This mindfulness of body practice invites you to befriend and reconnect to the body as a way to come into presence and as a way to heal and restore.
You'll be guided to bring your awareness to different parts of the body and to notice your experience as it is,
With kindness and curiosity and without trying to change it.
There's no right way to feel in the midst of this practice.
If at any point you'd like to support yourself by taking a deeper breath,
Or by placing a hand on your heart,
Or by taking a break,
Doing whatever helps you to feel comfortable in the moment.
So the invitation is to begin by checking in with yourself to make sure you're as comfortable as possible.
Perhaps inviting some gentle movement so you can begin to settle in as you sit,
Stand or lie down.
With eyes opened or closed,
Shifting your attention into feeling your body and the support of the furniture or the ground beneath you.
Feeling into the gentle pull of gravity on your body as you settle into where you are.
And when you're ready,
Closing your eyes or allowing your gaze to soften.
And if there's a particular anchor that helps you settle into the moment,
You're welcome to begin with your attention there.
Otherwise,
Beginning by taking an intentional deep breath in through your nose,
With a long extended out breath through your mouth.
Staying within your range of comfort,
Again breathing in through your nose,
And exhaling a long extended breath through your mouth.
Doing this for a few breath cycles to invite your nervous system to settle into more stillness and ease.
And when you're ready,
Gently returning your breath back to its natural rhythm,
Allowing it to be just as it is.
The invitation now is to bring your awareness to the top of your head.
You may notice tingling or warmth or coolness or pressure or nothing at all.
Just bringing awareness to this part of your body as it is.
Bring your attention downward to your forehead,
Your temples,
Eyes,
Nose,
Lips,
Chin and jaw.
Noticing if you can invite a gentle letting go of the muscles around your jaw.
Allowing your tongue to soften with your teeth moved gently apart.
Becoming aware of any sensations or lack of sensation as you gently shift your attention down your neck.
And now to your shoulders.
You might invite a letting go of any tension held within the shoulders,
Perhaps with some gentle movement.
Noticing any sensations that arise with curiosity and kindness.
Bringing your attention to the heart center.
Letting your attention ride the waves of your own breathing as you notice your chest rise and fall.
And when your mind wanders,
Gently returning your attention back to your body,
Knowing that this distraction is not a mistake.
It's the nature of the mind to wander and it's part of the practice.
Just returning your attention over and over again without judging yourself.
Moving your awareness towards your belly.
Noticing your breath as your belly rises and falls.
If it feels right,
You might place a hand on your belly and notice as it rises and falls with each breath.
Shifting your attention to your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Wrists,
And hands.
Just bringing gentle awareness to each part of your body without trying to change anything.
A gentle reminder here that at any point,
You can support yourself in the midst of this practice with a hand on your heart,
Or by taking a deeper breath,
Feeling your feet on the ground,
Doing whatever serves you in the moment.
Shifting your attention now to your upper back,
The middle of your back,
Your lower back.
And when you're ready,
Shifting your attention to the pelvis,
Thighs,
Knees,
Lower legs,
Ankles,
And feet.
Bringing your attention to the soles of the feet and the connection they make to the furniture or the floor beneath you.
Keeping your awareness on your feet and their connection to the ground or the surface and through that surface to the earth.
Now taking a moment to bring attention to the whole body.
Bringing awareness to your whole body and of being in your body.
Noticing if you can make connection with your wholeness.
So now in the next few breaths,
Preparing to move out of this mindfulness of body practice.
Noticing if you can stay connected to a sense of wholeness as you invite some gentle movement of your toes,
Fingers,
Perhaps taking a few deeper breaths,
Or inviting some gentle movement or stretches of the body.
Allowing your practice to land just as it has,
Meeting your experience with kindness.
And when you're ready,
Opening your eyes or lifting your gaze and taking a moment to reorient to the space around you.
And as this practice comes to a close,
May you experience the benefit of this mindfulness of body practice and may these benefits ripple out to the world around you.
Thank you for your practice.
