If I’m being honest, it’s rare that I sit down (or lay down) to meditate and am able to actually focus. I will usually dip in and out, thinking about the things I need to do or things that have already happened.
Staying grounded in the present is tough man, and when I’m in one of those scatterbrained states, I can basically forget about reaching anything comparable to zen.
So…when I find I’m not able to follow a guided meditation or follow my breath or whatever it may be, I automatically default to doing straight up “body work”, which could also be called “energy work” or “somatic experiencing”.
It basically just consists of “sinking down” into my physical container which then leads to me syncing (ha) with the natural resonance of my spiritual body…or “heart center” or whatever you want to call your natural, grounded state.
I see body work as being a backwards approach to traditional “mindfulness-based” meditation. Instead of clearing your mind to then relax your body, to then clear and balance your energy field, you are starting off with relaxing your body…clearing your field and then arriving at a clear and calm mind.
When I sink into my body, I will sometimes shake involuntarily. This is a common reaction to trauma releasing from the body.
Here’s a really good book to check out if you want in depth instructions on how to do body work exercises:
Ok…onto the techniques…
Techniques:
The great thing about this type of meditation is that you don’t need any music, recordings or fancy crystals. Just yourself and a comfy bed (you can use binaural beats as well, but it’s definitely not necessary!).
So once you’re lying in your bed, you can try any of the following techniques:
1. Imagine that your body is a suit of armour or a wet suit
This is the quickest way (for me) to sync my spiritual body with my physical one. I imagine that my skin is actually a suit that I am wearing and I feel every contour of it, almost like I’m trapped in a tight outfit or container. I hold this for as long as I can, usually dipping in and out when my mind wanders.
2. Feel the environment around you
While lying in your bed, acknowledge the barrier between you and the objects/environment around you. After doing this for a few minutes, your focus will automatically go inward to your “center“. You will also feel a sense of safety as you get cozy in your physical container ☺️
3. Use your hands and feet as anchor points
If you’re really having trouble sinking down. Sync your spiritual body to your physical hands and feet. These are easy points to keep going back to. You can even move your hands around to remind yourself to stay contained in them.
4. Picture yourself “jumping” into your container
Sometimes when my mind wanders I’ll picture my spirit body “jumping” back into my physical container and then I’ll hold it for as long as I can.
Some things that might happen while doing body work:
You might feel “frozen”
When I first “sink down” I will usually get this feeling of being frozen, like I’m in shock or at a loss for words. This is just a sign that your body is holding onto a traumatic memory and if you are able to stay grounded in your body through it, you will find that it will gradually release.
You might shake a bit
When you come up against these “blocks”, after staying synced up for a while, you may notice that your body is subtly shaking (similar to what you might experience in EMDR). Just stay with it, stay in your container and you’ll feel it release eventually.
You might feel like you’re on the verge of tears
When you have blocks to process, you might feel different emotions like anger, sadness, frustration. Sometimes I will feel like I’m on the verge of tears, but they never actually come. It’s a block being cleared, so just stay in the zone.
Random memories might flash in your mind
As I go through this body work process, I will sometimes see memories flashing in my mind which could relate to the memory or heavy emotion that is being processed and cleared by the body. It’s kinda cool actually!
When should you do body work:
Do this type of meditation literally anytime you are feeling stressed, scatterbrained or feel like you need to get grounded. Heck, do it all day if you want!
However, if you’re someone who is sensitive to energy, doing body work right before bed could give you some pretty psychedelic dreams! But if that doesn’t bother you, then go for it!
To get started on a daily meditation practice that you will actually stick to, check out my book: “Heart-Focused Meditation“.
I like to start with body work, and then after I feel calm, move into my heart-focused meditation. Connecting to your heart should be mastered by anyone on a spiritual journey. It anchors you in your authentic self and manifestation becomes faster and easier. You’ll see!
