Meditation on Your Body

We need to lovingly and gratefully focus on our bodies. Our bodies are reflections of the Cosmos. They are exquisitely complex. At any moment there are more actions in our nervous system than there are stars in the universe! Yet we pay little attention to our bodies.

During the forty days following the Baptism, the entry of the Christ Being into Jesus of Nazareth, Christ attended to the reality of being embodied. Suddenly He was experiencing having over 200 bones and over 500 muscles. He penetrated the mysteries of each organ and gland. He lived into the senses. He felt weight. Imagine bringing Divine Intelligence and Unconditional Love to knowing each "part" of the whole living physical reality of your individuality!

I've written a meditation on your body. I suggest you consider working with it once a week upon waking. It will make you more alive, more present, healthier.

You may want to buy a book on anatomy or do some google searches on the different parts, always search on images. For your bones and muscles I urge you to look at the Albinus on Anatomy book. It offers incredibly inspiring drawings of the bones and muscles. Just remember that the beautiful drawings are not nearly as beautiful as your own bones and muscles. (You can order this book through the link on the left.) I often make photocopies from this bood for my workshop participants and ask them to color the images in an active meditation.

Here's the meditation. Make notes on your feelings as you go.

Get comfortable.

find your breath.
love your sweet breath with your warm pulsing blood

take your breath deep into your body.
feel your breath warming.
send your warm breath all through your body filling it with life.

now release your breath.
send your breath far out into the world

Take your breath to your bones.

Find your bones
Your bones are strong and calm
Deep within your bones is the marrow of life.
feel the bones of your feet that walk on the earth
feel the bones of your legs long and straight
feel your pelvis the strong round support for your organs
feel your curving ribs as they embrace your lungs and your heart
feel your collar bones courageously holding up your chest
feel your shoulder blades like folded wings at your back
feel your spine gracefully holding you upright
feel the bones of your arms long and straight
feel the bones of your hands that touch the all there is

now feel your slightly curving neck

feel the bones of your face and your skull reflecting the great cosmos

each of these bones is hard mineral. Each of your bones fit together. Your bones hold you upright. They form a five pointed star of calm supporting strength. Your bones do not let you down.
With each breath, trust your bones.

Now feel your muscles.
your muscles wrap your body up
They surround your body with protective and expressive gesture
Your muscles expand and contract.
They flex.
They lengthen and shorten to move your bones.
Your muscles keep you mobile and graceful. Poised and ready.
Blink your eyes.
Point your toes.
Tilt your head forward and back, side to side.
Bring your hands together in a gesture of prayer
Lengthen your spine.
Smile
You do all these moves with your muscles.
Your bones fit together, Your muscles work together.

With each deep breath, relax your muscles.
Relax
Relax

Now take a special breath and focus on a very special muscle,
Your diaphragm. It is the diaphragm that moves the dance of breath.
Experience its movement with your breath.
Smile at your diaphragm.


Honor your nourishing and warming organs one by one
Your intestines
Your stomach
Your liver
Your gallbladder
Your spleen
Your stomach
Your lungs
Your kidneys
Your bladder

Honor your enlivening glands that create growth, interest and desire one by one
your pancreas
your thymus
your thyroid
your adrenals
your pineal
your pituitary
your hypothalamus

Honor your immeasurable miles of blood vessels
Honor your cleansing lymphatic system
Honor your nervous system that operates and manages the complexity of your body
Honor your organs of perception that tell you about the world
Your eyes,
Your nose
Your ears
Your tastebuds
Your skin

Honor your reproductive organs that create new life.
Honor your brain that serves your consciousness and your unconsciousness.
Honor all the bio-organisms that form your inner community of life.

Honor your heart as the center of your being

Feel the forms and functions of your amazing earthly body.

You now have a sense of your living physical body. Breath deeply into this awesome experience. Breath again and again. Relax and soften each part of your body.

You are alive in time
You are contained and celebrated in space.

Now gently leave the meditative space. Know that you can reengage with this sacred earthly reality at any time.

Bless the gods for the creation that is you.