Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today,
I'd like to talk a little bit about taking time to love yourself,
Taking time to be kind to yourself.
I've found in my life that many people who are terribly kind to others are seldom kind to themselves.
They do things for partners and children and parents and teachers and neighbors,
But yet they don't think about taking time to be kind to themselves.
In my last couple of lessons,
I've talked about taking time to let go and also about finding peace and joy in the present moment.
I've found that both of those things can be accomplished when we take time to care for ourselves,
Taking time to be kind to ourselves.
I've been guilty of this in my own life,
Taking time for everyone else,
But not taking time for myself.
I realize my mistake and I've tried to rectify it.
You have to take time to love yourself.
Really,
At its most basic,
Love is just acceptance.
Accepting someone else,
Be it a person or an animal,
For exactly what they are.
Love is taking someone else at face value,
Accepting all of their good points,
But accepting all of their thorns as well.
Love is at its best when it's given freely,
And as you give love to a partner,
A child,
Or a beloved pet,
Your life can be better if you just take the time to love yourself.
You have to accept yourself just as you are.
How can we do that?
There are lots of ways to show love to yourself.
Treat yourself to something you've been wanting.
Maybe it's a candy bar or some new shoes.
You're in the best position to decide what would be a good treat.
You could also take time to care for yourself.
Give your body the nourishment and care it needs so you can function at your best.
You can show yourself love by doing something you like to do,
Without judgment,
And without worrying about the time it takes to do it.
Maybe most importantly of all is to accept yourself for who and what you are.
Don't dwell on any failures from the past.
The past is just that,
Past.
We have to look at ourselves honestly and with kindness,
And in this moment,
Not based on the past.
It's been said that how you love and care for yourself is how you teach others to love and care for you.
In order to really love and take care of others,
We first have to love and care for ourselves.
And loving yourself doesn't mean going out and buying yourself something expensive each time.
It's taking the time to care for yourself,
To listen to what your heart tells you that you need.
A day off,
A massage,
A camping trip,
A hike,
Whatever it might be that will lift you up.
The famed teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said,
Breathing in,
Be aware of your body.
Breathing out,
Release all tension in your body.
This is an act of love directed toward your body.
Wise words.
All of our thoughts are really energy,
Energy that we expend.
And our thoughts,
Just like our words,
Have power,
Power to change us and others.
So make your thoughts count and let them be thoughts of self-love.
Close your eyes now and let's go in search of this moment together.
Just relax.
There's no pressure in this moment.
No place to go.
No place we have to be.
Nothing we have to do.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Standing or lying down.
Relax your face,
Unclench your jaw and relax your neck and shoulders.
Sometimes I like to shake out my arms and hands and then just let them fall comfortably.
Let your shoulders drop.
You can let your whole body sag.
Ease any tension in your chest or belly.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's start to focus on our breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
One breath at a time.
Our breath is our anchor.
It's always there for us in all moments and focusing on it can help us capture this present moment.
As you focus on your breath,
Let's track its movement in your body.
Feel it as it comes in through your nose,
The air moving into you.
Notice the movement in your chest and in your belly as the air flows in.
And then as you exhale,
Notice the flow of air as it goes out.
Just continue to breathe and follow each and every breath.
And as we continue this practice,
If it's agreeable to you,
Place one hand over your heart to form a connection as you gently breathe.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Take this moment in time to offer love to yourself and do it with no judgment.
Breathe in and as you do,
Breathe in love for yourself.
And as you breathe out,
Let go of any tension or any judgments.
Once more,
Breathing in,
Building this loving feeling.
And as you breathe out,
Just let it all go.
As we sink deeper into this stillness,
Let's set an intention of acceptance.
Accept who and what you are.
Accept the path that your life is on.
Accept that your path is a positive one.
You have to acknowledge all of your strength and also acknowledge who you view as your faults.
We all have them,
Real or imagined.
Some things that we view as faults are put on us by others,
By parents or siblings,
By teachers or friends,
And we need to let those judgments go as well.
What each one of us needs to know is that we are enough.
We always have been.
We are often hardest on ourselves,
But that doesn't serve us.
If you like,
Whisper to yourself,
I am enough.
I am enough.
I am enough.
You have always been and always will be enough.
Loving yourself is the beginning of the path that leads to understanding and truly knowing yourself.
And anything that doesn't serve you,
Just let it go.
Just continue to follow your breath,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
I have to admit that the concept of self-love was hard for me in the beginning.
It's not easy,
At least it wasn't for me,
To believe that I was enough.
And I know that often it's hard to let go,
Especially of the judgments of others.
So if you're struggling a bit right now,
That's okay.
It takes time to become accepting of yourself.
But you have to know that you are enough.
You always have been.
I'm still a work in progress,
Just as you are.
Be grateful for all that you are.
Take this moment in time to be kind to yourself.
Your self will help you be the best self you can be.
Let go of anything that doesn't serve you.
Let go of old beliefs,
Old judgments about yourself.
Let go of all of it and say it again,
I am enough.
I am enough.
Now,
As we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.
Take in a deep breath through your nose and let it out through your mouth,
Letting out a sigh.
You're ready to move back into your day,
A little calmer and a little more joyful than before.
The concept of self-love can be hard,
But I know you can do it one breath at a time.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.
Till next time.
