- [Instructor] The topic for this worksheet
is Grounding Through Body Awareness.
So before we get started,
just quickly draw a little bit of awareness attention
to why it is that you chose this topic.
And as we go through this worksheet
make a little commitment here to notice
how it is that you feel as we reflect on this topic
of Grounding Through Body Awareness, right?
How do you feel physically in your body?
And what are some of the emotions
that you relate to these feelings?
Notice if this topic brings up any strong, positive
or negative reactions.
And keep in mind as we move through this grounding,
through body awareness,
keep in mind that there's many others that feel
the same way that you do about this topic.
Keep in mind also that as we move through the worksheet
your feelings and opinions might change.
So you might feel differently as you increase awareness
and also make a little commitment to apply then
this increased awareness to your day to day life.
So this grounding through body awareness
become something that we don't just connect to right here,
as we move through the exercises,
but something that we connect to
every day of our lives moving forward.
So let's take a look at the topic.
Our physical body can be our greatest source of connection
to the present moment.
It's a form that is always with us.
And when our mind wanders off into future thinking
or when we get trapped in ruminating over past events
we can use the body as an anchor
to what's going on right here and right now.
So body awareness keeps those mindful
of where we are, literally, in the physical sense.
Yet because body and mind are connected,
this physical awareness of our body also infuses our minds
with a sense of grounding.
The mind cannot fly away
if it's occupied with a present moment awareness
of the body and where the body is in space,
and how the body feels,
and how the body is connected to the earth.
So if we can learn to recognize
when it is that the mind flies off,
we can come back to a sense of groundedness
and present moment awareness by connecting again to the body
and sensation in the body.
Learning to remain present with the body
teaches us to rest in this state of greater equanimity.
Imagine literally standing with your feet
firmly planted on the ground
we feel literally a sense of balance
through the right and left,
front and back sides of our bodies.
But we also experience that balance
within our state of mind.
So of course we always have thoughts and emotions,
but rather than letting them carry us away
out of the present moment and out of the reality,
we can observe these thoughts and emotions
from a place that is rooted, and grounded, and stable,
and we can find that foundation and establish it
through the body itself.
So let's begin
with a little bit of a seated meditation exercise
to notice and experience the power of grounding
through body awareness.
So find a seat in a comfortable place
where you can be relatively quiet
and free from distractions.
If you're doing this meditation on your own,
you'd perhaps like to set a timer for five to 10 minutes
or any length of meditation that you choose.
But right here, right now, you can just follow along.
So find a seat with your spine long and tall,
and your shoulders relaxed.
If you're sitting in a chair,
plant your feet flat on the ground
and if you're sitting on a cushion,
just feel into the support of the cushion itself
or the floor or the ground underneath you.
Close your eyes or gaze low at the earth ahead of you
and turn your attention inward.
Breathe gently and quietly in and out through your nose.
And with tension inward, notice this breath.
And let the breath become like an arrow
pointing you further inward to the body itself.
With every exhale breath, feel the weight of your body
releasing further down towards the earth.
With every inhale breath,
feel a sense of upward lifting lightness.
And notice into that balance, each breath out,
further grounding, each breath in,
lengthening the spine, sitting up a little taller.
And then focus a little more on the exhale breaths.
Becoming even more aware of the points of your body
that are touching down that are connected to earth.
And without seeking any sensation in particular,
just remain open to the rising of sensation
within your body.
Noticing what your body feels like right here and right now.
Where your body is right here and right now,
and anytime that you notice that the mind has wandered off
to thoughts or emotions or any distraction
other than the body,
just simply let it go and come back to this body awareness.
Feeling through the body
that sense of connection to the earth.
Recognizing the support underneath you,
that feeling of stability.
And allowing for your body to be helped.
And then we'll slowly open our eyes
and come back to the space around you.
And we'll take a little bit of time here
to review what it is that we noticed.
So of course you can pause the video at any time
if you need more time to write things down.
But begin by just describing your experience
with the meditation in general.
Did you find it challenging to remain present with the body?
And as you think back to your experience
with body awareness, were you thinking about the body
or were you feeling the body, sensing the body?
No right or wrong answer
just exploring what might've been going on in your mind
and how it was that you were sensing into the body.
And then what do you even think the difference is
between thinking versus feeling?
Thinking about the body versus being present with the body
or feeling the body?
And we just had a brief meditation
but did you find it challenging to find a place
on which to settle your attention?
Was body in general a little too vague?
How was that experience?
And was it the body in general that you were most aware of
or were you drawn to one particular area of the body?
And is that where you rested your awareness?
Were there certain areas of the body
that seemed to hold your focus or call for your attention
more than others?
And if there were, why do you think this was the case?
Was there a particular energy present during the meditation?
Can you describe that energy?
And how was it that you were sensing that energy?
Replay it a little bit with this difference
and balance between the upward energy of the inhale breath
and the downward energy of the exhale breath.
And could you feel that and connect to that?
And did you feel balanced between the two
or did you feel carried away by one versus the other?
And was there a certain point in the meditation
in which you felt most present?
And can you recall where that was and what that was like?
Perhaps if you have a regular meditation practice
or you're accustomed to doing these meditations
where you try to remain focused on breath,
did you find that by using the body
when your attention wandered
were you able to come back to the present moment
to notice and return?
And was the body working for you
as an anchor to the present moment?
And then finally, how do you think you might use
this body awareness meditation
as a tool outside the meditation?
How could we use body awareness to feel grounded
as we move through our daily lives?
As a review, anytime that we feel
as though we're being carried away
by our thoughts and emotions,
we can use the body itself as a tool
to come back to the present moment
and become more grounded, feel more stable, and aware.
It's very easy for us to get swept away
in thoughts and emotions.
We identify with thoughts and emotions
saying things like "I am angry."
But we are not our thoughts and emotions
no matter how much we might identify as such in our mind.
We are the awareness
that perceives those thoughts and emotions
that is at the core of who we truly are.
The true nature of our being is awareness.
And awareness is stable, and it's neutral,
and it's ever present, and it's fully spacious
and encompasses and invites in and allows for everything.
So by connecting to the stability of our body
that physical form, and then by extension connecting
to the physical form of the stability of earth,
we can be reminded that we too are stable.
We are that stable awareness.
And it's from that place of stability and awareness
where we can then relate to our thoughts and emotions
with a little more spaciousness.
So "I am angry," transforms into,
"I can notice that anger is arising within this field
of who it is that I truly am."
Which is stable, and aware, and grounded.