Talking To My Body

I’m curious if anyone else here “talks” to their body as a form of mindfulness and/or meditation. I do this when doing things like sleeping, eating, working out, etc. When I’m falling asleep, I imagine the oxygen on its path through my respiratory system all the way down into each individual lung sac and alveoli. I “see” the oxygen coming in and being assimilated and the carbon dioxide coming out.

When I’m at the gym, my movements during a repetition are deliberate and focused. I “see” the oxygen rushing to each muscle fiber, the fiber’s elements performing their functions, contracting and relaxing. I “feel” their joy in being useful.

When I eat I picture the various elements in my digestive system (teeth, muscles, enzymes, bacteria, etc) breaking my food down into its useful components. I “watch” each molecule being delivered to the various parts of my body for use, knowing I’m providing nourishment and fuel.

Sometimes if I’ve felt illness coming on, I will sort of meditate and focus on the elements of my immune system, “watching” them seeking out the illness (cold virus, etc) and eliminating it.

As I’m doing these things I’m “talking” to my body, each muscle, organ, and even cell, telling them that we’re a kind of team. We all work together. I tell them I will give them what they want. I will help them be as useful as possible. I will help them feel the pleasure of being needed and purposeful.

I certainly don’t do this every single second of every activity, but I try to as much and as often as I can. I can say each activity I focus and “talk” to my body like this on gives me an incredibly deep sense of awareness, satisfaction, and pleasure. Sometimes I get the sense of my body thanking me for the attention and awareness of its needs.

Am I alone in this or do others do this to some varying degree? I’d be interested to hear.