Music Making yourself comfortable.
Finding a posture that is supportive of your body.
Where your legs feel supported,
Your back is supported,
Your arms are supported.
Taking the time you need to make sure that your body is well supported as you bring this compassionate meditation to your body.
Putting your body in a position where it can receive some compassion,
Some kindness.
This meditation is all about your body.
It's all about this amazing vehicle that has carried us through our life.
Always doing the best it can.
Often working against obstacles but always working hard to be our very best ally,
Our best friend.
Bringing your awareness to your breathing.
As we breathe in,
The air that we breathe becomes a part of our body.
What we take in nurtures,
Nourishes our body.
As you breathe in intentionally,
Breathing in a quality that you would like to bring into your body.
This might be a quality of warmth,
Of kindness,
Of compassion.
This might be a quality of healing or health.
It might be a quality of joy.
Whatever you would like to breathe into your body right now,
Setting an intention.
This is what I'm welcoming into my body through my breath.
And then following on from breathing that quality in to your body.
Maybe you breathe it in as a light or a mist or a color.
Breathing that in and noticing that quality.
That light,
That mist,
That color,
That word.
Starting to move via the oxygen that you're bringing into your body.
Starting to move into your bloodstream.
And as your blood starts to make its way through your body,
Seeing it carrying that quality,
That warmth,
That light,
That color.
Whatever it is that you breathe it in for yourself.
Seeing that starting to spread through your body.
Slowly,
Gently.
And as you're seeing it move through your body,
Noticing how it's positively impacting every part of your body.
It moves through the tissues,
The muscles,
The ligaments,
The tendons,
The fat in your body.
Visualizing this quality,
This color.
Visualizing this spreading out to all of the adjacent tissue in your body.
Infusing your body with this quality of health,
Of healing,
Of kindness,
Of compassion.
Whatever it is that you've breathed in to your body.
And feeling your way into this process.
This can be as slow as you like.
In the same way that we warm up slowly and gently.
As a way to avoid any jarring.
We don't want to warm up too quickly.
We overheat.
Especially if we've been very cold,
If we've been frozen.
We warm up very gently.
Feeling our body,
Our cells,
Our muscles,
Ligaments,
Tendons,
A tissue slowly starting to vibrate with this quality that you're breathing in.
Allow this quality to really permeate your system in a way that feels like it's lasting.
Allow your body to really steep in this quality.
Giving it time.
And with each in-breath imagining that you're bringing in more of this quality.
There's an endless supply of this quality.
Breathing more in and allowing more to infuse into your system.
Allowing more to flow through your blood into your cells.
Feeding your cells,
Nurturing,
Nourishing your body in exactly the way it needs right now.
If you're finding any judgment coming in to your awareness.
Knowing that this is just a part of you trying to protect you.
In some way you may not know what way or why it's trying to protect you.
Acknowledging,
Honoring that your system is always looking out for you.
It may not feel like it but it is always trying to take care of you.
Even judgment is trying to take care of you in some way.
As much as you can acknowledging judgment,
Maybe even thanking judgment for trying to take care of you.
And then with the knowledge that your body never judges you,
The judgment is not coming from your body.
Your body is available.
Your body is always in the moment.
Your body is receptive to whatever kindness you want to offer it.
The body is always open to healing and health.
It's always doing the best it can.
It may not be able to be healthy.
It may not be experiencing healing but it's always open to healing and health.
So if you're feeling any judgment just inviting that to step aside.
What you're offering your body right now is innocent,
Is kind.
The intention is noble.
Allowing this process to happen.
Allowing your body the opportunity to feel your intention of goodwill.
Continuing to feel your body with each breath.
Being more and more infused with this quality that you're breathing in for yourself.
Stay with this process.
Continue to see your body being steeped in this light,
This color,
This word,
This kindness,
This compassion,
This health,
Healing.
Continue to visualize your body feeling this way.
Your body deserves to feel this way.
If you find your mind wandering at any time it's not a problem.
This is just your mind doing what your mind was designed to do.
Your mind also is wanting to take care of you.
Wanting to plan,
To strategize,
To look forward to the future or to learn things from the past.
Your mind is blameless.
It's simply doing what it was designed to do.
If you notice your mind has moved your awareness away from your body.
Maybe simply acknowledging that your mind is trying to take care of you.
And then very kindly and gently in the way that you might shepherd a puppy or a child back to where they need to be.
Shepherding your awareness back to your body,
Back to the infusion of health,
Healing and compassion that you're breathing in for your body.
And if you're starting to feel bored or tired or frustrated with this process it's okay listening to what your system is telling you.
Allowing yourself to rest if you need to do that.
And also noticing are you feeling resistance?
Is this where this boredom or frustration is coming from?
Are you resisting any part of this process?
Are you struggling with breathing goodness in for your body?
You may be bringing a little curiosity to that.
It's okay to struggle.
We all struggle.
It's okay that we have protective mechanisms coming in to take care of us.
Can we see any resistance that we're feeling to this breath meditation?
Can we feel that simply as part of our experience?
A blameless response.
It's simply our system responding to the information it's getting with what it knows about protection.
There's no need to judge whatever our response is to this meditation.
Can you give yourself a break if you're feeling any resistance?
And maybe by now you're feeling that this quality that you've breathed in has reached every part of your internal system.
Every part of your your muscles your ligaments your tendons.
Maybe you feel it's reached every cell in your body.
And maybe there's more you need to breathe in.
There's no particular place you should be at at this point in the meditation.
Asking your body,
Have I done enough?
Is there more?
Is there more I can do?
Shall I keep breathing this quality in for longer?
Feeling into the answer,
Waiting for an answer.
No need to make up an answer.
What is your body telling you?
When you feel that you've reached a point of enough,
You've reached a point of completion,
Then starting to transition out of this meditation.
You might like to release your awareness from the breath.
Release the quality that you're breathing in.
Knowing that you can breathe more of that quality in whenever you need it.
And as you transition out of this meditation you might like to start moving your fingers and your toes,
Your wrists,
Your ankles,
Your shoulders,
Your torso.
Getting in touch with the physicality of this body.
Noticing any tension,
Aches or pains.
And maybe inclining tenderly,
Kindly towards any aches or pains in this body.
When you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes.
You might like to sit for a few minutes before you move back into your daily life.
Give your body this gift of rest,
Of assimilation,
Of transition.
Allow this to happen slowly in its own time.
Your body will let you know when it's time to move on.
