Hello,
And welcome back to session 5 of Stillness Speaks.
My name is Colleen,
And today's practice is called Before the Body Shouts.
Long before I taught yoga and meditation,
I spent well over a decade,
Maybe two,
Ignoring my body's quiet signals.
I pushed through exhaustion,
Pain,
And symptoms I didn't want to slow me down.
It wasn't until my own health challenges forced me to pause that I truly began to listen.
I realized my body had been whispering to me for years,
Asking for rest,
Nourishment,
And care.
Now I know those whispers are not inconveniences.
They are invitations,
Gentle reminders to return to myself before the body has to shout.
Today,
We'll practice slowing down enough to hear those whispers,
And honor them with compassion.
Let's begin.
Please find a comfortable place to land,
Allowing yourself to arrive fully,
Closing your eyes,
Dropping your shoulders,
And relaxing your jaw.
Rest your hands gently,
Releasing any grasp.
Soften your belly,
Allowing your breath to move more freely.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Steady and patient.
Imagine that steadiness rising up through you,
Letting your body know it is safe to rest here.
Begin to notice your breath moving in and out through your nose.
No rush,
No forcing,
Just a gentle,
Steady rhythm.
Let each exhale feel like a small surrender,
A release of any tension you've been holding.
On your next inhale,
Silently repeat to yourself,
I listen.
On your exhale,
Silently repeat to heal.
Again,
Inhale,
I listen.
Exhale,
To heal.
Once more,
On your own,
Let the words soften you into deeper awareness of your body.
With your breath slow and steady,
Begin to notice any sensations in your body.
Perhaps there's tightness in your shoulders,
Or heaviness in your legs.
There's no need to fix or change anything.
Simply noticing,
As though your body is speaking to you in its own quiet language.
If a thought arises,
Come back to your breath.
Inhaling,
I listen.
Exhaling,
To heal.
Allow this moment to be one of deep presence and respect for your own body.
Rest here,
In the stillness of your own attention.
Your body doesn't have to shout when you are here,
Listening.
My voice will be quiet for a little while.
Rest here,
In the stillness,
Listening.
When you're ready,
Begin to bring your awareness back to the sounds around you.
Feel the earth beneath you.
Begin to move your fingers and toes.
Roll your shoulders.
Take a deep breath in,
And an even deeper breath out.
Gently open your eyes.
Your body speaks to you in its own quiet and stillness.
Every day,
In sensations,
In energy,
In breath.
The more we listen,
The more we learn how to care for ourselves before the whispers turn into shouts.
May you be well.
May you always trust your own inner wisdom.
And may you hear all your body's whispers.
