Hello,
And welcome to this guided meditation that combines awareness of the breath with compassion for the self.
My name is Ariel.
In this practice,
We will use the breath as a tool to support the cultivation of self-love.
To begin,
Settle into a comfortable seated or reclined position,
Perhaps encouraging the spine to be nice and long,
Relaxing the shoulders,
And closing your eyes when you're ready.
Shift your focus to the surface beneath you,
The areas of support that you have,
Whether you're seated or lying down.
Sensing the energy of the space supporting you,
Notice the energy or presence of the surface holding you,
As well as the air that's surrounding you.
When you're ready,
Take a few big,
Deep,
Cleansing breaths in any way that feels comfortable and supportive to you.
Invite your thoughts to soften with each exhalation.
Continue to notice the natural flow of your breath for a few moments,
Allowing the breath to move at its own pace.
With each breath we take,
We have an opportunity to support the body.
So each breath can be seen as an act of love.
So I invite you to breathe with this awareness,
Letting each breath be an offering of love to your body,
To yourself.
As you inhale,
Feel a sense of love,
Compassion,
And kindness growing inside of you.
And let each exhalation help to soften your thinking mind in any tension you might be holding.
Each breath fills you with love,
Which awakens the energy of self-compassion.
As you continue to breathe,
You might want to repeat to yourself,
I love myself with each breath that I take.
I love myself with each breath that I take.
I love myself with each breath that I take.
Continuing to sense into the energy of compassion that fills you.
It fills you from the inside and from the outside.
We'll stay here for a little while longer.
And if you notice your mind wandering away,
Of course,
That's perfectly fine and very normal.
But as soon as you notice,
Return to the flow of your loving breath.
I love myself with each breath that I take.
I love myself with each breath that I take.
I love myself with each breath that I take.
Sense into this loving breath for a few final moments.
And when you're ready,
Release any words from your mind.
Allow your breath to rise and fall naturally.
And begin to sense into the surface that's supporting you.
Allowing your senses to open up to the space around you.
Reconnecting with your physical body,
Perhaps by wiggling the fingers and the toes.
And only when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes,
Letting loving breaths continue to support you throughout your day.
