Nurture Your Energy In The Body

Embark on a journey of self-discovery and rejuvenation with this series of four meditations. Each meditation focuses on restoring energy in one of the four domains—physical, emotional, mental, and intentional—leading you through mindful exercises and contemplation. The goal is to identify practical steps we can incorporate into our daily lives to reenergize these interconnected domains. If energy in one domain is misaligned, it can affect the others, often manifesting as physical symptoms in your body.
Our exploration begins with nurturing physical energy. This form of energy fuels our vitality and mobility. Through this initial guided meditation, you will learn to let go of bodily tension and create room to tune into your physical needs.

Transcript

Welcome to the Know Your Mind series.

So let's begin today by visiting the physical room.

So coming to a sitting or standing posture that feels comfortable,

That allows you to be relaxed and alert at the same time.

And turning your attention inwards to your body sitting or standing.

Becoming aware of the fact that you're breathing.

With each inhale feeling your body expand.

And with each exhale relaxing,

Settling into your body.

Now turning to your body with curiosity,

Really listening in,

No judgment,

Just noting with kindness what's happening in your body today.

Noting the quality of energy in your body.

Is it restless?

Does it feel exhausted?

Or do you feel energized?

Now one reason we deplete the energy in our body is by holding tension.

So let's try this experiment together.

Just take a moment to tighten all your muscles to hold your posture upright.

Maybe clenching your fists,

Tightening your jawline,

You're squeezing your eyes.

And just tightening all the muscles in your arms,

Your legs.

And making a couple of small movements.

And making a quick note of what is the quality of your breath and your energy in the body when you're holding your body with such tightness.

And slowly unclenching your closed fists and letting go of any tension in your body.

And letting go of any tension in your body.

Noticing how that letting go creates more space for your breath to move with more ease.

And your body can feel more balanced,

Alert and relaxed at the same time.

So knowingly or unknowingly,

We carry this tension in our bodies.

So today we're going to do a body scan and see if we can release and soften as much as we can any tension that we're holding different parts of our body.

So starting with the top of your head and inside your head.

Just bringing that kind attention to what's happening inside your head.

Maybe feeling the spaciousness like a vast sky.

Where your thoughts are passing by like clouds.

Breathing in to the spaciousness in your head and as you exhale,

Softening as much as you can.

And bringing attention to the region of your face,

Softening the muscles in your face,

Your eyes and jawline.

And moving your attention down to the region of your throat,

Inside your throat.

Back of your neck,

Feeling the elongation along the back of your neck.

And your shoulders,

Another area we carry a lot of stress,

The weight of responsibilities.

Just for these few moments,

Seeing if you can just let go of the tension.

Just for these few moments,

Seeing if you can just let go of any weight you're carrying in your shoulders.

And as you exhale,

Just allowing your shoulders to drop back and down.

Checking in with your arms and hands.

Softening and as you give attention to your hands and palms,

Do you notice the aliveness?

Maybe it's blood circulating,

Pulsing in your fingertips.

Can you sense warmth or coolness?

The touch of the air in the room.

Just noticing how things come alive in the body when we give our full and loving attention.

And if there's nothing happening there,

That's fine too.

Just softening,

Moving your fingers and hands a little bit.

Letting go of any tension,

Stress you're holding in your hands,

In your wrists.

And moving your attention up to the front of your body,

Feeling the spaciousness in your chest,

In your abdomen as you breathe in.

And softening as you let go.

Checking in with your back,

Allowing yourself to lean into your back.

You feel the spaciousness along the length and the width of your back.

And following your attention down the legs,

In your feet,

Wriggling your toes.

And softening,

Letting go of any tightness,

Tension you may be holding in the soles of your feet.

And expanding your awareness to the whole of your body,

Sitting or standing.

And before we end the practice,

Taking these few moments to really listen in.

What does your body need right now to feel nourished,

Energized?

Does it need more hydration?

More nourishment?

More movement or more rest?

Or just your unconditional acceptance of your body,

Just the way it is right now?

So check in with your body,

Your awareness,

Your attention.

So check in with your body throughout the day today,

Maybe marking it in your calendar or timer.

Do visit your physical room and see what you need.

Commit to one activity you will do today to nourish your body.

Maybe a mindful walk,

Stretching in between work.

You know,

Science shows that a brisk 10-minute walk is more energizing than a candy bar.

So experiment and try it for yourself today.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.