A short meditation for feeling better.
By Jill Lawson
om mind
H
aving the flu, suffering from a nasty cough, and
nursing your body aches is not fun. Every once in
a while, we all get sick. Being ill not only squelches
our positive attitude, it throws our lives completely
off kilter.
While you might not feel like doing anything when you are ailing,
the following meditation can be helpful to expedite healing. But,
just as a cold medicine label might suggest, if you don’t feel better
after several days, please go see a doctor.Do it now
Begin by lying down, with tissues and tea on hand. Prop up your
head with two or more pillows, and make sure you are warm and
well hydrated.
Scan your aching body with your mind’s eye. Notice every
uncomfortable sensation you can feel. Do your joints hurt? Is your
chest heavy? Perhaps you have sinus pressure. Notice everything
you feel without having an emotional reaction to your feelings.
Next, bring your attention to the bones of your body. Imagine
your bones are filled with all the painful, metallic feelings of being
sick. Draw every ache and pain deeply into your bones. Let them
hold these sensations for several deep breaths. Do not deny how
you feel. Keep breathing.
Imagine the core of the Earth contains the strongest magnet
in the universe. Feel this magnet beginning to draw the contents
of your bones through the Earth’s crust, down through the mantle,
through the outer core, and finally deep into the Earth’s inner core.
Allow the Earth’s gravitational force to pull every ache and pain
completely out of your bones.
Now, while the Earth is continuing to draw impurities down and
out of your body, bring your attention to the sky. Imagine a stormy
sky, complete with thunderheads and low-hanging grey clouds,
much like the way your head might feel; congested and overcast.
With all of your might, float your awareness high above the clouds,
above your clogged sinuses, all the way up to a clear blue sky.
Imagine this clarity infiltrating your mind, body, and nasal cavity.
Finally, breathe in the image of a clear blue sky, and breathe
out the feeling of your bones giving up your bodily discomfort from
being sick. Finish your meditation with 10 more deep breaths in this
manner. If you happen to fall asleep, that might be exactly what
you need. Sleep is good medicine, and your meditation practice
can help bring you back to feeling your best.Jill Lawson is a writer and yoga teacher in Colorado, USA
(jilllawsonyoga.com)Healthy
intentions