This is ME!
This Week’s SOPHIC SOUL CHALLENGE: This is ME!
ARE YOU WILLING TO LOOK DEEPLY AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOURSELF, AND FOREVER RELEASE THE IMPULSIVE NEED TO OVERLY CRITICISE YOUR DIVINE BEING, thus allowing for greater flow, joy, and divine inspiration? Then, this four-part challenge is for you!
We are always our own worst critics… but for the next few weeks, we WON’T be! Over the next few weeks, my challenge to you is this: to make a deal with yourself to get rid of that critical internal voice that makes you feel less than … once and for all, and accept and learn to love all of you, the good, bad, and beautiful! I know this may sound simple on the surface, but I promise you, it is not – as humans, we are constantly pressured to compare ourselves, second-guess ourselves, and be plagued by doubt and shame, pain and suffering that affects all parts of our being, and can keep us from living fully in our divine light. It is past time to let all that go so you’ll see how every single part of you makes you… well, perfectly imperfect YOU!
Humans are wonderful and complex beings. But to understand the many parts of our humanness, the ancients created a map or model which is the heart of yoga and other Vedic traditions. They believed that each person’s soul is housed in a casing, not so different than a set of Russian Dolls. They identified five layers of human beings at the center of which is our divine and infinite soul, or Atman. They call these layers “Koshas,” which means “sheaths” in Sanskrit: The five bodies are:
1. Physical Self, or Food Body. In Sanskrit, called “AnnaMaya” Kosha.
2. Energetic Self, Breath or Vital Body, called “Pranamaya” Kosha.
3. Mind and Emotional Body, called “Manomaya” Kosha.
4. Intuitive or Wisdom Body, called “Vijnanamaya” Kosha.
5. Divine Connection, or Bliss Body, called “Anandamaya” Kosha.
Using the Koshas as our touring map, I challenge you to embark on this deep journey of making peace with YOU – Every single aspect of YOU!
The Challenge: This is ME!
Preparation: Find and stand in front of a large mirror, preferably one where you might be able to see most of your entire physical body, if not all of it. As you prepare for this challenge, stand a moment, and take a long, good look at yourself in that mirror.
Take three cleansing breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth: counting to four on the inhale, and five on the exhale.
Step 1: Say Aloud, “THIS IS ME. Today and every day this week, I will pick a part of my physical body to observe, forgive, and ultimately fall in love with.”
As you speak these words aloud, never take your eyes off the image in the mirror. Stay there and observe yourself fully. Try to do this without judgment at this time. Just look at your image.
Step 2: Scan your entire body in big sections, moving from the feet to the top of the head and face, using the method below.
Begin with your feet. Look down at your feet, each one, and gaze at them in the mirror, or directly. Begin to see how wonderful they are to have helped you move forward in life. Pause to observe and feel how your feet are feeling at this moment. Are they sore or aching, or strong and steady? Take time to feel what each foot is feeling. And how are you feeling about each foot?
Now, move from your feet to each leg. Take time to scan inch by inch upward along each leg, looking at them, scanning them, and now feeling how each leg is feeling. Appreciating both legs, while noticing as many nuances as you can for each of them. They are both your legs, but they may differ in their shape, size, skin tone, imperfections, and perfections. How is your right leg feeling? Your left leg? How do you feel about each leg?
Focus now on your torso. The entire torso from the hip joints and pelvis, through the front body of the reproductive organ section, lower bowel and intestines, kidneys and liver, upper stomach area, lower, middle and upper lungs, central heart area, both front and back body, surface breast and underarm area, and finally the right and then left shoulder areas. As you observe your entire torso, notice how your body is feeling in each of the areas you scan. Take your time when doing this, allowing a real EMBODIMENT of your attention to the details of your physical body, and how each area feels. Is there pain, stiffness, or tension? Is there weakness and strength? Use the mirror to move to each part slowly and methodically, and without judgment: assess and feel the area deeply.
Move to your right arm, follow the scan procedure from the entire upper arm, through the elbow to the forearm (top, bottom, and sides), wrist (top and bottom), to your hands. Take extra time to examine your hands, either in the mirror or by looking directly at them. Examine the top of the hands in great detail. Notice every little thing and allow your eyes to methodically move from the attachment through each knuckle to the tips of each finger. Feel how your hand is feeling, every little detail, and now ask yourself how you feel about your hand. Turn your hand over and examine the palm and the underside of each of the fingers from the palm side to the fingertip. Spend time thinking about how you use this hand. Is it your dominant hand? What does this hand allow you to do in life? When you feel you have a good appreciation for this right arm, hand and fingers, move to your left and repeat.
Finally, move to your neck and head. Starting at the base of your neck, look deeply at the front of your neck and throat. Notice anything that calls your attention, and spend time feeling into this area of the breath and voice. How does it look to you? How does it feel to you, on the surface? Now, moving more into the inner workings of the throat and voice, what do your neck and throat want you to know? How do you feel about your neck and throat?
Moving to your jawline, ears and head structure, take a long look at your head in general – avoiding looking at the face, but rather concentrating on the cranium, ears, and jaw. How do these parts feel and look? How do you feel and look at them? Using your imagination, pretend you have x-ray eyes and can see inside your head into your brain. Spend a moment there and see how you feel inside your head and brain.
Finally, move to your face. Starting at the mouth, examine your mouth. Look at your lips and the area around your lips. What do you notice? Now, feel inside your mouth, experiencing your tongue and teeth. Swallow a few times and notice that motion and feeling. Travel upward to your nose. Look at your nose, straight on, and then from the side. Examine your nose. How does it look? How is it working – is it stuffy or clear? Is your nose large or small? Do you have a relationship with your nose in terms of how you feel about your looks? Without judgment, feel everything you need to about your nose.
Now, move closer to the mirror and look deeply into your eyes. Both of them at first, and then change your gaze so you can concentrate on each eye individually. Now, come back to examine your eyes and notice everything you can about them. Are they the same size and shape, or are they different? Is the color in each the same or slightly different? Examine your eyes and see how they feel. Taking the right hand, hold your right hand over the right side of your face – only exposing the left eye, left side of the nose, and left half of your lips. Gaze inquisitively at just the left side of your face, notice what this side of your face feels like, and looks like. Is it a happy neutral side, or does your left face give off a different vibe? Notice what it is. And then repeat, by covering the left side of your face, and only exposing the right side. Examine deeply your right side. Alternating, what do you observe about each half of your face? Does each half look the same as the other, or different? How do you feel about the left half? How about the right half? How about the whole of your beautiful face?
When you complete your scan and this part of the exercise, find a quiet space with your journal.
Step 3: Record the results of your full body scan in your journal, taking time to explore your findings and feelings about each part.
Write about your experience of being fully EMBODIED, and aware of all of your physical being. Without allowing yourself to criticize your Annamaya Kosha – or food or physical body, record today’s findings about which parts of your body you are feeling gratitude towards in particular at this time.
Step 4: Repeat this full body scan all seven days this week and see how your attitude changes about your divine human vessel that allows you to operate on this earth plane. And, even more exciting, notice how your body responds favorably to your renewed interest and gratitude!
If you are enjoying my weekly soul challenge, and want more, DM me about a 12-week Sophic Soul Solution one-on-one soul sojourn intensive!
Until Next Time,
Live Well, Love Well, Lightwell the World
