Welcome to this meditative exercise called Finding Loving-Kindness Phrases.
This exercise and reflection is an accompaniment to the Loving-Kindness for Ourselves practice from the Mindful Self-Compassion Program.
So before we begin,
You'll wanna grab a pen and a paper.
So we'll be pausing after each meditative reflection to capture what might have come up today.
So feel free to press pause and get everything you need coming back when you're ready.
And as I mentioned,
This exercise is designed to help you discover your own loving-kindness and compassion phrases that are really meaningful and relevant to you.
So to begin,
Please find a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
And you can close your eyes fully or partially here if that feels right.
And settling into the breath and the body.
And if you'd like,
Even placing a hand over your heart or somewhere else soothing in the body.
Welcoming in this intention to be open to receive.
And then asking yourself this question.
What do I need?
Just allowing the answers to arise naturally within you.
What do I truly need?
What makes your life complete?
If this need hasn't been fulfilled in a given day,
If it hasn't been met,
Your day just doesn't really feel complete.
And letting the answer emerge from the neck down.
You're not thinking,
Not searching so much for answers,
But just noticing what arises.
And often these are universal human needs.
Like the need to belong or to be loved.
To feel connected,
Healthy,
Peaceful.
To feel safe or valued.
Or free.
So again,
Just noticing what arises here.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes and write down what arose for you.
If you need more time,
Just hit pause and take any amount of time that you need.
The words or sentiments you discovered can be used in meditation just as they are.
Or you can rewrite them as wishes for yourself.
For example,
May I be kind to myself.
Or may I begin to be kind to myself.
That might feel more realistic.
May I know that I belong.
Or may I know that I'm enough.
I encourage you to really play around with the wording to find what feels just right for you.
This might be the difference between may I feel safe and may I know that I'm safe.
Taking the time to find just the right words,
Discovering your own phrases.
If you need more time here,
Again,
Just pause the track.
Take as much time as you need and come back when you're ready for the next reflection.
So as you're ready,
Settling in again,
Finding a comfortable position.
Closing your eyes fully or partially and connecting with the breath.
Allowing yourself to feel nourished with every breath in.
Feeling that relaxation,
That sense of ease that comes with every breath out.
Considering now this second question.
What do I long to hear from others?
What words would I like someone to whisper into my ear?
Words I could hear every day for the rest of my life.
Again,
No need to think actively about this or to go searching for an answer.
Just being open to what might arise.
Some phrases that often come up are I love you,
I'm here for you,
I understand,
I trust you.
You're doing a good job,
You're a good person.
Noticing any other words or phrases that arise for you.
And as you're ready,
Either pausing the track to take a little more time or gently opening your eyes and writing down what came up for you.
And if you heard a lot of words,
If there was a lot that came up,
Seeing if you can make the words into a short phrase or a few short phrases,
Messages to yourself.
And the words you wrote down can be used in the loving kindness for ourselves meditation just as they are,
Or you can rewrite them as wishes for yourself.
For example,
I love you can become the wish,
May I know that I am loved.
I'm here for you might sound like may I know that I belong.
You're a good person might become the wish,
May I know my own goodness.
Okay,
So there's no right way here,
It's really about what feels just right for you.
If you'd like the phrases or the wishes,
And even to toy around with the wording within the wish or phrase is really important so that it feels like the perfect fit for you and your practice.
If you need just pausing the track,
Again,
Taking as much time as you need to jot down these phrases,
These loving kindness.
Phrases for yourself.
And as we bring this exercise to a close,
If you'd like to practice using your phrases,
You might try them out in the loving kindness for ourselves meditation.
Or you might use any of these phrases in an informal way.
So if there's a few,
Or even just one that really sticks out to you today,
You might just lay a hand over the heart wherever you are and repeat that phrase in your mind.
All right,
This act of self-compassion.
We give ourselves what we need in the moment.
It doesn't have to be in a seated meditation practice.
I encourage you to bring these phrases with you throughout your day,
Throughout your week.
Thanks for joining me.
