Hello,
I'm Dr.
Candice Creaseman and today's guided meditation is on reconnecting with the body.
This is the first part of a three-part series on embodiment and today we'll be focusing on awareness of the body.
It is so easy to lose awareness of our bodies.
Many of us live more in our heads than in our bodies with most of our energy going to thinking,
Problem solving,
Ruminating,
And other mental content.
The first step toward embodiment is awareness.
So in this exercise,
We'll focus on building the quality of awareness,
Learning to work with discomfort,
Avoidance,
And clinging as they arise.
We will begin and end with a bell.
Start by finding a posture that allows you to feel relaxed and alert.
Check your energy level here so if you're feeling fatigued,
You might try opening your mouth and eyes wide and then closing them tightly a couple of times to bring some energy into the body.
If your energy is high,
You might shake your arms,
Hands,
And legs to move some of that energy out.
Then come to a position that feels neutral and open.
You can close your eyes if you'd like or leave them open.
Now take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Again,
Deep breath in and slow breath out.
Now allow your breath to flow in and out at its own pace.
As you settle into the breath,
Bring your awareness to any sensation that you notice in your body.
Keep your attention on this sensation,
Noticing if it is pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral.
See if you can stay curious about this sensation,
Regardless of whether you would like to avoid it or hang on to it.
If the sensation generates a lot of distress,
Feel free to let it go and move on to something that's less intense.
Continue to breathe.
Now see if you can find the edges of this sensation,
Moving out from the center toward the margins.
Notice how the sensation changes as your attention widens.
Notice if anything has changed about how you experience the sensation,
Noting if it is more or less pleasant or unpleasant.
Continue to breathe along with the sensation.
Wherever you get distracted by a story about the sensation or some other part of your experience,
Maybe nod yes to acknowledge the distraction and gently come back to the sensation you've been observing.
Continue this pattern of noticing sensations,
Finding the center,
And then moving to the margins for the next few minutes.
You will continue in silence.
Notice how your body can be here,
Your feet on the floor,
Or any other spaces where you feel connected to the space you're in.
You may be able to feel the energy in your body,
The air in your body,
Your feet on the floor,
Or any other spaces where you feel connected to the space you're in.
There are many other spaces where you can connect into this space of energy.
You can open your eyes and look into the world.
You can open your eyes and look into the world.
You can open your eyes and look into the world.
You can open your eyes and look into the world.
You can open your eyes and look into the world.
Now bring your awareness back to your whole body,
Noticing the sounds around you,
Noticing your body in your chair,
Your feet on the floor,
Or any other places where you feel connection to the space around you.
You can open your eyes whenever you're ready.
