In this meditation,
We'll be exploring physical sensations and emotions that are alive in the body.
Find a comfortable seat.
Just spend a few moments really making sure that you're sat in a way that supports your presence for this practice.
Keep your eyes open for the next minute or so.
Just allow your whole body to settle.
Take a few deep restorative breaths.
Allow your eyes to very gently wander around your space.
So slow head and eye movements without agenda.
Just moving your head,
Your eyes,
And just gazing with curiosity around the space where you're sat.
Gently orienting yourself in space.
Now gently closing down your eyes and bring your awareness now from your outer environment to your inner landscape.
Begin to notice your breath.
Using your breath as a gentle anchor,
Observe the flow of breath in and out of your body.
Observe the way that your body responds to the breath.
Now I invite you into a body scan,
Starting from the top of your head to your toes.
And as you do this,
Notice whatever sensations are alive in your body right now.
Perhaps you have some kind of strong sensation or pain.
Maybe there's a tightness or a numbness or a tingling.
Perhaps you have something recurring in the body.
Maybe back pain,
Headache,
Maybe bloating in your tummy.
Or perhaps it isn't a pain as such,
But maybe a skin condition or the flu.
Or maybe you have underlying digestive issues that you can feel in this moment.
Just notice where your awareness gets drawn to during this body scan.
Maybe it's not a sensation at all,
But an emotion that is alive and present in your field right now.
And simply notice what is speaking the loudest to you in this moment.
Now once you have connected to that sensation or emotion,
I invite you to place your hands if it's within reach to the area where you experience this.
And if it isn't in reach or if it isn't in a set area,
For example fatigue or the flu,
Then simply start to refine your awareness to your experience right now.
And as you do this,
Start to allow this experience,
This sensation or emotion to come more and more into the forefront of your awareness.
And as you do this,
Stay with your breath.
Keep the awareness of your breath.
So stay present to these sensations or emotions and allow them to get bigger and bigger in your experience.
Feel yourself surrender to this experience.
Allow yourself to fully feel whatever is arising right now.
Invite it to get louder,
Bigger,
More prominent.
Allow them to really express.
And as you do this,
Stay connected to the earth underneath you.
Feel the sensations of the earth against your body,
Your body against the earth.
Stay connected to your breath.
And notice as you stay present and invite this experience more into the forefront of your present moment experience.
Notice if the body or breath wants to respond in some way.
Does the body start to want to move?
Does the breath need to change?
Does sound want to be expressed?
And as you continue to feel into this,
I invite you to take one or both of your hands and start to express through hand movements the experience of this sensation or emotion in your body right now.
As though you're describing to someone else through hand gesture what you're experiencing.
The movements can start gentle and then gradually allow them to get bigger and more expressive.
Perhaps inviting the arms to get involved and just tracking the sensation or emotion in your body and how you can express it visually through your hands.
And if your mind starts to overthink this experience,
Keep inviting your awareness back to the experience of the sensation or emotion.
Let go of the need to overthink or figure anything out.
Let go of it needing to look or be a certain way.
What is wanting to be expressed in your body in this moment?
And as you continue to express through the movement of your hands and maybe even your arms notice if other parts of your body also want to begin to respond to this expression.
Do any sounds need or want to be expressed?
Give space for whatever wants to arise in this moment.
Are there any messages,
Any droplets of wisdom that want to flow through from this experience?
Allow any emotion that feels like it's bubbling beneath the surface to flow,
To move,
To be expressed.
Relinquish the need for this to look or be a certain way.
Relinquish judgment of yourself and simply allow yourself to be present and to express what needs to be expressed through movement,
Through sound,
Through breath.
And as we draw this practice to a close,
If you feel the need to continue to explore what is alive for you right now,
Please do so.
Otherwise allow this expression to continue for another 30 seconds.
Beautiful.
Now slowly releasing,
Releasing this awareness of the sensation or emotion,
Releasing the movements that you've been making through your body.
And as you rest here in stillness,
Bring your focus back to your breath.
Bring your focus to the ground that is supporting you.
And just observe.
Notice the imprints of this practice.
Take a couple final breaths.
I invite you,
If time permits,
To spend a few moments journaling and reflecting on this practice today.
