Scripps Sunday- Alaska Edition #25

-

 This is another gem!!! 


This week’s Practice: A Litany for the Only Body You’ve Got

An inventory of parts that are challenging and beloved, all at once.

Remember that even the most traditional litanies make space for really challenging emotions. Your fill-in-the-blanks do not need to be all positive and sunshine-y. The point of litanies is to explore - through repetition and nuance - the many ways we are limited and the many opportunities we have to invite Love into those limits.

You can skip any part, change any language, or stop at any time.

1. Get settled

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.

If you’re with a child, you can fill out the printable together OR just sit facing one another and practice together.

2. Sink in

Inhale slowly through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this 2–3 times, letting your body begin to soften. (If you’re practicing with kids, you can have them imagine they’re smelling delicious brownies and then blowing to cool them off!)

3. Begin the litany

Starting at the top of the head, move down the body, naming qualities about each body part as you go. We suggest naming at least one beloved/unique/practical quality. If it’s helpful, use the script below.

As someone who often struggles with dissociation, I find it helps to wiggle or touch each part as I turn my attention to it.

For my hair, which is __________ and __________,
I give thanks.

For my mind, which moves __________ and __________,
I give thanks.

For my eyes, which are __________ and have seen __________,
I give thanks.

For my skin, which is __________ and _________,
I give thanks.

For my shoulders, which are _______ and carry __________,
I give thanks.

For my hands, which are __________ and help ____________,
I give thanks.

For my heart, which is __________ and ______________,
I give thanks.

For my belly, which is __________ and ____________, and does the quiet work of ________,
I give thanks.

For my legs, which are ___________ and _____________,
I give thanks.

For my energy, which is _________ and ___________,
I give thanks.

This is the only body I have. It carries ______, ________, _______ and a unique reflection of the divine. I honor the ways it has protected and communicated with me through _______ and _______.
I am not perfect, but I am good.
I belong, I am beloved and I am delightful.

4. Rest

Pause for a moment. Notice your body. Notice your breath.

If you’re with a kiddo, you might end with a big hug : one for yourselves and one for each other.
If you’re alone, you might place a hand on your heart or wrap your arms around yourself. This would be a great place to practice a Russian Nesting Doll visualization!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scripps Sunday #51

-
Image
I listened to Kelly Corrigan's podcast the first week of January (you can listen in here ) and she shared about an article she read about the power of awe. I typed out a few quotes for you from the podcast and then inserted the article that she was referring to from The New York Times.  "Being an 'awe-catcher' is pretty transformative... You can go from a really crap zone to something totally different with a walk where you are training your eye to be wowed by something.... There's something about considering the vastness that can take us into this kind of elevated state.  What Keltner is saying in The New York Times article is that awe is totally critical to wellbeing. It's as important as love. The health benefits are totally proven- calming down your nervous system and triggering the release of oxytocin which is the hormone that has been interpreted by us as love."  "It also has psychological benefits. Many of us have a critical voice in our head ...
Read more

Scripps Sunday #52

-
Image
  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… and he will be called Wonderful Counselor.” (Isaiah 9:6, emphasis added).   In 1965, a series of monumental films in the world of psychotherapy was released titled Three Approaches to Psychotherapy I, II, and III, later dubbed “The Gloria Films.” Directed and produced by noted psychologist and psychotherapist Everett L. Shostrom, the films consist of three therapeutic sessions, with three different therapists meeting with one woman known as Gloria. The films were made to lift the shroud of secrecy that had permeated professional psychotherapy.   Textbooks gave loads of information on theories and such, but there was a scarcity of literature on what therapists actually said to clients during sessions. These films let the viewer in on real sessions between a therapist and a client, and they’ve been a source of education and discussion since their release. Before his session with Gloria, acclaimed therapist Carl Rogers...
Read more

Scripps Sunday #137

-
Image
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQu1CzAwDmQ The music director at Union created a Lenten playlist, and this was one he put on the list. Here is what he said about it:  "We all tend to internalize the lies that are told to us (or by us) about ourselves; for any number of reasons, we listen to the most critical voices and block out the ones that remind us of our inherent worth. I love that this song reminds us not only to reject those lies, but to return the goodness we receive tenfold into the world." The Returner- Allison Russell  Now I let go Everything that I've known Let it go on, let it roll out With the tide I can't think of a thing That hasn't been shot through with pain Like a nightingale's Song in the dead of the night Goodbye, so long, farewell, all I've been Ooh, oblivion Throw me in the ocean Ooh, see if I can swim I'm wild again, I'm a starchild again I've come ten million miles, ooh, I'm burning I'm a summer dream, I...
Read more