Thank You Body Cleaning Ritual
In my gratitude journey, I’ve been trying to show self-love through gratitude. At the same time, I’m trying to improve my sleep hygiene and create a safe, relaxing space for myself at home. Usually I have a quick no-frills shower in the mornings to wake myself up, but I realized that the time could be better spent to show myself love and thanks.
This is to share with others and just journal about my new practice. I’ve done it twice thus far and I’ve already felt even cleaner, even more loved, and even move confident.
I start the practice while in the shower with a few deep breaths and my eyes closed. I give myself a moment of mettā/maitrī/loving-kindness where I imagine all of the happiness in the world flowing between myself and others in a universal exchange. I imagine scenes where people are laughing at funny jokes, people are adopting a new pet, people are watching a happy movie, people are getting married. I visualize all of their happiness flowing around the world and I am receiving it. I run my hands across my face and through my hair as if splashing it on me.
The majority of the practice is performed while I’m cleaning. While cleaning each body part, I thank it for all of its functions over a period of one or two minutes. Here’s a run through of what I say:
Arms
Thank you arms for letting me hug
Thank you arms for letting me carry heavy things
Thank you arms for connecting me to my hands
Hands
Thank you hands for letting me write
Thank you hands for letting me cook
Thank you knuckles for letting me grab things
Thank you wrist for letting me shake hands
Stomach and Chest
Thank you stomach/chest for hosting my lungs
Thank you lungs for letting me breathe
Thank you stomach for holding my organs
Thank you heart for pumping my blood
Legs
Thank you legs for letting me walk
Thank you legs for letting me dance
Thank you feet for keeping me balanced
Face
Thank you face for letting me express myself
Thank you eyes for letting me see different colors
Thank you ears for letting me hear all of nature
Thank you nose for letting me smell good food
Once I am all clean and rinsed, I thank my whole body while drying off. I thank it for working together. I thank it for being a safe space for me, even when I’m not home. I thank it for being mine. I thank it for being a place for creativity and expression. I thank it for being a place for improvement and self-growth.
I know this is a little bit longer, but it felt good to document this little ritual. Maybe someone else will see this and decide to give it a go. Thank you for reading this and letting me share this experience. If you decide to try it, thank you for exchanging this mettā/maitrī/loving-kindness with me and the rest of the world.