Welcome to be kind to yourself.
Just take a moment to settle into your comfy space,
Warm and cozy.
Allow your body to be supported.
Of shoulders to soften.
And allow your hands to rest easily.
Gently and slowly close your eyes.
Take a slow,
Gentle breath in.
And a soft breath out.
Releasing any stress or tension.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Allow yourself to arrive fully in this moment.
There is nowhere else you need to be.
You are here to rest.
To breathe.
And most importantly.
To offer yourself a little kindness.
Because life can be so demanding.
There are responsibilities to carry.
Challenges to navigate.
Expectations to meet.
We sometimes hold ourselves to impossible standards.
Yet every one of us.
Is doing the best we can.
With the understanding.
The energy.
And resources available to us in each moment.
So,
We step into kindness.
And as the meditation teacher Jack Kornfield once said,
If your compassion does not include yourself.
It is incomplete.
So just take a moment to reflect on those words.
And allow them to settle gently within you.
Bring your awareness back to your breath.
And again.
And out.
Notice the natural rhythm.
The steady flow of breath.
It's life.
Breathing through you.
So let's practice a kindness breath now.
It's a simple way of offering yourself the care you may so freely offer others.
As you breathe in,
Silently say to yourself.
Receiving kindness.
Does you breathe out silently say offering kindness.
Breathe in.
Receiving kindness.
And breathe out,
Offering kindness.
How in your own time continue.
Allow the words to flow naturally with your breath.
No effort needed,
Simply kindness moving in as you breathe in.
And kindness moving us.
As you exhale.
Now with every inhale.
You notice a gentle golden warmth enters your heart.
It's a warmth that is filled with compassion.
Patience,
Understanding.
And with every exhale that warmth is spreading throughout your body.
Just notice it like sunlight slowly reaching every corner of a garden.
It's breathing kindness into your shoulders.
Your shoulders that have carried so much.
It is breathing kindness into your mind.
Your mind that has worked so hard for you.
Breathing kindness into your beautiful heart.
A heart that continues to care.
Even when life feels difficult.
So take a few moments here.
Receive kindness.
Of a kindness.
Now you see yourself standing at the entrance to a beautiful garden.
Early morning sun is casting a golden glow across the landscape.
The air here is so calm,
It's fresh and peaceful.
A gentle path stretches before you now.
It's inviting you forward.
You begin to walk slowly along the path.
And with every step you feel yourself becoming more relaxed.
More present in this moment.
And more at E!
This garden is so beautiful.
Wildflowers are blooming in every direction.
Butterflies are drifting lazily through the air.
And the birdsong it echoes softly nearby.
Everything here is unhurried.
It's gentle.
And so kind.
As you continue walking.
You begin noticing small wooden signs placed throughout the garden.
And the first sign reads patience.
You pause for a moment.
Reflecting how often you offer patience to others.
And you wonder what it might feel like to offer that same patience to yourself.
And as you continue walking,
Another sign appears.
Its understanding.
Again,
You pause here.
And you just consider how much easier it is to understand the struggles of others rather than your own.
So choose understanding for you.
And as you continue onward.
Other signs appear of acceptance.
Compassion.
And forgiveness.
Each sign is offering you a gentle invitation.
Simply offering you the chance to relish in those qualities that are already available within you.
And how the path eventually leads you towards a magnificent flowering tree.
Its branches are stretching wide and are so welcoming.
Its blossoms start softly in the breeze.
And beneath this tree sits a beautiful stone bench.
And as you approach you notice someone sitting there.
You move closer.
And you realize this person is you.
It's a version of youth.
That has been carrying everything that you have been carrying.
The responsibilities,
The worries,
The hopes.
The effort.
The courage it has sometimes taken you to simply keep going.
So you sit quietly beside yourself.
No need for conversation.
No need for solutions.
Just sitting together.
Present.
Gentle.
Time.
And now you take a moment to really see yourself.
The strength that has brought you this far.
The resilience that continues to carry you forward.
The goodness within you.
Parts of yourself that you may have felt overlooked.
And parts that are simply needing your kindness.
Now just place a gentle hand upon your shoulder.
Offer it comfort.
Offer it reassurance.
Offer it understanding.
And now bring your hand to your heart.
Rest there for a moment.
Notice the warmth.
A sense of your heart beat.
And just allow these words to arise.
You are doing so well.
You are incredible.
You are allowed to rest.
You are worthy of your kindness.
You are a beautiful,
Unique being.
And just notice how it feels to hear these words.
These words resonating within your heart.
Perhaps they feel natural.
Or maybe a little bit unfamiliar.
But whatever arises is perfectly okay.
You are just allowing yourself to receive these words.
Now bring your hand down to rest.
And see a warm golden light.
Flowing from your heart now.
It's a light filled with compassion and care.
It surrounds the version of you and the version of yourself.
Sitting beside you.
It's holding you with tenderness.
The way a loving friend might.
The way a caring parent might.
And the way perhaps you deserve to hold yourself.
So this golden light continues growing.
Wrapping around both of you.
Creating such a feeling of safety.
Of warmth.
Acceptance.
Peace and kindness.
And as you sit beneath the beautiful flowering tree,
You notice something within you beginning to soften.
And you just simply allow that feeling to expand.
Heal yourself.
Softening into this moment.
Allowing kindness to take its place.
It feels like warm sunlight melting frost.
Little by little.
Breath by breath.
Heart by heart.
Just take a few moments here.
Resting.
Receiving.
Allowing.
And now softly and gently to yourself.
Whisper.
I am worthy of the kindness I offer others.
I choose to meet myself with patience and compassion.
I treat myself with greater gentleness and understanding each day.
Just breathe those words deep into your heart.
Like seeds being planted in fertile soil.
Because they will continue growing.
Long after this meditation ends.
Beautiful.
Take a slow breath in now.
Until they release.
Notice the version of yourself beside you smiling warmly.
A smile of understanding.
A smile of acceptance.
A smile that says,
We are doing okay.
And as you rise from the bench,
You know that this kindness will travel with you.
Because it is already yours.
And so the garden begins to fade gently into the distance.
The flowering tree.
The power.
The signs.
The bench.
Yet their gifts will remain within you.
Patience,
Understanding.
Acceptance.
Compassion.
Forgiveness.
And kindness.
Especially kindness.
So may you always speak to yourself gently.
Treat yourself compassionately.
And remember your own worth.
And may you walk through life.
With the same kindness you so freely offer to others.
So take another deep breath in.
And slowly let it go.
Feeling lighter.
Softer.
And more at peace.
Gently bring your awareness back to the room.
Roll your shoulders if that feels good,
A gentle stretch.
And now you notice you are returning with a kinder heart.
A gentler mind.
And a deeper appreciation.
For yourself.
Namaste,
My friend.
