Kindness For The Body

In this mindfulness practice, we offer kindness to the body, including parts you have a good, neutral or difficult relationship with. This is part of the Mindfulness Based Compassionate Living Course.

Transcript

For this practice you're invited to lie down in a comfortable position.

Taking care to ensure that you feel warm enough.

And when you're ready,

Bringing your awareness to the body as a whole.

And to the points of contact between your body and the surfaces supporting you.

Taking the awareness to the sensations of contact.

Allowing yourself to receive these sensations.

As you invite the body to settle and release its weight down.

Allowing yourself to feel supported.

And then moving the awareness to the breath.

Noticing where you experience the breath sensations in the body.

And inviting an awareness of the breath sensations down in the belly.

Perhaps placing a hand on the low belly if this helps.

Feeling the abdominal wall gently rise as you inhale.

And fall back as you exhale.

And you may choose to deliberately deepen the in-breath.

And allow the out-breath to lengthen.

Connecting with a steady breathing rhythm.

And remembering that we can always come back to the breath during the practice.

Using it as an anchor for our awareness.

If the mind drifts off or if we need to steady ourselves.

So now connecting with a part of your body you feel contented and at ease with.

It may be because it is strong,

Healthy,

Good looking.

Or because it is a reliable companion,

Functions well or gives you joy.

Noticing how this part feels and sensing what it needs.

And then allowing a kind wish to flow to it.

In the same way as you can send kindness to a person you have a good relationship with.

You can also direct kindness to a bodily part you have a good relationship with.

As if it were a person.

Whatever your rational mind may think of it.

You could use phrases like,

May you feel healthy and happy.

May you feel relaxed and cared for.

May you enjoy the goodness of life.

Or whatever connects well.

Allowing the breath to support you.

Breathing towards and attuning to this part of the body on the in-breath.

May you and letting kindness flow towards it on the out-breath feel happy.

Or in any other way that feels natural to you.

Exploring both the giving and receiving aspects of the practice.

How is the wish received in this part?

Changing the words and adapting your inner attitude to facilitate the wishes being accepted.

And you can also include other parts of the body with which you have a good relationship.

And offer these kind wishes.

May you feel healthy and happy.

May you feel relaxed and cared for.

May you enjoy the goodness of life.

And then returning your awareness back to the breath,

Perhaps down in the belly.

And resting a while with a soothing breath.

Connecting to its rhythm as you follow the sensations of the in-breath and the out-breath.

And now connecting with a bodily part with which you have a fairly neutral relationship.

This might be because it mostly goes unnoticed and you do not see or feel it very often.

Gently attuning to this part on the rhythm of the breath and letting words of kindness flow to it.

For example,

May you be accepted.

May you belong to the body as a whole.

Or I wish you happiness.

Finding words which connect and noticing how the wish is received.

Using the rhythm of the breath to send kind wishes to a neutral part of the body.

A part with which you have an even neutral relationship.

May you be accepted.

May you belong to the body as a whole.

May you feel appreciated.

Expanding these wishes to other parts to which you feel relatively neutral.

And now allowing the attention of the mind.

And now allowing the attention again to return to the breath.

And if necessary allowing the breathing rhythm to support your practice.

Connecting with the sensations of the in-breath and the out-breath.

Allowing a soothing rhythm to return.

And now connecting with a part of your body you have a difficult relationship with.

It may be because you feel uncomfortable or ashamed about it.

You find it unattractive when you see it in the mirror.

Or it malfunctions and is vulnerable.

A source of pain or illness.

Maybe it was injured or it had surgery.

Choose a part like this.

And observe what is there to be experienced right now.

What sensations are present?

Do you sense what its deeper needs are?

And allowing a compassionate wish to flow to this part on the soothing rhythm of the breath.

May you feel as healthy as can be.

May you have courage.

May you be strong and bare with this suffering.

Or perhaps I wish you comfort.

I wish you kindness.

I wish you all the care you need.

Sensing how it is received.

Do not hesitate to alter the words if necessary.

Noticing your thoughts and feelings in open kind awareness while sending wishes to this bodily part.

I wish you comfort.

I wish you kindness.

I wish you all the care you need.

Allowing space for painful emotions and sadness.

Enforming all experiences as part of the practice.

And continuing with this bodily part.

Or perhaps offering kind wishes to another place with which you have a difficult relationship.

May you feel as healthy as can be.

May you have courage.

May you be strong and bare with this suffering.

Allowing the rhythm of the breath to support and sustain your practice.

May you be strong and bare with this suffering.

And now concluding this practice by expanding your awareness to the body as a whole.

Holding it in an embrace of kindness and compassion.

Realizing how this body has been your companion all your life.

In joyful and in difficult times.

And just as you can have good,

Neutral and difficult relationships with various members of your family.

So you can have variable relationships with different parts of your body.

Including all these parts in your caring embrace.

And offering kindness and gratitude to this body as if it were one family.

With all the qualities,

Vulnerabilities and imperfections of its various members.

May you feel safe.

May you feel as healthy as can be.

May you feel strong and courageous.

May you feel whole and peaceful.

Aware of your body as a whole.

And holding it in an embrace of kindness and compassion.

May you feel safe.

May you feel as happy as can be.

May you feel strong and courageous.

May you feel whole and peaceful.

And then letting go of directing kind wishes.

Coming back to a sense of the body lying here.

Noticing the sensations of contact.

Noticing the sensations of breathing down in the belly.

Noticing the body as a whole.

Noticing the sensations of the body as a whole.

Reviews

I really liked this practice I will do this again. 🙏🙏