Navigating Perfectionism (S4E1)
The body naturally wants to move towards balance. We don't really need to do anything about it. The mind however, often seeks perfection. This meditation will invite you to notice the way this mental tendency towards fixing and adjusting manifests in the body. The more we practice this, the more easily we can respond when we notice it happening in our day to day lives, slowly healing our perfectionist minds.
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Transcript
Settle into a posture that welcomes stillness, even if you might move every now and then.
Invite your body to relax by inviting a few full breaths or intentionally relaxing muscles that are carrying tension.
Notice if there's any sense of waiting for the next instruction, or rushing to complete something.
Allow for a sort of settling of the mind and heart.
Become aware of your body resting here in whatever posture you've chosen.
notice any agitation or activation that may arise.
If being in the body is not accessible for you right now, it doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. It's just not your means to the end right now. That's okay.
You can also pay attention to sound or notice where your attention is being drawn to.
If you are comfortable being with the body, you can continue with the following.
Depending on your posture, different parts of the body may be touching the ground. It could be the soles of your feet, the back of your body, your buttocks and legs.
Notice which parts of your body are supported and which parts are lifting away, like the arches of your feet, backs of the ankles, knees, neck, or lower back.
Notice if you're leaning or anchoring down more into the left or right side of the body.
Without trying to fix anything, notice which side naturally presses down more. Or if you're seated or standing, whether you're leaning forward or back.
Try, for these next few moments, not to indulge in the mind that wants perfection, that wants to fix and adjust.
Try noticing these tendencies arise in the body, and then allow yourself to sway gently left to right, forward and back, trying to find a balance point.
Tune into how you might find this balance or midway point for a brief moment. And allow the movement to continue if it helps you feel connected to this balance.
Notice how the body naturally wants to move toward balance on its own. We don't need to do anything about it.
Thank you for your practice. Until next time, take care of yourself because that's how we can best take care of others.
