This is a somatic exercise I use in session with my therapy clients whenever we're trying to uncover anything underlying difficult emotions or sensations or even physical pain.
I invite you to find a comfortable seat or you can also do this lying down.
Just getting comfortable,
Finding a position that we won't feel tempted to move around in and just starting to clear the mind.
Imagine emptying the mind with every exhalation.
You can visualize on the inhale you're drawing down any thoughts from your head all the way down to your feet and exhaling out the soles of your feet,
Returning it to the earth.
Once you feel that your mind's relatively empty,
Scan your body from head to toe,
Taking a quick inventory of how your body's feeling today.
How are your energy levels?
How is your mood?
And take stock of any niggly bits in your body,
Any patches of tension,
Textures,
Anything that catches your attention.
Now focus on one area,
The first area that your mind is drawn to,
Give that your attention.
It might be something that feels most pressing to you,
Perhaps you already know.
Just observe whatever sensations,
Textures,
Feelings.
You might notice with attention,
These sensations start to dissipate,
Maybe the emotions,
The emotion that's felt stronger or more intense a minute ago is starting to fade and lose its grip.
Just notice that,
Witness that.
And if you could ask this area of your body,
What's underlying this?
What message is trying to come through or what situation or person might this be related to?
What would it say?
Now move your attention to another area,
Another area that's asking for your attention through sensation,
Through emotions or however it's manifesting.
Go through the same process here,
Just witness for a minute,
Tuning into how it's manifesting in your body,
Whether that's feelings of anxiety or tightness or possibly physical pain.
And then notice what it's trying to communicate or what it might be intuitively linked to.
Thank your body and thank yourself,
Thank your intuition for being here,
For developing your sense of interception,
For building that mind-body connection.
And know that you can always come back to this practice and that the answers are always already in you.
We just need to tune out any distractions,
Emptying the mind and just really tuning into what our bodies are always trying to tell us,
If we're willing to listen.
You can place a hand on your heart and the other on your belly,
Giving yourself a warm,
Nurturing sense of self-touch.
And when you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes and sit up if you're lying down.
And notice how you're feeling now compared to the beginning of this meditation.
And know that you can always cultivate this feeling within you.
