Loving Appreciation For Your Body

Hello,

I'm Lisa Cohen,

Also known around the Traps as Interbalance Kinesiology,

And I live in Sydney,

Australia,

And I acknowledge the original owners of the land on which I work,

Eat and sleep,

The Gadigal people.

I honour their Elders,

Past,

Present and emerging.

Thank you for coming to play with me today,

As we offer gratefulness,

Appreciation and gentleness to and for our bodies.

The gratefulness for my body journey has come very slowly to me,

One body part at a time,

One step at a time,

One breath at a time.

It's through my own meditation process that I learned to find gratefulness in and of each of my body parts,

For the work that each part does,

For the holding,

The moving,

The contracting and the expansion,

And for the meaning,

The messages and the emotions held and transformed.

Join me now in this meditation in gratitude and appreciation for your body,

And as you settle into your space,

Take a beautiful breath,

Just a breath,

Just as you are,

Without changing,

Without judgment,

This is just a breath,

In and out,

And again in and out,

In and out,

Allowing your body,

Your mind and your spirit to settle together,

To find their rhythm together,

And as you breathe in,

Notice where your breath lands,

Without wanting to change it or alter.

As you breathe out,

Allow your body to release any tension,

Any pride,

Any tightness or confusion.

Breathe in and allow yourself to expand.

As you breathe out,

Allow yourself to let go.

As you breathe in,

Expand.

As you breathe out,

Let go.

And now gently bring your attention to your feet,

Where you have 33 joints,

26 bones and over 100 muscles and tendons.

Notice your toes,

The balls of your feet,

The nails,

Your bones,

Your heels,

How grateful we are for you,

For it is through you that I land on this earth.

You steady me and you balance me,

And thank you for always being able to land where I put you.

I love that you are shaped specifically for my body,

And I love that when you feel the ground beneath,

You share this with the rest of me.

Thank you that I feel the beat of the earth through you,

And I can easily feel grounded and safe when I notice you.

Thank you for remaining present,

Even when I stuff you into tight shoes,

Land on hard surfaces,

Or forget how much work you do for me every moment.

Here in your feet,

Do you notice any sensation of pain or tingling,

Of numbness or lightness?

Notice the sensation here,

Without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Gently bring your attention to your ankles.

Notice your bones,

The movement,

And the angle of the tendons as they land and move.

Thank you,

Dear ankles,

For your movement,

The joining of my bones,

And your flexibility.

And as I land,

You enable me to reset,

To flex,

And use the muscles in my legs to function and play too.

Thank you for all you do with every step I take,

For the strength and the flexibility you offer me each day.

Here in your ankles,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness or lightness?

Notice the sensation here,

Without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Gently move your attention to your calves,

And notice these big muscles,

The blood flowing through,

And any tightness that may be present.

Thank you,

Dear calves,

For your everyday work to help me move,

Run,

Walk,

And even dance.

I know you get tight sometimes,

But I thank you for staying with me,

And I appreciate your resilience.

Thank you for your action and your rest,

Your softness and your strength.

Here in your calves,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Lightness,

Or tightness?

Notice the sensation there,

Without judgment and without need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Now to your knees,

Your magnificent knees.

You are my biggest joint,

And you help me bend and stand and balance.

Without you,

I would be lost,

For you hinge all my movement.

You allow me to walk,

Run,

Sit,

And stand.

You connect my upper to my lower,

And I'm so grateful that you take all the pressure I ask of you.

I'm so grateful for the cushioning that you offer my whole body.

My knees,

I respect you,

And I hold you in all your pressure and strain.

Here in your knees,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Of heat or light?

Notice the sensation there,

Without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Let's move your attention to your thighs,

Your hamstrings,

And quads,

And your big bones.

Oh,

Thank you for your strength and your energy.

You bear so much of my weight,

And I appreciate your endless ability to keep on going,

To rise and to sit,

To keep my knees and my hips aligned.

Oh,

How amazing you are.

And here in your thighs,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Of tightness or lightness?

Notice the sensation here,

Without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you in this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

And now to the hips,

What magnificent creatures you are.

I love that you balance me,

Whether I'm still or moving.

I'm so grateful that you enable me to move in any direction,

And I'm so appreciative that you absorb so much shocker and pressure for me daily.

Oh,

You hold my fear and anxiety,

And I love that you help me to move,

Even when I'm terrified.

When I try to move,

You tell me of danger.

When I'm caught,

You tell me to be free.

And when I'm tired,

You tell me to stretch.

Thank you,

My hips,

Both of you,

For holding me and moving me.

Here in your hips,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Of tightness,

Of heat or light?

Notice the sensation here,

Without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

As we gently move to our genitals,

I thank you for my passion,

Creativity and boldness.

You are held in such restriction most of the day,

And I thank you for your patience,

Your loving attention and the pleasure offered.

Here in your genitals,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Tingling,

Numbness,

Lightness or heat?

Notice the sensation there,

Without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Let's move our attention to our organs now,

Those parts of us that we don't see,

We don't feel most of the time.

Those parts of you that silently work without you knowing or putting any thought into.

Oh,

My dear liver that cleanses me every day,

My kidneys that clean and clear my blood,

And my spleen that filters my blood of any old or contaminated cells.

You all work so hard,

Despite what I put inside of me,

Or have around me in my environment.

Thank you for your constancy.

And I really do appreciate your ongoing desire to keep me clean and healthy.

Here in any of your organs,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of numbness,

Of bloating,

Of heaviness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Oh,

My lungs,

How you work with such ease and grace,

Without me even lifting a finger.

Thank you for your life-giving expansion and your contraction,

For your passage into life and immunity.

Here in your lungs,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Tightness,

Or lightness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you in this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Next,

Bring your attention to your heart,

The greatest of all the organs,

Your leader,

And your life song.

Oh,

Thank you for leading me,

Even when I don't hear you.

I thank you for speaking and sharing.

I am in such awe of your life's work,

To keep me alive,

Flourishing,

I am in such awe of your life's work,

To keep me alive,

Flourishing,

And energized.

I'm so grateful that you pump and beat to your own rhythm,

Even though I'm mostly unaware of your movement.

I'm so grateful for your joys and your sorrows,

Your bruises and your healings.

Let's stay together,

Creating the next moment of love together.

Here in your heart,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Lightness,

Fullness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now,

With gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Next,

To your shoulders,

That rotate,

That help us move and lift,

To hold and raise up,

Or to lower.

I'm so grateful that you have the most extensive range of motion in my whole body,

And that you can go round and round in all directions of the compass.

You help me find my north,

South,

East and west.

You are so complicated,

But all I know of you is so simple.

I'm so grateful for your simple complexity,

And your strength through tough times.

I so appreciate that you hold so much weight,

And help me to carry burdens and joys within the same space.

Here in your shoulders,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Even lightness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or emotion of you through this sensation.

And now,

With gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

And now bring your attention to your elbows,

Not one joint,

But three.

You are my hinge and my pivot joint.

You allow my arms to bend and stretch and my hands to turn.

I lean on you,

I point the way with you,

And I even greet people with you now.

Here in your elbows,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness,

Of light?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Now your hands are next.

Your hands hold all that we encounter in life.

You grip,

You let go,

And you move.

I'm so grateful that I can use you to greet others,

To show my joy,

And even my annoyance.

You can show tenderness and strength,

And I love it that you love to touch,

To feel,

To caress,

And enjoy your environment.

I often ignore you,

But I'm so grateful for your work and your knowing in the world.

Here in your hands,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of inflammation,

Of numbness,

Of lightness?

Notice the sensations here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Now bring your attention to your neck.

Oh,

You hold my head up and you enable me to turn and see the view around me.

You hold so much stress and are so often stiff.

Thank you for being my canary in the coal mine and always telling me when I'm too tired,

Too stressed,

Or when my head is too full.

Here in your neck,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Numbness,

Or even lightness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Now bring your gratefulness to your spine.

Oh,

You support me and hold me upright,

Mostly straight.

You are my strength and my flexibility in one divine motion.

You protect me and you are my conduit between my brain and my nerves.

How awesome you are and I thank you for always telling me when I'm too tired,

Awesome you are and I thank you for always telling me when I need to pull back,

Reset or flex differently.

Thank you for your connectedness,

Your balance and your cushioning.

How blessed I am because of you.

Here in your spine,

Do you notice any sensations of pain or tingling,

Numbness,

Lightness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Ah,

My skin,

Thank you for always being my barrier to the world.

You protect me when it's cold.

You cool me when it's hot.

And I love that you are so different to anyone else's.

Your colour is my colour.

Your scars and spots are my scars and spots.

And I love that we share so much of our world together.

Thank you for showing me when I need to clean up my act and find shelter from the elements.

I'm so grateful that you are my protector from the world around me.

Here in your skin,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Numbness or even lightness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change.

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

And lastly,

As you bring your attention to your head,

That holds and carries and shows so much of your emotion,

Your beliefs and your subconscious workings.

How blessed I am because of you.

Oh,

I love,

I love you,

My smile,

My teeth,

My lips and my tongue that enable me to eat,

To taste and communicate.

What a multitude of skills you have.

My ears that help me to find balance and to help me hear how blessed I am because of you.

My eyes that help me see the world around me,

That help me discern a smile or a frown,

That help me find awe in nature and color in the sunset.

How enriched is my life because of you.

My nose,

How amazing you are,

Your shape,

Your skill and your nature.

You help defend me from invading germs and you help me discern between smells and I love it when we sneeze together.

My jaw that helps me chew,

Speak and also take so much pressure.

Thank you for your strength,

Your movement and your resilience.

Here in the many parts of your head,

Do you notice any sensations of pain,

Of tingling,

Of numbness or even lightness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change,

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

And lastly,

Let's bring attention to your brain,

That helps unite all parts of you,

Brings your nervous system and your hormones together,

Your speech and your dreams together,

Your movement and your awareness of the ground beneath you together.

How amazing is your brain.

I'm so grateful that you try to keep me safe at all times,

Is your brain.

I'm so grateful that you try to keep me safe at all times and at the same time help me be content,

Joyous and wise.

Here in your brain,

Do you notice any sensation of pain,

Of tingling,

Of worry,

Of numbness or lightness?

Notice the sensation here without judgment,

Without any need for change,

Just notice if there is a message or an emotion for you through this sensation.

And now with gratitude and appreciation,

We move on.

Oh my dear and perfectly imperfect body,

You allow me to be in the world,

To rise and fall,

To move and play,

To sing and to feel.

I'm so grateful that we live together,

That we share space and time,

That we sleep together and we find pleasure together,

That we think and plan together,

That we love and cherish together too.

And as this time of gratefulness to your body comes to a close,

Gently come back into your space,

Feel your body again,

Gently move your fingers and toes,

Allowing your breath to be present and expanding.

Take a few breaths,

In and out,

In and out.

And as you tenderly move your hands with each other,

Allow your eyes to find their focus and your heart to settle into its beat.

And as you head out into the world again,

As you move with gratefulness and appreciation for all parts of you,

Allow all parts of you to be present,

Acknowledged,

Held and appreciated.

Bless you and your body today.

And before you go,

If you'd like to share which part of your body settled more into itself today,

I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

And if you'll move to donate to me,

Please,

My body,

My mind and my spirit will love and appreciate that too.

Bye for now.

Bless you this day.