Sacred Silence: Meditating with Your Body

Have you ever felt lost about where to begin a meditation practice?

You may have mastered a certain meditation type and are now looking for something new.

Meditation practices often focus on the breath being the anchor. Whenever thoughts arise, the guidance is to return to the breath. To go deeper with the journey of calming the mind, the body is there for us, sharing a stillness that, if focused on, can awaken a sacred silence within.

The mind has a wealth of knowledge to share. However, at times, it can take over, blocking our awareness of the equally rich information that can be tapped into in other parts of the body. By meditating with the body as your guide, you first access a calm centeredness in your physical being.

In the body, we are connecting with the elemental energy of earth. We can feel earth energy strongly within the bones, pelvis, legs, and feet. The element of earth is quiet, which can be immensely supportive in relaxing into a deeper meditative state. By simply focusing on various parts of the body or scanning the body, you can notice your mind calming down.

A practice of allocating time to simply be aware and present with the body can do wonders in building a trusting relationship with yourself. By having this practice, it can be easier to hear the messages and guidance coming from different parts of your body throughout your day. By being present, we get the benefit of a calmer mind, and at the same time, we open the channels of communication with the body.

Your body is your steady companion in life and your true home. When the days get busy, this truth can be forgotten.

I attempted to have a consistent meditation practice for years but struggled to have significant experiences of calmness by just focusing on my breath. Once I began incorporating my body and allowing it to guide me in an experiential meditation, I began to feel a more open and honest connection forming with my body.

This addition of working with the body in my practice gifted me more motivation to continue to show up and sit for meditations. I was receiving so many gifts from simply being aware of my body each day. Meditation transformed for me from a mind game to an embodied experience. Naturally, I felt called to incorporate this in my work with clients and the resources that I share.

Where can you begin if I want to meditate with your body?

The easiest times to tune into your body throughout the day are early in the morning or late in the afternoon. At these points of the day, there tends to be less activity happening within and around you. In the middle of the day, there can be time constraints, and it can also be a challenge to pull yourself away from thinking about the to-do or shopping lists, etc.

To be able to observe any changes that unfold for you, I recommend choosing a time and remaining with that time for a minimum of a week. Show up each morning or evening to sit in a quiet space. When you arrive in your meditation space, take a few moments to move your awareness from your mind to your heart.

You can do this by focusing on the sensation of the beating of your heart. If you get drawn away, kindly bring yourself back to the heart. When you feel settled and connected with your heart, you can then progress to moving your awareness to other parts of the body. If you have a particular part that you wish to focus on, begin to notice the sensations in that part of the body.

You can scan your awareness over the surface level of the area and use your breath to sink deeper through the layers of that part of the body. You may receive messages arising from your body about your routines, relationships, and so much more. Any information that surfaces, you can acknowledge it and then let it go.

If you do not have a particular part of the body that you wish to focus on, you can begin to consciously scan your body from your head down to your toes and back up again. If any thoughts arise that distract you from moving your awareness over the body, compassionately go back to the body once you become conscious that you have lost focus.

It can be supportive to have a timer for your practice. If you have not been meditating often, it is helpful to start with a shorter time and then lengthen it. This could be starting with a ten-minute session for one week and then increasing to twenty minutes in the following week. Be sure to place your phone on do not disturb for the period of your meditation.

After completing your session, it can be helpful to have a journal and pen nearby to write down any information that you received from your body. There is also an option as you close your meditation to set an intention or say a prayer. It is wonderful to close your space with the energy of love and gratitude.

Through working with clients and meditating myself over the past years, I have noticed that meditating with the body when everything feels good can be simple. However, when discomfort or significant pain is sitting in the body, it can be a real challenge to continue to show up for the practice and listen to the body.

What can you do if you experience pain in your body while meditating?

Meditating with your body while experiencing any kind of pain can have a powerful healing effect. All physical discomfort has a significant message for you. This guidance from your body will share with you important information to understand where in your life you are living out of balance. The imbalance can originate from thoughts, behaviours, and emotional patterns.

As you sit to meditate and open to the connection with your body, you can move your awareness gently over the area in which you feel pain. Continue to scan the area, going back and forth. You can bring in your breath as well if you wish to sink deeper into that part of your body. Expand your breath out and then use your exhale to relax your awareness deeper into that part of the body.

Simply by having your conscious awareness on the part of the body with the discomfort, you are transforming it. This energy that is within you wants to be seen and heard. The process of being present and observing that part of the body is a big healing step in itself. To release pain from the body, we can ask it for guidance.

As you hold your awareness in the area, you can ask an open question such as, What message would this pain like to share with me? Why am I experiencing this sensation here? To embark on shifting the energy, you can more specifically ask your body what it needs you to do to heal from the imbalance that is causing the pain.

Your body is a powerful personal guide for you throughout your life. The elements are present as consistent supports to enhance your connection and understanding of your inner world. If you would like to experience live guided meditations working with this practice, you are welcome to explore my Body Connection Membership. Each month, there is a live group session sharing Elemental Medicine practices that support you to live in connection with your body.

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