Stop! Right here, right now. Stop everything! Be still.
How do you feel?
What are you thinking?
Check in with your body.
Are you breathing?
I trust you are if you are reading this, but “how” are you breathing? Are you even aware that you’re breathing?
Are you breathing through your nose? Or, are you breathing through your mouth?
Is your breathing short and shallow? Or, is it long and deep?
What’s going on with your body inside and out? That’s right, you are more than your head.
Start with your toes. Wiggle them. Spread them out. Acknowledge them.
Feel your feet, your heels, your arches. Honor them.
Travel up and across each limb and area. Feel. Acknowledge. Honor.
Explore your body slowly; there’s no rush or hurry. Give yourself permission to take your time.
Notice where you feel tense, tight, sore, or achy, and relaxed, if at all.
Pause at your belly, your tummy. Place your hand on it. Feel it rise and fall with the flow of your breath.
Massage your skin, your joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
Rub your hands together. Caress your knuckles and each finger.
Continue to notice your breathing as you move up your body and all its parts and areas; avoiding doing anything else; simply notice with curiosity.
Feel your chest, your heart beating, your lungs expanding and contracting with each breath.
Feel your neck, your face, and all the way to the top of your head.
Take three long, slow, deep breaths. Pause. Notice.
How do you feel?
What are you thinking?
How is your body responding?
Notice.
Repeat, if you love the effects on your thinking, feeling, and body.
If you don’t, repeat and notice some more. . .while also being curious toward resistance, reaction, and avoidance.
This is a practice I created that combines Bari Tessler’s Body Check-In with inspiration from Geneen Roth’s Belly Meditation and Stephen Levine’s Soft Belly Meditation. It’s a practice you can do any where at any time to invite stillness, presence, awareness, and softness.
Make it your own.
More important, do it regularly.
“Simply taking the time to check in with yourself and assess which of these areas you feel strong in and which you’re yearning to grow in is a big, empowering step.” ~Bari Tessler
I’d love to hear about what the experience was like for you and what you noticed.
Sending you inspiration,
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