I know I'm not the only one who sometimes gets so busy that I forget to pay attention to my body until I have a pain or an ache that is asking me to stop,
Slow down,
Listen.
Here's a simple meditation we can do anytime,
Anywhere,
Just to listen to different parts of our body as it attempts to be in harmony with us and to make sure that we're in harmony with our soul's journey.
Enjoy.
One of the quickest ways of helping us to be here is to come into our body.
So for the next few minutes I'm going to invite you into your body and you may find there are times where your mind wanders.
If your mind wanders just gently bring it back.
Are you ready?
So if you're in an appropriate place please close your eyes.
Take a few nice breaths,
Short breath in on the count of three,
Long breath out on the count of six.
Settle into your body.
Your mind wanders,
Just gently bring it back to your breathing.
Take your awareness to your right foot.
Can you feel and sense your right big toe?
Can you become aware of the nail on your big toe?
See if you were touching it,
Can you feel it?
You don't touch it,
Just feel it with your awareness.
Move down your toes on your right foot.
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Little toe.
Are you aware of all your toes on your right foot?
Move your awareness to your left heel.
Can you feel your left heel?
Are you aware of your left heel and the ankle around the left heel?
Your mind wanders,
Just gently bring it back,
Just with your breath.
Move to your right knee.
Can you feel every aspect of your right knee?
If there's any pain in any of the areas we go to,
Breathe compassion into that area.
Just breathe awareness and compassion.
I see you,
I feel your pain,
I know you're there,
I'm paying attention.
Let's move up to the left thigh,
Big muscles there,
They'll hold you up when you're standing,
When you're walking.
Just smile and thank your left thigh for all it does for you.
And then move up to your spine,
From the very base of your spine.
Can you walk each spine all the way to the top of your head,
Excuse me,
To the bottom of your head,
To the skull.
If you feel or are aware of any pain,
Just loving attention please,
Loving attention.
I see you,
I feel you,
I know you're there.
Until you're breathing,
Just breathe in and out,
Allowing the whole rib cage to move.
Can you feel every rib moving front,
Back,
Side to side as you breathe?
Your mind wanders,
Just bring it back with loving attention.
Go to the left palm,
Can you become aware of the energy of your left palm?
Smile at it,
Feel its energy,
It's a very powerful place.
And your right shoulder,
If you feel tension or pain in there,
Any of your areas,
Especially your shoulders,
Loving attention,
Breathe into the area.
Now your tongue,
Can you feel it just resting gently in your mouth?
And then finally the top of your head,
Your skull,
Even your ears,
Can you feel them?
And now just settle yourself once again down to your feet,
Both of them,
Wherever they are,
Bringing yourself right down,
Rooting them into Mother Earth.
And in your own time to open your eyes.
I hope you found that valuable,
Useful,
Sometimes we have awareness.
I don't spend much time in my body.
I just picked a few of the different areas of your body that we could go to today.
But I truly ask you to take this as a practice for you.
You can do it in bed,
You can do it sitting on a train,
You can do it at work.
Just take yourself through your whole body from your feet upwards and pay attention to the areas that perhaps have got pain or stiffness,
Loving attention.
The more you're in your body,
The more you'll feel strong about making sure that your care,
Whether you're ill or whether you're well,
Is patient centered,
Heart centered,
Soul centered.
And allow your body to demand that care from anybody who's around you,
Who it calls themselves a healthcare professional.
