Welcome.
This is a brief meditation to help you start your day and set an intention to put yourself first.
This can be done as soon as you wake in the morning.
You can still be lying in bed as long as you're not going to doze off or you can sit up in your bed and put your feet on the floor before you leave your bed.
What we want to do is just take a couple of deep breaths in,
Hold at the top,
Exhale longer than our inhale.
Deep breath in,
Hold at the top,
Exhale longer than our inhale.
One more time,
Deep breath in,
Hold at the top and release this breath into a full relaxed belly.
Just let your belly relax.
Now just breathe regularly and put both hands over your heart.
Just be aware of your heart beating.
Whether or not you can actually feel it beating,
Just be aware of your heart beating and your breath.
So with your hands on your heart,
I want you to repeat to yourself,
I am worthy.
I am worthy of care.
I am worthy of nourishment.
I am worthy of joy.
I am worthy of rest.
I am worthy of fun.
I am worthy and now repeat to yourself,
I am enough.
I am enough right here,
Right now with my heart beating.
My heart is enough.
My breath is enough.
I am enough.
Now maybe just take your hands off of your heart and relax for a minute.
And now just set an intention.
Set an intention that you will do something today that puts yourself first.
Doesn't have to be something grandiose.
Maybe it's saying no to something you feel obligated to do but don't have to do.
Maybe it's taking a nap.
I can't imagine what it is for you but I hope you can imagine something to do today to put yourself first.
And remember as we begin this practice,
It will not be free from feelings becoming activated,
Perhaps guilt,
Perhaps beating ourselves up.
But we'll just try to put that down.
Try to let it go.
And now I want you to put a timer in your phone for a couple of hours from now.
If you're doing this at the beginning of your day,
For me lunchtime is usually a good time to get a reminder to see have I done the intention?
Have I put it into practice?
And if I haven't,
There's no need to beat myself up.
There's no need to beat yourself up.
Simply pause,
Reset this intention or set a new intention.
Gentleness,
Gentleness,
Gentleness.
Be well.