Welcome to your 15-minute World Kindness Day meditation.
I'm your facilitator,
Tara LaValle.
Just begin by finding a comfortable spot.
Limiting any distraction or noise as much as you can.
You can do this meditation seated or lying down.
You can also do this meditation while walking outside,
Or maybe even just listening while you're in the car.
Although I will say if you're outside or in the car,
Please do not close your eyes when I invite you to close them.
Today is November 13th,
And it is World Kindness Day.
But in reality,
You can do this meditation anytime and as often as you like.
In order to have that ripple effect out towards others,
I really feel that we need to be more kind to ourselves.
Sometimes we can be our harshest critics.
And so when you're ready,
Let's begin.
Finding that comfortable position.
Take a moment to adjust or move in any way so that you are completely comfortable.
Feel the earth underneath you.
Support and hold you.
Soften or close the eyes if that feels comfortable.
And begin to bring that awareness inward.
And this can start out really slow.
So if it doesn't feel comfortable turning that soft gaze in,
Just begin by noticing your physical body.
You might notice where you are in space.
The temperature of your skin.
Maybe just what you're lying or seated on.
And begin to notice your breath and how the breath is showing up for you.
There's no right or wrong.
And just observing the natural inhalation and the natural exhalation.
Does the breath feel full and steady?
Can you feel it into the body?
Maybe in the chest,
The ribs,
The belly.
Maybe the breath feels a little bit more staggered,
A little short,
Faster.
Maybe you don't notice it really anywhere in the body.
Know that what and how you feel is valid and okay.
Let the breath be as it is.
Let go of any thoughts that you need to be doing this a certain way or that you're doing it wrong.
Rather,
Trust that intuitiveness that is within you.
Feel into that presence of this moment.
Venture into that space where you're just observing.
Sitting back,
If you will.
Noticing how the body and the mind and the heart all work together.
You might not always work in harmony with one another.
Meditation is a way to begin to connect all those pieces in your life.
All those pieces within you.
It's a journey and a practice like anything else.
If you find that it's hard to sit or lie still for a length of time,
Or it's hard to have your mind be focused,
That's okay.
Know that any effort,
How small,
How little,
How subtle,
Any effort is better than none at all.
I'll invite you now to begin to imagine that you're in a luscious garden.
As you look around,
You take in all of the colors,
The greens,
The marigolds,
The blues.
In this garden,
The temperature is just right for you.
You're neither too hot nor too cold.
As you take in these surroundings,
Feel your feet.
Feel the soil underneath you.
Steady,
Grounded,
Nourishing.
Take your time to walk around this garden,
Inviting the sights,
The fragrance.
This space,
This garden within your mind is welcoming.
Embracing and holding you right where you are without the need or desire to fix or change anything.
Open up to that sense of welcome.
That sense of belonging.
You might notice in this garden of yours that there's areas that may feel a little overgrown,
Maybe need a little bit more care,
Attention,
Or watering.
You know that you don't need to rush this process of care,
Attention,
And watering.
Rather,
See how it might feel to just let it be for a moment.
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to change.
You don't even need to have it all figured out.
As you walk around this garden,
Feeling at home with yourself,
Experiencing that felt sense of kindness and gentleness.
Let yourself bask and glow in this garden,
Petal by petal.
And then knowing that you do so in your own time.
There is no need to rush.
No need to rush.
Take as much time here as feels comforting and nourishing.
You can stay in this garden you've created.
That sense of belongingness,
Sense of kindness.
When you're ready to leave this garden,
Know that you can always come back.
It is always there for you.
It reflects back that love and kindness that you are cultivating within yourself.
When you're ready to come back,
First feel your feet.
Feel the legs,
Your seat,
Your arms,
Back.
Come back to the breath and just notice its own unique rhythm.
Notice any imprint.
Notice any trace this practice has had on your mind.
And if the eyes were softened or closed,
Begin to flutter them open gently.
Take in all the sights,
Sounds around you.
Soak in all of the colors,
Texture,
And patterns in your surroundings.
When you're ready,
Coming back now to this moment.
Again,
Knowing that place within you,
That gentle kindness,
That loving embrace.
It's there.
It's always there.
Like the vast spaciousness of the sky.
It sits back in the background.
Always ready with open arms.
Take your time in coming back.
There is no rush.
Once you're here,
If it's comfortable,
Place one or both hands on your body.
Maybe right at the heart.
Either way,
Give yourself lots of love and gratitude.
Lots of love and gratitude.
Lots of love and gratitude.
This has been your 15-minute World Kindness Day meditation.
Feel free to come back to it often.
Thank you so much for your practice and your presence.
My name is Tara LaValle,
And until next time.
