This is an exercise of body scan, acceptance, and allowing your body to be the way it is. You can do this in the evening, but not just before you go to bed. This mindfulness exercise will help you train your mind to love and accept your body.
Sit back comfortably in your chair or lie down if preferred. Now, take a few deep breaths to get into the present moment. Gently bring your focus to your toes and feet. Can you feel any sensations? Does it feel relaxed or tense? If it is tense, consider why and what you are resisting. Allow by letting go. Can you say something positive and accepting of your toes and feet? Imagine that you are sending it love and acceptance. Now, move your focus onto the legs. Feel the sensations here and say a kind word about your legs. Be grateful for its function and say one positive word about the legs. Accept your legs as and how they are.
Move your focus to the hips and the pelvic area. Can you be more accepting and connected to the part of your body? Say some words of acceptance in your mind. Keep letting go of any resistance you feel in your mind. Let “acceptance” be your mantra.
The next area to bring your focus is your abdomen and then the chest. Can you feel any sensations here? Can you trace this to any emotion? Can you consider how this emotion feels? Can you connect it to an event or a person? Is it heavy? Does it have a colour? Can you process this emotion by gently breathing it out of your body?
You can slightly move your fingers and bring awareness to your fingers. Feel the weight of your fingers, arms and forearms on your lap as you move them. Feel the heaviness and say a few words of kindness towards these parts of your body. Focus on your face and all its muscles. Try to relax your face and head.Now, with this awareness and acceptance, open your eyes, take your pen and paper and write down five statements of “I am…” e.g., “I am sad, I am annoyed, I am tired, I am feeling hot”, “I am frustrated because I cannot sleep”, “I am going to lose my health because I can’t sleep”. Now change the beginning of the sentences to “ I think… ( include your thoughts and try to distance it from yourself. This is a technique known as DEFUSION – “ I think I am tired”. “I have a thought that I am tired”. This is different to “I am tired”, which automatically includes the acceptance of your negative thoughts.
“ My body is… (say and write something positive and accepting about your body)
“ The place is…(write a positive word about the place)
“ I feel…(write how you feel right now, accept it, validate it and acknowledge that you can change your feelings).
Now reflect on the above exercise:
- Do you feel more aware and connected to your body and mind?
- Do you feel kinder and more accepting towards yourself?
- Do you know what you think and feel is different from your identity?
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