Wholiness - Part 3. Wholiness and the self

Reflective Practice

Today’s invitation is into a palms down/palms up exercise. So firstly, take a moment to get comfortable, sit with your feet flat on the floor, your back straight, your hands resting on the tops of your thighs. Take a couple of deep breaths and then close your eyes. In this place of comfortable alertness, take some more deep steady breaths and pay attention to the rhythm of your chest rising and falling with each breath. Allow yourself to slow down for a moment. If your mind is racing – that’s okay, it’ll do that, but here you are, giving yourself some space to pay attention to what matters.

Palms Down

Now take your hands and turn your palms so that they’re facing downward. They may still be resting on your legs, or held in the air, or even down by your side. This physical posture of palms downward is a symbol of putting down, of letting go, of giving over to God that which you don’t need to hold on to. You may have some things on the top of your mind that you would like to give over – even just for these few minutes. In light of today’s reflections, you may also want this opportunity to consider letting go of:

- harsh judgements you have of yourself, the voice of the inner critic who tells you you’re not enough, that you’re an imposter, or that you simply need to suppress who you are in order to be “okay”

- criticisms or judgements other may have said that have stuck with you and play in a loop over and over in your head

- any pressure or anxiety you feel to have to ‘make it on your own’

Palms up

Now take your hands and turn your palms so that they’re facing upward. This physical posture of palms upward is a symbol of openness, or receptivity, of accepting that which you need from God. This place might be an invitation to ask:

- for divine presence

- to receive a felt sense of grace

- to be reminded of your place in the interconnectedness of things

- for the gift of being at ease in your own skin