Hi,
This is Kayla of Kayla Estens in Wellness.
Today I'm going to guide you through a loving kindness meditation,
Otherwise known as a meta meditation.
And in this one,
We will just be focusing on loving kindness for the self.
So for those of you that are familiar with loving kindness,
It is often practiced in a way that brings loving kindness for the self,
As well as a loved one,
A stranger or acquaintance,
And finally someone we have a difficult or harder relationship with.
And that can sometimes be a lot to do all at once,
Whether it be if we're in a tough moment or if this is a new practice.
And I know when I started practicing this myself,
I really enjoyed having it broken down and starting with a loving kindness for the self.
And so what I'm going to do is this one will just be focused on the self.
And then I will add in recordings of these other components as well.
So you get an opportunity to dive a little bit deeper into each component of this,
Which will help if you just need one of the elements at a time,
Or will help you feel prepared for whenever you're ready to do a practice with all of these together.
If you are newer to a loving kindness or meta meditation,
This is generally one where I,
The guider of the meditation will go over a few different compassionate affirmations.
I will say those out loud for a few different rounds.
And each time you as the practitioner will internally say those to yourself or in the other practices,
You will imagine saying them to someone else and just kind of allow that to sink in.
With these,
I will offer a few different affirmations,
One that I'm feeling really connected to right now.
And I encourage you to change it up if that feels fitting for you based on whatever your experiencing right now or wherever you're at in this practice.
You might find one that feels a little bit easier or a little more specific to wherever you're at.
And so if the affirmations I put out there don't feel fitting for you right now,
Please switch it up,
Change it up to some different ones.
After our first round,
I'll offer a few different alternatives so you can try out something different if it feels right.
And you're of course welcome to practice with the ones I'm offering.
Before we get started,
I encourage you to find a nice comfortable position.
You might find an upright seat.
You might lay down on your bed or on the floor.
Take your time to really settle in.
Get comfortable.
This exercise is all about giving ourselves compassion.
So start off right here by being really compassionate and setting yourself up for comfort.
Option for the eyes to close if that feels safe and comfortable for you.
Otherwise you can let your gaze drift downwards if closing the eyes doesn't feel comfortable.
You can start off by bringing in a few deeper breaths.
Allow yourself to arrive and settle in here.
Now really bring awareness to the self.
You might bring in a visual of yourself.
Imagine that you're looking at yourself,
Speaking to yourself.
Go through this first round of affirmations.
Again,
Feel free to change up the wording of them if there's anything that feels more fitting for you.
I'll say them out loud.
There will be a little space for you to internally state each of them to yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be grounded.
May I be connected.
Taking a moment here to tune in to if these affirmations resonate with you.
Turning into if safety feels like something you'd like to connect to.
Physically safe,
Emotionally safe,
Relationally safe.
Checking if being grounded connects with you.
Being grounded in your physical space.
Being grounded in your emotions,
Your relationships,
Your goals.
And checking in if being connected connects with you.
Maybe being connected to yourself,
To your personal aspirations.
Being connected to your loved ones,
To your community.
And be curious if any other affirmation might resonate a little stronger for you.
Maybe it's being supported,
Being protected,
Being loved.
Anything else feels a little bit better to you.
Feel free to bring that in in these next couple rounds.
Take a couple deep breaths.
Bringing awareness back to that visual of you.
Maybe it's placing a hand on the belly and a hand on the heart to really connect with yourself.
May I be safe.
May I be grounded.
May I be connected.
Being present with yourself here.
Being curious with what's coming up on this second round for you.
It might be a feeling of comfort.
And it's also normal if it's a feeling of discomfort.
Sometimes giving ourself love and compassion is a really foreign experience.
If this feels really new,
Really uncomfortable,
That doesn't necessarily mean it's something that's not for us.
It might be something that takes some time to grow into.
Notice for this final round,
If you want to switch up any of those affirmations,
If giving yourself positive affirmations is something really new to you,
You might want to choose a more neutral one.
That might even be just,
May I be present.
May I be open to this new experience.
Taking a few more breaths before this final round.
As much as it feels okay,
I invite you to be as present as is comfortable here.
Really bringing to mind that visual of yourself.
Physically connecting to this moment.
May I be safe.
May I be grounded.
May I be connected.
Allow those affirmations to just wash over you here.
Just be curious with whatever comes up.
Holding some compassion and care for yourself as you've explored this potentially new form of mindfulness and meditation,
This new practice of self-compassion that you've carved out this time to do something that is for you.
To step into the vulnerability of self-compassion.
This exercise might be something you come back to whenever you're needing a little guided self-compassion.
And in my experience,
Especially when I was learning this as a new exercise,
It can be nice to practice this more consistently.
You might choose to practice it daily or a few times a week for this next week.
To really root into loving kindness for the self before stepping into any of the other levels.
This is a great place to start with loving kindness and also is one of the most challenging ones as we're not all taught to be compassionate to ourselves.
So be gentle with yourself as you are exploring this new form of meditation.
In our last couple minutes here,
You might invite in some deeper breaths.
You might bring some really subtle movements into the body,
Just wiggling your fingers or toes.
You'll be rocking your head from side to side.
Slowly shifting your awareness back into the room that you're in.
Your timing,
Reopening the eyes if they've been closed.
Fully returning to your surroundings.
I thank you for joining me in this loving kindness meta meditation.
And I hope that you can bring a little bit of that loving kindness with you for the rest of your day or evening.
