out.
Take a moment to stretch,
And maybe let out a long sigh.
And say a quiet thank you to your mind for its insight.
As you pay attention to your breath,
Notice how it moves through your chest.
Notice how your breath moves through your heart.
You may want to bring a hand to your chest,
Or visualize your heart to support more awareness of your emotional state.
You might imagine your emotions as ripples or waves on the ocean,
Or you might think of them as water that flows through a stream,
Sometimes moving slowly and at other times rushing.
If there is a flurry of emotions,
You can invite them to slow down by slowing your breath down.
Think about the people who are close to you in your life.
Your partners,
Closest friends,
Beloved family members,
Pets.
You might even visualize them next to you.
They may be people you love dearly,
But they might also include people who bring up complex feelings for you.
They could be people who are still in your life,
Or could be people who have passed away too.
Or just people from your past who are still alive,
But you haven't seen in a long time.
Notice if you are drawn to focus on one or two people in particular.
As you take your next breath in,
Imagine them holding out their arms wide,
As if ready to embrace you.
Notice if tension starts to arise for you,
Or if your breath changes.
Remember,
It's okay if you experience discomfort thinking about these.
Discomfort is a clue about things we want to see change.
Invite yourself to take a long breath in and out.
Let's turn to look at the inner world of your emotions.
You may want to hug yourself,
Wrapping your arms around your chest,
Or you might want to rub across the front of your chest,
Over your heart with your hands.
Are one or two emotions more noticeable right now?
This could be because they are louder,
Or it could be because they are softer,
Or perhaps there is an emotion that is a bubbling undercurrent.
Inviting your breath to slow down.
You might even explore taking a moment to pause your breath between the end of your inhale before you begin to exhale.
Allowing the breath to linger through the lungs and heart area.
Notice if this increases the intensity of any emotions,
Or if it brings ease to any of them.
Your heart can be vulnerable,
But it also has a tremendous capacity to grow capacity for complex emotions when it is nourished.
As you breathe in,
You can ask your heart what you can do to nourish it with more love and kindness.
Invite yourself to take a long breath in and out.
You might let out an audible sigh or gently tap across your chest and say a quiet thank you to your heart for its vulnerability.
We have visited body,
Mind,
And heart.
Now we will be visiting spirit.
Spirit is both that which is beyond ourselves and also the ineffable essence of who we are.
It can represent the unseen mystery,
The curiosity and excitement we connect to when exploring our eroticness,
And also the creativity through which we create novelty.
So,
Bring your awareness to the space around you.
Notice the temperature of the room.
You can visualize or notice the air that is touching your skin,
Or think about the space between your breaths.
You might imagine yourself surrounded by things you find beautiful or that bring you joy.
You can stretch your arms out and turn the palms of your hands to rest so they face forwards,
Outwards,
Or upwards.
You might sense or imagine a sensation of warmth moving through your whole being.
You are at the center of your own cosmos.
In how you move through your life,
In the ways you relate with others and engage with the world,
You are at the center of your own experience.
Take a moment to think about how you experience this.
You can visualize yourself as the sun with all the parts of your life orbiting around you.
Or,
You might think of yourself as a nourishing garden of delicious fruits and vegetables where others come to find sustenance.
Think about the ways that your presence in this world creates an impact for others.
Notice what sensations arise for you as you think about others connecting with you.
Do you want to invite others to be closer?
Do you desire to have more distance from them?
Now,
Without judging yourself,
Or applauding yourself for it,
Think about what you offer to others when you connect closely.
Maybe you share food,
Or art,
Poetry,
Or your physical touch.
Do you support others through holding space for them?
Do you ever experience a sense of magic in connection?
Notice if tension starts to arise for you,
Or if your breath changes.
Remember,
It's okay if you experience discomfort thinking about these.
Discomfort is a clue about things we want to see change.
Invite yourself to take a long breath in and out.
As you breathe in,
Notice any sensations that are arising for you as we move towards the final visualization in this meditation.
Allow yourself to focus your attention inwards,
Perhaps to your forehead and the point between your brows,
Or just behind your eyes.
Or you might place a hand on your sternum,
Belly,
Or chest.
As you breathe out,
Invite your body to let go.
As you breathe out again,
Invite your thoughts to be at ease.
And as you exhale again,
Invite your heart to be soft.
Your spirit is the consistent part of who you are,
And yet it is always changing and finding new expressions,
New creative outlets,
And new ways to dance in the world.
Ask your spirit,
Is there a way of being expressed in the world that it would like you to give more time,
Energy,
And attention to?
As we close this meditation,
Take a moment to reflect on the ways your body,
Mind,
Heart,
And spirit relate to one another.
Notice how they are uniquely intertwined,
Each part offering insight and support to the other.
How do all these parts of you come together?
What feels aligned?
What feels ready to be expressed more fully in your life?
When you're ready,
Slowly bring your awareness back to the room.
Gently open your eyes,
And take a few minutes to reflect on any insights that have emerged.
The intention of this practice is not to change everything at once,
But to invite you into deeper awareness of these core aspects of your being,
So that you can move forward with more clarity and ease.
Take a few minutes now to journal any thoughts,
Emotions,
Or insights that arose during this meditation.
There's no rush.
Just allow the thoughts to flow onto the page.
