The feeling of love has always been a really present energy in my life as an adult and I found that there's a deep interconnection between love in your heart and genuine inner joy.
And actually these are two aspects of your true nature that are always present as a deep and true part of you.
Sometimes they are just obscured or covered over and not accessible to us but they are there.
But of course life is challenging too and so there are times we might feel a lack of love and joy.
This is a natural part of life.
We don't need to always be bright and loving and positive.
It's okay to feel down and honor those times we might feel like that.
In this meditation we'll spend some time deepening into our inner world and touching into the inherent love that's there in your heart.
And allow it to expand and soothe and comfort you as you drift off to sleep.
In the practice I will give you some guidance and then leave a space of silence.
This is for you to rest,
Deepen into your own experience and notice what is happening for you.
Don't worry I haven't left you.
Enjoy this time and let yourself be really present in the space of your body.
So as we begin take a little time to get yourself really comfortable in your bed.
Sort out your pillows and blankets.
Lie down.
Gently close your eyes and gradually start drawing your attention away from the outside world.
Away from all those things out there that you may be thinking of.
Bringing your awareness gradually in to the room that you're in right now.
Coming into your body and into the present moment.
Drawing your awareness deeper into your body.
Take it down to your belly and notice the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.
Letting your awareness really rest on all the feelings and sensations of the belly rising and falling as you breathe.
If you drift away that's okay.
Just gently let go of whatever seems to be pulling your awareness away and gently bring it back to your belly again.
Notice how each time you breathe out your body relaxes.
Let your body follow that feeling it sink deeper and deeper into your bed each time.
Let your awareness move down to the bed below you.
Notice the sensations of where your body meets the mattress.
The feelings and sensations of the bed gently but steadily pushing up against you.
Notice how it seems to hold you and support you allowing you to fully relax and see if you can really let your whole body deeply relax into that ground,
Into the bed as you breathe.
Start to notice the feelings and sensations of your body.
Maybe you notice the sensations on the outside of your body.
The sheets against your skin.
The temperature of the air.
Going deeper into your body can you notice the feelings and sensations of your limbs,
Your arms and legs.
Maybe you can feel the heaviness of them resting into the bed.
Maybe you notice the aliveness within them or the feeling of how relaxed the muscles are.
And you feel the weight of your head resting down into the pillow held and supported.
Letting your neck muscles and face muscles let go and be soft and relaxed.
What do you notice in your torso?
The feelings and sensations of the belly,
Lungs and ribs rising and falling as you breathe.
The sensation and feelings of your spine and hips gently rocking as you breathe.
Taking comfort in the safe space of your body as much as you can.
Drawing gently in to your heart center.
Take a moment to notice what you feel there.
Maybe you feel the beat of your heart.
Maybe there's a feeling of love there.
Equally maybe there's a feeling of fear or tension there.
Whatever you notice,
See if you can let it be like that,
Honoring whatever may be there and have soften around it and see if you can let your heart be soft and open.
Deep in your heart is genuine love.
The world around us might cause our hearts to tense or armor up,
But if we can allow ourselves to be present with our hearts in the safety of the body,
Holding ourselves with compassion,
Let our hearts gradually become soft and open.
The innate inner love that's there begins to shine.
If you want to,
You can put a hand on your heart area and leave it there.
Feel its comfort and safety.
Let the warmth of your hand touch your heart.
Know that you are valuable.
Know that you are significant.
And know that you are loved.
If you feel any love in your heart,
Let it expand out into your body and into the world.
If it helps,
You could think of something you really love,
Whether that's a human being,
A pet or whatever it may be.
And as you think of that thing,
Feel into your heart how that feels.
And then let that expand out,
Filling your whole body with feelings of love and expanding it out into the world.
Let yourself really bathe in these waves of love.
Let them bring you comfort and enjoyment.
I will leave you now to enjoy bathing in these feelings and drift off to sleep whenever you want with a heart full of love.
