Photo: Nick Moore/Unsplash
Your body calls for deep awe and appreciation as it gives tangible experience to life through its brilliant and resilient form. Consider some of the amazing things your body does for you in a given day, much of it without your conscious effort: creating new cells, metabolizing food into energy, breathing, moving against gravity, physically expressing thoughts and feelings, taking in the world around you through your senses…
Practice:
Throughout your day, gently carry the intention to appreciate your body. You might focus on a specific part, marveling at the intricacy of its anatomy and the genius of how it works. Experiment with expressing appreciation toward parts of yourself that may feel difficult as well as toward those parts that feel good. Tune in to the subtleties of each of your senses, noticing how rich the experience can be when you’re deeply present. When you pause to acknowledge your body, place your hand on your heart and say, “Wow, thank you.” Observe how this practice makes you feel, noticing any sensations or emotions that arise.
How does regarding your body with wonder impact you?
What can you love about and savor through your body and your senses?
Should you be inspired, please leave a reflection below…
This practice is inspired by Mary Jean Irion’s sublime meditation A Normal Day. Explore the full seven-day A Normal Day practice.
I live in constant chronic pain, and as I turned 77 last month, I am so aware and grateful for all of the things I am able to do- my amazing body has carried me through seven plus decades and although a bit worn from wear, still celebrates the body electric
I am in awe of my body, for though I live with a chronic condition my body always serves me as best it can. And I express gratitude to it and serve & care for it as best I can.
Today’s reflection resonates deeply and is a timely reminder to always be body-aware. “Wow, thank you!”
And thank you for these teachings.
I love and am in wonder of feeling alive with my body and senses. This moves my heart inspiring me to do. I pray to God. I pray to God. I pray to God. Being alive is love from God. Being able to act on being alive is courage and faith from God! Senses guides me to the fields where I may find flowers to enjoy the pollen.
How grateful I am for what I have, all the senses I have, to see the life. and I am still alive and feel the love of the universe. That is huge!
Regarding my body with wonder gives me a sense of ease, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I also have appreciation for resilience and strength, opportunity and possibility.
What I love about and savor through my body is the ability to love, to share, to support, to provide, to create, to feel, to receive, to connect, to intuit, to understand, to celebrate, to console, to learn, to discover, to explore, to heal, to play, to laugh, to cry, to experience life through each of the five senses and my consciousness. To be strong in myself, to be tender, to be open, to be discerning, to be helpful, and so much more…
For me recently, this part is PTSD, as I’m in torturous pain every moment; yet, as pain is communication I endeavour to not react- rather place those messages on a way back burner for futiure reference. Be that as it may, this Bodhi was awesome and “discipline is the art of feeling awe”, Carlos Casteneda, so, I’ll share a twig of poetree from a far better day for it ?
Soul
As my breath is the one, prana,
And the life’s pulse, pala,
Reaching angelic source, Sura,
So is this mind, manas, a
Flowering unfoldment,
Unendingly being
The Eye that would it see,
Unbeckoning unto Thee.
As well, this Bodhi, a temple,
Of the four and fifth, Nur,
So entered by Atma, a ray of Thy Sun,
Thus being winged, and
As such with wind,
Flying only in Dharma’s dance,
Is returning to, Brahma, You.
For, there yet, by Thy Grace, go i.
Thanx for all you All do; have a good day ? reality
This morning after reading the post, I said “thank you” to my body which has served me so well for almost 76 years. Then, I went about my daily activities which included cleaning, sweeping and vacuuming the kitchen and livingroom. I turned on the radio to “malt shop oldies” and was soon dancing, twirling, jumping and using the broom as a partner. I was filled with such joy …. I have always loved dancing and it’s as though the music comes in my ears and goes through my entire body. Because of this morning’s reading I felt immensely blessed and full of love for my amazing body which continues to fill me with joy.
I am in awe at the ability of the body to heal and tell me “all will be well”
A wise counselor once told me the brain is an organ but the mind is our entire being…so much for the mind-body distinction. I mind with all of my body, whether I am aware of it or not. Good to dedicate some time to reinvigorating that connection….
While healing from an elbow fracture and surgery, not only do I reflect on the wonder of healing, but also on the many people who have and still are assisting me to be well again. I am grateful for family, friends, and caring medical professionals.
In my early seventies I continue to revel in physical activities and thanks to the Essentrics program can enjoy them fully. Keep moving every part of the body is the mantra. BUT — I’m not at all accepting of my aging wrinkly, saggy, creviced skin. Oh to find the beauty there…
When I was younger, I’m in my early 70’s, I had aunts in their 70’s….80’s…90’s and one lived to be 103. I thought they were beautiful with their white hair, the twinkle in their eye, the lipstick they seemed to always have on (One told me when she was in her 90’s that the older a woman got, the less makeup she needed, but she never left the house without lipstick. She also said she told her age because she loved to hear people say that they couldn’t believe she was 90 and thought she was so much younger!). I realize beauty is reflected by the kindness, the attentiveness, the sense of humor, the caring, the acceptance, and simple joy shown through their loving selves.
I know what you mean, Elaine. I’m 67 and I try to always smile when I look at myself in the mirror or in a camera / phone. That really helps! Loving my aging self is a challenge, but I am trying to accept and love my “new” body. ; )
I have had a feeling of wonder about the body and how it works ever since I was a young nursing student. Later I became a “body worker” per se, healing through massage and touch. I read Job’s Body by Deane Juhan and I learned that we are put together so beautifully with tissues that make us wholly ourselves, connecting us altogether by skin, bone, muscle, and fascia. The body’s growth and aging process is also a source of amazement for me. How? When? Why? Yet the body seems to know what to do, albeit with a little help from us through fuel, movement, play, and rest.
I love and even laugh at watching my body pucker, wrinkle, grey, and decay. It hurts, won’t always cooperate, but it’s doing what it is supposed to do at this age, as it heads towards shutting down and finally releasing my spirit. It’s marvelous because it still has energy, sensuality, houses a mind, humor, emotions, loads of laughter, and takes me on adventures. I love my body and I thank it regularly.
Accepting and managing getting older can be challenging and the reflection and responses encourage me on this sunny day. So many gray days this winter make the welcome of the sun a joy. Reminds me of RAIN, Recognizing, Allowing, Investigate- feeling the feelings not thinking about them and Nurturing. Tara Brach’s insightful way to Be with whatever is.
Oh! I have a RAIN mantra, too: R-emember who you are. A-ppreciate right now. I-magine the best possible outcome. N-o fear! Thanks for sharing yours and reminding me of mine. Onward we go, our bodies slipping away to free our souls (for the next body to enjoy to the fullest, if you believe in incarnations…)… Enjoy what’s possible in our bodies, now.
Tay-Marie, I love your RAIN mantra! Thank-you for sharing it!?
Sheila – we must be kindreds! – drawn to the same things – even picking the same symbol (I love clouds.) I must have been a seagull in a past life. (It’s hard to get used to this human body [haha] but being human allows me to use words and drink in Netflix. So, I’m making the most of it [even if I can’t fly to the clouds – I can surround myself with pictures and inspiration – and welcome birds to my back yard]). Happy Hearts!
Today’s practice is hard for me, as I have suffered from eating disorders and extreme body dysmorphia for most of my life. At the beginning of this year, when I realised that I had allowed my weighing scales to be the measure of my worth for more than half a century, I took the momentous step of throwing them away. I felt exhausted by constantly being at war with my body. It hasn’t proved as difficult as I feared to be without them, but I’m aware of how I am still obsessed with bodies – mine and other people’s, constantly judging and comparing. I’m actually in good shape for 66, as I still run three times a week and have been doing planks for the past year. Occasionally I can rejoice in how strong and fit I am, but mostly I judge myself harshly for my body. Compassion for myself is the starting point on the road to recovery.