A love-note to your body

Today, I invite you to send a love-note to your body, using your intention, awareness, and energy.

If you’ve been with me for a while, you may already know that in the Fall I tend to focus on the Lungs and the process of grieving. In the Daoist tradition, there’s a relationship between the Fall, which is the “Metal” season, and the Lungs, and grief and grieving…

…And this is still true. I’ve been breathing deeply, clearing lots of grief, especially since the Equinox, doing a lot of tapping over Lung points + doing Lung Qi Gong. There have been many sessions of crying, and explaining to my partner that nothing is “wrong,” that it’s just time for things to clear.

But another piece that’s been very loud recently is around being good to and gentle with my physical body in general.

In Daoist Chinese medicine, the Lungs are also associated with your physicality. They’re the house of your “po,” a word that’s often translated as “your corporeal soul.” It’s the part of you that’s material, physical, tangible.

And I’ve certainly been called to listen very intently to my body.

I’ve been getting curious, and I invite you to join me, in feeling into how I can be more deliberate, intentional and kind with my body.

When I listen, I’ve noticed a pull to…

…more gentle movement and less rigorous exercise….

…more quiet time outdoors and less time on the computer…

…deeper slower breaths that correspond with slower more deliberate thoughts and a gentler sensation in my nervous system…

As we move through this season, here are some additional ways to play with being more gentle and loving with your body…

I invite you to use this list as a springboard for checking in with your body, and seeing what your body most desires.

Ways to send a love-note to your body:

Foot massages…gently touching in with your feet, sending them gratitude for carrying you. Even as you walk, allowing yourself to feel the massaging action of the deliberate movement of your feet in contact with the ground.

Intentional food choices… What does your body really want? Check in with intuitively chosen or practitioner-recommended foods, micro-nutrients or minerals you may be desiring. (I’ve been eating a lot of pumpkin seeds the last few days…and I’ve been drawn to magnesium-rich foods and supplements.)

Gentle touch of any part of your body…light squeezing, lymphatic massage (aka gentle brushing toward the heart), tapping or holding anywhere you feel intuitively drawn.

Grounding… breathing earth energy up through your body, opening more deeply than ever before to the support of the earth. Checking in with any grounding practices you have.

Gratitude…send gold light to each and every cell of your body, filled with your own love and gratitude. Speak gently to your body (hi beautiful body, what would you like today?)

Enjoyment of your breath…any intentional concentration on the gentle joy that comes from deep inhalation and exhalation.

Feeling the warmth of the sunshine on your skin, or through your sweater, as the case may be. I love wearing black when it’s chilly so I can still feel the sun warming me through my clothes.

Check in with whatever makes you feel lovingly connected with your body, in touch with your physicality, grateful for the support of your human form.

When you set this intention to send a love-note to your body…see what arises for you. ❤️

If you enjoy this practice and invitation, you may also like this guided meditation on self-love.