Welcome to this 10-minute love and kindness meditation.
Before we get started,
I invite you to find a comfortable yet aware position,
Allowing the body to relax and the mind to settle.
Start by bringing your attention to your chest,
Your heartbeat,
Or wherever you might feel this sense of kindness and connection within the body.
For some,
That might be your heart.
For others,
It could be the belly.
Notice if the heart feels open today.
Just taking a moment now and checking in.
Not in order to change or fix anything,
But to just simply notice.
This practice is all about intention.
Intention to cultivate an open heart and a friendliness towards ourselves and others.
With your next breath,
Bring to mind one person or being who you have a connection with.
This could be a loved one,
A pet,
A family member,
Perhaps a friend.
Whoever you choose,
Imagine that this person or being is sitting down next to you,
Imagining them in as much detail as you can.
There might be a sense of gratitude as you sit next to this person or being and look at them.
Maybe you recall a time when they showed up for you or they were kind.
What friendly wish would you send this person?
And with this love and gratitude filled within the body,
Repeat these phrases to yourself softly.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
May you live your life with ease.
May you be healthy and strong.
Now move your attention to yourself.
You can send these friendly phrases and wishes to yourself as you are in this moment or bringing to mind a time maybe when you needed to be seen and heard,
Perhaps when you were a child.
Let whatever version of yourself that needs to hear these words come forward.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
May I live my life with ease.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I accept myself with grace.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
May I live my life with ease.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I accept myself with grace.
Find your breath again.
Allow this happiness and peacefulness and strength.
Gather them up all together and allow a moment for them to flood through your body and then tuning in to what it feels like to have these wishes and kind words live within the body.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful.
May I live my life with ease.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I accept myself with grace.
If it feels good for you,
Place your hands over your heart or your belly and keep them there until you feel the warmth through your palms.
Feeling where that love and kindness is rooted and seated within you,
Almost as if it was flooding from the palms of your hands into your heart space.
Taking a full breath in.
Exhale and letting it go.
As we close this practice,
Take a moment to send yourself a little thank you for showing up,
For cultivating this space,
For checking in.
And if there is any warmth or goodness there,
Let it in.
Taking one more mindful breath.
Exhale,
Letting it go.
And then when you're ready,
You can open your eyes from bottom to top.
Thanks for practicing with me today.
