Hi,
This is Ksenia,
And welcome to a practice from the Return to Yourself series.
And today we will be returning to ourselves through loving-kindness.
You can take a comfortable position,
There is no need to sit perfectly.
What matters more is finding a posture where the body can feel both relaxed and awake.
And if it feels comfortable,
You can gently close your eyes.
To begin,
Simply note that you are already here.
Now to Dubai.
Noted the breath.
Note the sounds around you.
And take one slightly deeper inhale.
And a slow exhale.
Perhaps even the fact that you chose to pose for this practice comes from a natural wish to feel a little more warmth,
Support and connection.
And that itself can already be seen as an act of kindness.
Just reflect on it for a few moments.
Very often we become used to relating to ourselves through pressure,
Expectations and constant self-evaluation.
And sometimes,
In all of that pressure,
There is very little simple warmth toward ourselves.
So for a few moments you can let go of the need to evaluate yourself.
And simply begin relating to yourself a little more gently.
Now quietly begin repeating a simple phrase to yourself.
For example,
May I be happy,
Or may I feel more ease,
Or may I treat myself with kindness,
Or may there be more warmth in my life.
You can choose whichever words feel most natural for you.
If attention wanders,
That's completely okay.
At some point you simply notice it and gently return to your phrase.
May I be happy.
May I feel more ease.
May I treat myself with kindness.
May there be more worms in my life.
Or whichever words feel most natural for you.
There is no need to force emotion.
What matters more is the direction of attention,
Friendliness,
Softness and warmth toward yourself.
Now gradually let go of the words and simply rest here for a few moments.
Allow the breath to move naturally.
Allow thoughts to come and go.
Allow sensations to change.
During this practice,
You may notice that even small moments of kindness toward yourself can slowly create more steadiness and space inside the day.
Now gradually note the body again.
The contact with the surface beneath you.
The songs around you.
The space of the room.
And perhaps remember throughout the day,
Kindness towards yourself doesn't begin with becoming perfect.
It begins with a simple wish to be happy.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
If this meditation was helpful,
You can save it or leave a short review.
It helps other people find these practices too.
And I'll be happy to see you in the next meditations from the Return to Yourself series.
Take care.
And let's meditate together.
