Hi this is Delcambre Heath leading you into a meditation for body image.
Negative body image is produced and maintained mostly in our minds.
We create stories or parallels or paradigms as I like to call it about our bodies,
The history and also just bodies in general.
What do you notice about how you think about your body?
What effects does that have on you emotionally?
How does your negative self-talk actually affect your self-esteem?
This meditation will help you release those negative thoughts and begin to feel an appreciation of your body and an acceptance of yourself.
So gently find a comfortable position either sitting in a chair or lying down somewhere where you can find a moment of peace.
Slowly bring your eyes either down into a half gaze or close down your eyes.
Allow your attention to focus now on your breath.
Gently just follow the breath down from the nose into your abdomen and hold it here for a few seconds.
Exhale slowly.
Again into your nose.
Allow the breath to travel and swirl in your body and out again.
As you breathe in notice your stomach rising and your lungs filling with air.
As you exhale imagine the tension in your body being released and flowing away.
Inhale and gently exhale releasing any tension.
Feel your body softening and relaxing into this moment.
Now continue breathing as you tune into your body.
Allow your attention to focus only on your body.
If you begin to notice your mind wandering bring it back to your body.
Notice how your body feels.
Notice how it feels to be sitting here or lying down.
Notice the clothing that you're wearing.
How does it feel in your body?
Feel the pressure of your body resting on the surface on which you are lying or sitting.
Mindfully scan your body from top to bottom.
Breathe in and out.
How does it feel?
What do you see?
Which areas of your body stands out?
Now think about your body image.
What is body image to you?
Take some time to consider your thoughts and ideas about your body.
What are you thinking and what do you see?
Is what you see or think true?
Breathe in and breathe out.
Notice as you think about your body how that affects your feelings.
Are you feeling comfortable?
Satisfied?
Dis satisfied?
Disgusted or frustrated?
Whatever you're feeling it's okay.
Let yourself feel.
Gently tune into the part of your body you dislike the most.
Spend some time thinking about that area of your body.
What are you thinking and how do you feel?
How do you those thoughts about that body part make you feel?
Notice if there's any impulses to make changes or even more thoughts or even words that cause harm.
Notice how damaging these thoughts can be to your emotions.
Slowly imagine accepting your body as it is.
Imagine feeling satisfied with your physical self.
What might it be like to even just for five minutes feel comfortable in your own skin in this body?
You begin to see yourself as a whole rather than a collection of parts.
Appreciate your own beauty.
Take a beautiful breath in and gently exhale.
Appreciate all the wonderful things that your body does for you.
How it rejuvenates you when you need energy.
How it relaxes you when you need rest.
How it automatically digests your food and how you don't even have to think about breathing.
It all just happens.
Notice that it's okay to be in this body.
It's okay to feel and be who you are.
Now repeat after me.
I accept my imperfections.
They don't define me or take away from who I am as a person.
I accept this body as I am.
There is no need to be perfect.
I am free of judgments and I will no longer say negative things to myself.
I will catch the negative thoughts of comparison and judgment,
Shame and guilt and gently tell my thoughts no more.
I accept myself.
I am okay in this moment.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Take a moment now to relax.
Breathe in and breathe out.
You might notice yourself feeling more calm,
More satisfied in this moment.
You feel yourself beginning towards a path of self-acceptance.
You know that soon you will begin to appreciate yourself.
Breathe in and gently breathe out.
When you're ready,
Slowly begin to bring your awareness back into your room.
Continue to invoke these feelings of acceptance and feeling at home in your own body,
In your own skin.
Take these feelings of satisfaction and relaxation with you into your day.
Slowly when you're ready,
Open your eyes gently stretch your body.
Just notice the shift.
Notice how you feel after this practice.
If you would like to return to this practice as many times as you like,
The more we feel into our bodies,
The more we look at ourselves with compassion,
The more we will start to accept ourselves.
Thank you so much for sharing your practice of body acceptance with me.
Namaste.
