Hello,
Welcome to this meditation led by Claudia Silas,
A mindful movement and meditation teacher.
Welcome to today's meditation practice which is going to help you cultivate love towards parts of yourself and your body that you may dislike.
Firstly I want you to find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down and when you're ready gently close your eyes if that feels comfortable for you.
Take a few slow and deep breaths,
Feeling your body relaxing with every exhale.
Notice your breath and body slowing down as you begin to shift your awareness inwards.
Start to become aware of the physical sensations present in your body,
Beginning down at the feet noticing the sensations there.
Slowly traveling up the legs,
Becoming aware of what they feel like.
Traveling into the hips,
Pelvis and abdomen,
Becoming aware of movement here.
Traveling up into the torso and noticing the vitality and sensation of breath.
Traveling down into your arms and hands,
Becoming aware of any tingling or sensations here.
Finally bringing your awareness up into your neck,
Head and face,
Noticing what you can feel here too.
Now that you have built a deeper connection to your body through your awareness,
Start to bring your attention to a particular part of yourself or your body that you may have difficulty accepting or loving.
It could be a physical feature,
Personality trait or an aspect of your past or present self.
Without judgment,
Simply observe this part of yourself.
You may want to bring a hand or both hands to the area of your body that you're struggling with,
Even if it is a personality trait or aspect of yourself that you struggle with.
Perhaps you could bring your hands to your head for overthinking,
Your throat for lack of confidence or any other part of your body that is associated with this dislike or disconnect.
Feel the warmth and support from your hands in this area.
And as you bring this particular part of yourself more into your awareness,
Notice any emotions that arise.
It's okay to feel discomfort or resistance.
As best you can,
Acknowledge these feelings without judgment and remind yourself that it's normal to have aspects of yourself that you struggle to fully love or accept.
Now shift your perspective to one of compassion and understanding.
Consider the reasons why you may have developed dislike or discomfort towards this part of yourself.
Were there external influences,
Societal standards or past experiences that have shaped your perception of this aspect of yourself?
And see now if you could begin to shift the energy around this area to one of kindness and empathy.
Recognize the positive aspect of this part of yourself.
Are there any hidden strengths or qualities that you could appreciate?
You may notice a strong resistance to kindness coming up for this part of yourself.
That's okay.
Remain with an intention to be kind and empathetic as well as to recognize the beneficial quality of this particular part of yourself.
Now visualize this part of yourself surrounded by a warm loving light.
If you do have your hands connected to this area,
You could even imagine this energy being transferred through the hands into that space.
Feel the warmth and love surrounding it.
And gradually this light begins to expand throughout your whole body enveloping you with unconditional love and acceptance.
And sit now with this loving energy for a few moments,
Allowing it to penetrate and heal any wounds or discomfort associated with this part of yourself.
When you're ready,
Taking a stronger and deeper breath in,
Feeling that big breath in energizing you.
And then as you exhale,
Release any lasting tension or resistance from your body.
Take a couple more big breaths like this.
Carry this energy of compassion,
Understanding and self-love with you throughout your day today.
Remember that self-acceptance and love is a process that takes time and effort and it's okay to have moments of difficulty.
Treat yourself with kindness and love just as you would to a dear friend.
You are worthy of unconditional love and acceptance,
Including all parts of yourself.
When you're ready,
You could slowly open your eyes but feel free to stay here for as long as your day allows.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
