The intention of this meditation is to help you feel more love for yourself by opening your awareness to the nature of your being.
We can list characteristics of ourselves that we like,
Such as the achievements we've accumulated in life or the way that we are a good friend,
But we can equally list qualities of ourselves that we don't like,
Such as our weight or that thing we did that one time to that one person.
That we just can't seem to let go of.
This meditation is an invitation to tap into a source of love for ourselves that is deeper than that.
If you're struggling to love yourself,
Use this practice to affirm your being and all beings with compassion.
Choose a place to meditate that feels like a sanctuary.
It could even be outside.
Notice something in your space that represents an act of love for yourself.
Maybe it's the paint on the walls that you picked out.
It could even be a perfume or an essential oil that makes you feel at home.
If you're outdoors,
Let your gaze wander until you find something you love.
Take a moment to connect with this reminder of love.
As you settle into your sanctuary,
Find a comfortable position for your body.
You can sit in a cozy chair,
Lie down,
Or even be standing and moving gently as you let the words wash over you and melt away the walls you have built to protect yourself from love.
Be gentle with yourself throughout this meditation.
If you need to stop or change body positions,
You are welcome to follow your instincts.
You know what's best for you.
This practice is designed to support you.
Let what resonates with you to ripple through your being and what doesn't to float away.
I'll offer a few questions as paths of inquiry you can explore with loving curiosity.
As my voice goes quiet,
Give yourself permission to be swept away by the thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
And sensations that arise in the silence.
Give your inner voice the stage to express whatever it desires.
Treat yourself as you would a friend,
As a compassionate witness to your own truth.
What are the walls that you have built against love?
How are the walls you have built against love protecting you?
What would happen if you tore down the walls?
Who is hiding behind those walls?
Who are you deep down at your core?
In the recesses of your heart.
Ask yourself,
Who am I?
And listen.
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Draw your attention down into your heart and say the words,
I am.
I am.
I am.
I am strong.
I am tender.
I am a friend.
I am a child.
I am sad.
I am happy.
I am angry.
I am calm.
I am a dreamer.
I am wise.
I am doing.
I am being.
I am exploring.
I am nesting.
I am freedom.
I am stability.
I am motion.
I am rest.
I am giving.
I am receiving.
I am creative.
I am wonder.
I am awe.
I am love.
I am.
I am.
I am.
What is stopping you from being who you really are?
I am loved.
I am love.
I am.
Who am I?
In between the spaces of the question and the affirmation,
The who am I and the I am,
What do you hear?
Follow the vibration of the words into the vastness of infinite being.
How do you know who you are?
From where do you come and where do you go?
Who are you beyond?
What if I am was a celebration of your existence?
What if I am was a declaration of aliveness?
What if I am was a surrender into the mystery of being here now?
I am.
Wow.
Wow.
Notice if your awareness has spread out to the cosmos and invite it to seep back into your body,
The vessel you have to explore this existence.
Take your time on the return.
There is no rush,
Nowhere to be just yet.
As you return to the awareness of your body,
Reflect on the experience of who am I and I am.
There is no right answer to this question and the affirmation points to the ineffable soul.
When we feel like we don't love ourselves,
We are caught up in labels that bind a soul that is meant to be free.
This practice can support you on the journey to come home to yourself,
Whoever you are.
Notice how by shifting your perspective,
You can shift the way that you feel in your body.
Take note of the quality of your being in this moment.
Know that you can use the mantra,
I am,
To remember this feeling state at any point in your day.
We have been on a great journey just now.
Through the heart,
Into the beyond,
And back again.
Take a deep breath in and an audible sigh to release.
Do it two more times on your own if it feels good to you.
And now go forward in the world with gentleness and ease.
You are deserving of the compassion you give so effortlessly to the world.
You are the world.
Don't forget it.