This month’s meditation, in keeping with the blog post, is a simple ritual designed to bring you into a closer relationship with your body. For this you will need between 20-40 minutes, a full length mirror and paper and a pen.
Standing fully clothed in front of the mirror, commence by bringing the hands to the heart and bowing to yourself and say “Namaste”: Honouring both Yourself and your intention to love your body more.
Begin by looking at Yourself fully from head to feet and notice what thoughts, feelings, judgements and appreciation arises in you. Look yourself in the eyes and receive yourself with your gaze. Simply spend time (a few minutes) simply gazing and being with yourself.
Breathing comfortably and fully, and with being aware of what thoughts and feelings are coming up for you, begin to remove your clothes one at a time. Take your time and continue to gaze and receive the gaze. Continue until you are naked, or until you have removed as much clothing as is comfortable for you to do.
Look at your body and write down what you don’t like about it and why.
Look at your body and write down what you Do like about it. Notice what emotions arise when you see parts of yourself you like, look at what you find beautiful or moving. What you are proud of and why.
Look again: Is there anything that you have forgotten physically to appreciate or that could be seen in a different light. For example: marks due to pregnancy, how could they be viewed differently?
Take time to honour and celebrate your body, , by having a slow bath or gentle shower in honour of all aspects of you. Rub and nourish the skin, gently caress it and notice how you feel. Record this in your notebook what your thoughts, feelings, sensations and realisations have occurred for you. Honour yourself with a Namaste.
(Such recording of thoughts and feelings with this ritual enable you to, over time, become aware of how you think and treat yourself and areas where you are hard or judgemental on yourself. Over time, this ritual will alter how you relate to yourself and provide insights into healing body image
Mark Sutton August 2014