The following is a loving kindness meditation directed toward and for the body.
Using the traditional phrases of loving kindness meditation,
We bring a gentle and accepting awareness to our own body,
Moving from our feet all the way to the crown of our head.
Using whatever sensations are present in each body part opens the door to the wisdom of the body.
In listening to sensation,
The language of the body,
We open to the deep truths that can be found within each of us.
If you are ready to begin,
Find a comfortable relaxing posture,
Either sitting on a chair or your cushion,
Or lying down on your back with your legs and arms extended,
Allowing your feet to fall away from each other and your palms of your hands to face the ceiling,
If that's comfortable.
Sitting or lying down,
Alert and relaxed.
Take a few deep breaths here,
Emphasizing the exhalation,
Allowing the body to relax and open just a little bit more with each out-breath.
Breathing your breath and receiving it just as it is,
Not needing it to be in any certain way.
If it's a short breath,
Allowing it to be a short breath.
If it's a long breath,
Allowing it to be a long breath.
Just breathing in and breathing out.
Letting go of the drive to achieve anything during this meditation.
Be anywhere else.
Do anything else.
Feeling in this moment the sensation of just being here,
Breathing.
And now,
If you're ready,
We'll begin the loving-kindness body scan.
I'll begin by saying the phrase and then pausing and allowing you to say the phrase slowly and silently,
Bringing all awareness to the body part.
Noticing,
Listening to whatever sensations are available.
If there are no sensations in whatever body part we're on,
Allowing that to be okay too.
Recognizing the value in the intention to bring awareness to the body.
Letting go of whatever the outcome is.
So now,
Bring your full awareness down into your feet.
Breathe in and out and quietly settle into noticing whatever sensations are available to you and your feet.
Feel the pressure that your heels or bottoms of your feet make with the ground.
Notice any warmth or coolness.
Breathing in and out with awareness fully in the feet.
May my feet be safe from all inner and outer harm.
May my feet be safe from all inner and outer harm.
Now shifting from your feet and moving awareness into your legs.
From the ankle joints all the way up to your hip joints.
Take a moment to bring awareness fully into both of your legs.
Breathing in and out,
Noticing any and all sensations that are available to be known.
Breathing your mind with your legs.
And repeat this phrase.
May my legs be peaceful and happy.
May my legs be peaceful and happy.
Now shifting awareness to your torso.
From your hip joints all the way up to your shoulders.
The front of your torso,
The sides and the back of your torso.
Breathing in and out and tuning into all sensations that can be known in your belly,
Your heart.
From the bottom of your spine to the top of your spine.
And repeat this phrase.
May my torso be strong and healthy.
May my torso be strong and healthy.
Now shifting awareness to your arms.
From the tops of your shoulders all the way down to your fingertips on both the right and left hands.
Breathing in and welcoming all sensations.
Taking your time to notice what's here in your arms right now.
And repeating this phrase.
Now shifting awareness from your arms and bringing full awareness to your neck.
The front of your neck and the sides and the back of your neck.
Breathing in and allowing sensations to be known.
Breathing out and continuing to relax.
And repeating this phrase.
May my neck be safe from all inner and outer harm.
May my neck be safe from all inner and outer harm.
Bringing awareness from the neck and moving into the head.
From the top of the neck up the back side of the head including the crown,
The sides of the head and the full face.
Taking a moment here to bring your full awareness to your head and face.
And repeating this phrase.
May my head and face be peaceful and happy.
May my head and face be peaceful and happy.
Now shifting awareness again and expanding it this time out from the top of your head all the way down your face,
Down your shoulders,
Down your torso,
Your arms,
All the way to your fingertips,
Down your legs to the bottoms of your feet.
Bringing awareness to the full body.
Breathing in all the sensations available to you and breathing out resting in this whole body awareness.
And repeating this phrase.
May my body be strong and healthy.
May my body be strong and healthy.
And continuing to bring loving kindness to your whole body and allowing this loving kindness awareness to expand out into the air and space around you.
Filling the room and extending out as far as possible.
Breathing with all other living beings.
Resting in loving kindness.
And repeating this phrase.
May I live with ease.
And may I be free.
Super E.
