Hi,
I'm Stephen Webb.
Welcome to this meditation for body image.
This meditation is for anyone who has a hard time with the body they live in every day.
And sometimes when looking in the mirror can be a little bit difficult.
This time no mirror,
No undressing,
No pretending to love something.
That is sometimes difficult.
You can sit or you can lie down.
Whatever lets your body be at ease.
You don't need to do anything with your breath.
Just become aware of this moment.
I always say your body knows how to breathe.
Your body also knows how to rest.
We just allow these things to happen.
To invite your body to soften.
You can invite your face.
It's almost like giving it permission.
You can relax now.
And your neck and your shoulders.
Your arms and your hands.
All the way down through your body.
Your belly and your legs.
Just breathing in calm,
Breathing out relaxed.
And while you settle,
Just one thing to say.
This isn't about love.
You don't have to love your body tonight.
We're just asking for a little peace.
For now,
There's no battle,
There's no war.
Just a little acceptance.
And notice your body as it is.
Not as it was.
Nor as it should be.
Just as it is.
I was on the floor in the chair,
Lying in the bed.
The weight of it,
The warmth of it.
The feeling of it.
You may hear a voice come up when you do these things.
The one that has opinions about your body.
It's been talking for a long time.
We don't need to argue with it.
We don't need to win.
You just hear it.
The way we hear traffic outside.
For me,
I'm paralyzed just without the neck.
Very often when I go past a mirror in a superstore or anywhere else,
I just see this body in a wheelchair.
It's not the one that I thought I would ever have.
And yeah,
I might battle with it sometimes,
But sometimes I just go,
Well,
You're here and we're in this together.
And you've done good.
And now we'll do something quieter.
While that voice was talking.
Something else was working.
Your heart beating all day without being asked.
Not once did he check how you looked.
Your lungs breathing in and breathing out.
Do it again now.
While you just listen.
Your ears hearing these words.
Your skin keeping the weather out.
Your feet who carried you here.
All these quiet workers.
And we often forget to thank them.
So let's thank them now.
And silently in your own words.
If you're a little stuck,
Just thank you hands for doing the holding.
Thank you heartful.
Eating and doing the feedings and pushing the blood around.
Now the harder part.
There may be places that hurt,
Places that don't work the way they used to.
Places we'd rather not look at or think about.
You don't have to text them.
You don't have to like them.
Awareness can reach them anyway.
Just a gentle attention.
Like a hand resting on the shoulder,
Or a hand resting on your heart.
And if one place comes to mind,
Just let it.
Let it be included.
I seem to change.
Just not left out.
Now let's have a different way of looking.
Imagine someone who loves you.
Someone who has always been there by your side.
Picture them looking at you now.
Nor the floors.
But at you.
What do they see?
They see someone who has been trying.
Someone who has carried a lot.
Someone tired perhaps?
Someone that's still here.
And let yourself be looked at that way.
Through the lens of love.
And acceptance.
And if it feels too much,
Just go back to your breath.
That's fine too.
We're not forcing anything.
And just before we finish,
Let's do three small wishes We just do them slowly and we save them inside.
May I be at peace with this body for tonight.
May I be at peace with this body for tonight.
May I be kind to it,
Even when I don't feel kind.
May I be kind to it,
Even when I don't feel kind?
May I be gentle with myself as I would be with a friend.
May I be gentle with myself.
As I would be with a friend.
You don't have to love your body.
On tonight.
Maybe not even ever.
We can put down the fight,
Just for now.
Just for this evening.
For now,
No war.
No questions,
Everything just,
Ah,
Here I am.
And when you go back today,
Whether it's the morning or the evening,
Take that with you.
The next time the mirror catches you or the voice starts up.
You don't have to answer it,
Just acknowledge.
Thank you.
Then just breathe.
Let the body be here.
In this moment.
And this just comes back to your awareness now.
And five,
Become aware of the room.
Four,
Just choke the open your eyes if they're closed.
But you shake out your arms and your fingers and perhaps your toes.
To just look around and one,
Just take a deeper breath.
Yeah,
You know,
Sometimes it's difficult to just all out love our bodies.
I don't know about you,
I find that a bit difficult.
So I avoid doing it.
But we can accept our bodies.
We can do the deeper,
Profound kind of love.
And just thank you for doing this practice with me today because I think it makes a big difference.
And if you don't follow,
Please do,
And then you'll know when I release new meditations.
And I always appreciate your support.
