I'm grateful today to have you join me for this meditation on giving yourself love and kindness.
Our relationships with others are an important aspect of love.
But the most essential type of love is often overlooked,
And that's loving ourselves.
So today we're going to just take the time to celebrate and love you fully.
It's about removing any negative self-talk and reminding yourself just how awesome you truly are.
Love is about taking time to care for you,
Recharging yourself when you need it.
And when we love ourselves more fully,
It doesn't only benefit us spiritually or emotionally,
But that love begins to spill over and to radiate out into the world and to others.
Taking the time to cultivate our self-love helps us to boost our own self-worth,
Teaches us to be kind to us,
And to give ourselves time just to relax and be present.
So if you will join me on this meditative practice of self-love.
We're going to begin first by finding a comfortable place to sit,
Somewhere where you won't be disturbed.
And how you sit is completely up to you.
Again,
We're being kind to ourselves,
So we're not pushing ourselves into positions or things that might be difficult for us,
Wherever you're comfortable.
If you're in a chair,
You might make your way to the back of the chair to support your lower back.
If it feels good to you,
Ground your feet on the floor.
Try to sit up straight,
If you can,
With your spine and your neck,
And a pull to the sky.
And gently pull your shoulder blades both back and down,
Raising your ribcage slightly.
You might notice that these small shifts create a true and physical openness of your heart,
And an openness consistent with the positive emotions that we're cultivating here.
Gently lower your gaze if your eyes are open to reduce any distractions.
And if you're comfortable,
This is a good time to close your eyes.
In this meditation,
You will hear my voice followed by periods of silence.
In the silence,
Continue to say the phrases of loving kindness silently to yourself.
We'll begin and end by bringing awareness to the sound of a chime.
Take a few deep breaths,
Bringing your awareness to your heart.
Realize each in-breath and how it affects your heart physically.
Breathe normally now,
Making no special effort to breathe in any particular way.
And continue to rest your awareness on your heart.
Think about how each in-breath nourishes you as your heart drinks in the preciousness of oxygen.
This passage of oxygen from the nearby air through your lungs and then into your beating heart and bloodstream is the most basic and consistent connection between you and the world around you.
This simple act of breathing knits together all that is within you and all that lies beyond your skin.
Each new breath creates a unity of life.
Can all of us share the nourishment that this atmosphere freely offers?
Check in now with how your body is feeling.
Do you have any aches or pains?
Are there any worries or areas of tension?
Are you excited about something and caught up in eager anticipation?
Whatever the feeling is,
There's no need to push it aside.
Pleasant or not,
Let that feeling in.
Accept it as part of what it means to be you at this moment.
Meet the feeling with curiosity and openness.
Note how it registers in your body and how those sensations change subtly from one moment to the next.
Whether your current experience is pleasant or unpleasant,
Just witness and accept it.
Whether events in your life are presenting you with good or bad feelings and emotion these days,
Just witness and accept those events.
See them as part of the inevitable ups and downs that we all experience.
We are not able to control this portion,
So we witness and accept.
Just as surely as all people face good and bad fortune,
Good and bad things happen to us all.
All people all over the world yearn to feel good,
Safe,
Peaceful,
And healthy.
Alongside your awareness of suffering and the sameness of all people,
You can choose to wish yourself well.
You can choose to accept this kindness as much as anyone.
Begin by lightly calling to mind your own good qualities.
What's good about you?
What these qualities remind you of what's good in you?
What touches your heart about you?
Now gently offer the classic wishes of loving kindness to yourself.
Using phrases that best speak to your heart.
May I feel safe and protected.
May I feel happy and peaceful.
May I feel healthy and strong.
May I live with ease.
If you can,
Look at yourself as someone who loves you would look at you.
It might help to first imagine the warmth and tenderness that you feel towards a baby or a kitten or puppy as innocent as these small creatures can be.
And recognize how your face softens and your heart expands in their presence.
Now imagine directing these same feelings of warmth and tenderness to you.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
Between each phrase just pause for a moment and drop your awareness down to your body into your heart.
And accept whatever sensations arise there.
Try to understand that this practice is more than just repeating the phrases.
But the phrases are opening a door for a chance for you to condition your heart to be more open,
More accepting,
And more kind.
Becoming aware of your heart region allow you to witness the conditioning as it unfolds.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
At times you'll find that your attention will stray from these phrases.
And this may happen a lot,
Don't worry,
It's normal.
Simply begin again by gently bringing your awareness back to the phrases.
May I be safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I feel safe.
Each new moment of beginning again presents another chance to experience with a spirit of loving kindness.
Can you acknowledge your lapse while at the same time gently returning to the phrases?
What would it take to set aside all harshness and begin again with a kind and loving attitude towards yourself?
And as you hear the sound of the chime,
You'll be followed with some silence where you'll have a chance to continue these thoughts on your own.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
As you end this practice,
Know that it's completely natural for you to treat yourself with kindness.
And if you forget to do it often,
You can generate this tender and loving attitude towards yourself at any point in time.
Just by reminding yourself that this dance exists and how at ease it makes you feel.
Difficulties and obstacles will still arise.
Suffering happens.
But you don't need to add to that suffering by treating yourself harshly.
You can instead offer the wishes of loving kindness to yourself.
If you will,
Take a deep inhale and exhale.
And then you can start to gently move your fingers and toes.
Maybe sway your body from side to side.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you for joining me today on this loving kindness practice.
Be blessed.
