It's very easy for us humans to constantly be judging ourselves.
This happens on a gross level where we can physically speak badly about ourselves or it can be very subtle like a subconscious restlessness with how we are.
As a younger adult I was very competitive and I was constantly aware of what people thought of me,
How people were looking at me or their opinions of me.
Although competitiveness brings productivity and success,
It also brings with it a lot of self-judgment and comparing myself unfavorably to others.
But as I am now,
Years on,
I feel so much more contented within myself.
I have much more self-compassion and self-appreciation just as I am.
Part of this journey was acknowledging and embracing all the aspects of myself.
My unique qualities and failures,
My strengths and weaknesses,
My body,
My thoughts and feelings and also realizing that they're all just processes of energy moving through.
We don't need to fix these perspectives into solid enduring parts of ourselves.
To feel self-love we need to cultivate some self-acceptance and this is about recognizing all that we are as a multifaceted individual and that it's okay to have imperfections and make mistakes.
A lot of the time we can hide aspects of our nature from ourselves,
Almost like we only want to see the good bits,
But it can be very healthy and beneficial to surrender all that we are and really acknowledge all aspects of ourself.
An inner offering practice is a practice where we offer all that we are like a form of surrendering.
It's about really letting go and allowing everything that you are to be seen.
This includes absolutely everything,
Your personality,
Your blood,
Your regrets,
Your dreams,
Your relationships,
Your work,
Your fears,
Your qualities,
Your accomplishments.
It's a practice where we allow everything to be seen and know that we are still loved.
By surrendering all that we are we can experience a greater sense of freedom,
Clarity and inner peace and also realizing that everything is just a process constantly evolving and moving through.
Nothing is fixed as a solid sense of ourselves.
So we'll do a meditation now where we'll ground and open and then we'll see how it is to surrender all that we are with wholeheartedness.
And when we do this,
Notice if you feel any sense of fear or resistance and if you do,
Just see if you can allow that to be there,
Give it space and allow it to move through.
Before we start,
Find yourself somewhere comfortable to sit.
It's good to sit with your back straight and tall,
With fresh air coming in your lungs but don't be too rigid and stiff.
Allow a sense of movement in your body.
Let's start by becoming aware of your breath.
But instead of just the breath,
Become aware of the breath within your body.
It's quite nice to notice the feelings and sensations of your lungs,
Ribs and abdomen rising and falling with each in-breath and each out-breath.
And really be inquisitive of the feelings and sensations in your body as you breathe.
And we're not trying to hold awareness on something or trying to make anything happen.
We're just letting our breath gently support us as we allow ourselves to relax and deepen.
Whenever you're distracted,
You don't need to do anything with the thoughts.
Just allow them to do what they need to do and then gently bring your awareness back to feelings and sensations in your body as you breathe.
Now shift your awareness slightly to become aware of your out-breath as a resting and settling breath.
And really follow each breath down and settle into your body deeper and deeper with each out-breath.
Now become aware of the ground of your being and notice the sensations of the weight of your legs.
Notice the feelings and sensations of the ground or the cushion pushing up from below you.
The feeling of it really supporting you as you relax and let go.
And have a little check if you're allowing yourself to really trust that sense of ground and let your whole body relax and let go into it,
Breath by breath.
Again,
When you're distracted,
You will probably notice a sense of holding or contraction in your body.
Gently allow it to soften,
Release and relax again.
And then gently bring your awareness back to your breath and back into feelings and sensations in the body.
Feeling yourself relax deeply into your ground again.
Now move your awareness up into the trunk of your body and notice any feelings and sensations in your trunk.
And whatever is there,
Allow it to be there.
Now feel your awareness expand out to the rest of your body.
Out to your arms.
Up to your neck.
Your head.
And back down into your legs.
Until you become aware of your whole body.
So just take a moment to notice if you're trying too hard to feel your whole body.
And if you notice this,
You'll probably notice a sense of holding or contraction in your body.
Just allow it to soften,
Relax and let go again.
And as you relax,
We'll take a moment to offer up your inner offering.
You can offer it up to anyone that you want to.
It can be to yourself,
The universe,
God,
A Buddha.
It doesn't really matter.
Just allow that really deep sense of letting go and surrendering.
And allow all those bits about yourself to be seen,
To be noticed.
As you rest in the safe space of your body.
So all the good bits and all the bad bits.
Your skin.
Your hair.
Your teeth.
Your excretions.
Your blood.
Your organs.
Your dreams.
Your regrets.
Your failures and your accomplishments.
Your needs.
Your relationships.
Your work.
Your home.
Your qualities.
Your abilities.
Your travels.
Your meditation practice.
See if you can find the courage to offer up all that is you.
And allow it to all be seen as it is.
And instead of visualizing it,
See if you can really feel this in your body.
And then as you rest there,
Allowing yourself to be completely open and seen.
Just bring awareness to your heart center.
And just notice what's there.
And as you do that,
You notice a small,
Radiant,
Golden yellow pearl of light in your heart center.
And this sphere of light has a feeling of warmth to it,
Like the sun.
This radiant pearl of light holds in it potent feelings of love,
Acceptance and compassion.
Allow this sphere of light to radiate out,
Filling your whole body,
Every atom,
With feelings of contentedness,
Acceptance and love.
And again,
Instead of visualizing it,
Really feel these feelings in your body.
And allow that light to clear and cleanse and heal any stuck energy or feelings of self-judgment within you.
And take a moment to know that,
Even though you have all these bits about yourself that are already noticed and seen,
Everything within you and in your life,
You're still loved and accepted just the way you are,
Just as it is.
And then the golden yellow light filling your body gently evaporates,
Leaving this small,
Radiant sphere of warm light in your heart center.
As a connection to that love and acceptance,
If ever you need it.
And then,
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes,
Have a nice deep stretch and take a moment to process how that felt to really let all those parts of you be seen and surrendered.
Did you notice any feelings of fear or resistance?
Did it feel quite freeing to let everything about you and your life be seen and know that you are still loved?
This meditation is from my course called Deep Healing,
Self-Acceptance and Self-Love.
So if you enjoyed it and you'd like to explore deeper feelings of self-acceptance and self-love,
You're welcome to have a look at the course.
Thank you.
