Welcome to this talk and meditation on self-appreciation and value.
I'm sure as you've probably noticed,
As human beings we have so many self judgments around ourselves.
Things we did,
How we are,
How we look,
Etc.
We give ourselves such a hard time really.
Society can also tell us that we shouldn't think too much about ourselves and how important it is to see value in others and show compassion towards others,
Which of course is so essential and not enough of it in this world actually.
But to be able to genuinely show compassion,
Appreciation and love towards others,
We need to feel it towards ourselves first.
But our minds can so easily get pulled out into catastrophizing our situation and not thinking the best of ourselves.
So this meditation is just some time to spend seeing the value both in yourself and in your life.
The more ingrained and genuine this feeling becomes,
The more love and compassion you will have to share with others.
So as we move into the meditation,
Spend a little while getting yourself comfortable.
I want you to be in a position where you feel nicely awake and aware and not too sleepy.
But you don't need to be rigid or hold yourself straight.
You can be relaxed and natural.
However feels supported and relaxed enough for you.
You can gently close your eyes if you wish and just breathe naturally.
In the meditation I'll give you some guidance and then leave a space of silence for you to be in your own space and feel how it is for you in the moment.
Gradually let yourself arrive into your body and into the present moment.
Letting everything else in your life and around you go for the next 20 minutes.
To support you gradually settling and calming,
Bring your awareness to your breath and the feelings and sensations of it in your body.
Notice the sensations of the air in and out of your nostrils.
Become aware of the feelings and sensations of your ribs,
Chest and belly expanding and contracting as you breathe.
Noticing all the subtleties and intricacies within your body as you breathe.
And become aware even of how your spine and your pelvis subtly rocks back and forth as you breathe.
And how with the in-breath there's a sense of gathering and with the out-breath there's a sense of letting go and releasing.
If your mind drifts off to thinking about something else,
There's no need to judge yourself,
It's natural.
Just let it be and gently bring your awareness back to your breath.
And the feelings and sensations of it in your body.
Pay particular attention now to your out-breath.
Notice how as you breathe out your body lets go and relaxes.
And follow the entire length of each out-breath,
Feeling your body relax and sink down into the ground each time.
And enjoy that feeling.
Take your awareness gently down to the ground,
Whatever that may be for you now,
A chair,
A bed,
The earth outdoors.
Notice the connection to that ground.
And how actually this is your connection to the entire planet.
Be aware of the sensations where your body meets that ground and the weight of your body on that ground.
And how that ground supports you and holds you and allows you to be just as you are.
With each out-breath see if you can really trust that ground and let your whole body deeply relax into it.
Allow yourself to rest in the stillness,
Tranquility and safety of the moment.
Notice how your body is a safe space too.
Nothing can harm you here,
You can just let go and relax.
As you rest in this space of awareness,
Let's take a few moments to appreciate aspects of yourself and your life.
As we slowly work through them you may notice feelings of resistance.
If you do,
See if you can hold that with love and instead of judging it,
Let it be there.
We don't need to do anything with it.
Think of any physical aspects of yourself that you like or appreciate.
They can be big or small,
It doesn't matter.
And instead of just cognitively thinking of them,
See if you can let yourself feel actual appreciation for them in your heart.
Take a little time to think of anything in your life that you value.
It could be accomplishments,
It could be friends,
Family,
Your work,
Your experiences.
Whatever spontaneously comes up for you,
See if you can feel the value in it.
Again,
Taking time to actually feel in your heart how valuable it is instead of just listing it in your head.
Let it touch you.
You could think of aspects of your character that you enjoy or like or think are valuable.
Whether it is seen by others or not,
It doesn't matter.
And take time to appreciate it and let it bring a smile to your face.
Think of any way that you benefit the world.
And notice any judgments or self-criticisms here,
Letting them be there but not getting entangled with them.
No matter how big or small,
Let yourself really feel the value of it.
Feel how you benefit the world around you.
Think of those that see you and love you and appreciate you.
Might be a partner,
Your kids,
A colleague or a mentor.
Really let yourself feel how they love you and value you in whatever way they do.
Knowing that actually with all your strengths and flaws and quirks,
Etc,
You are loved just as you are.
You can bring your hand to your heart and place it gently there,
Noticing the soothing comfort of it and how it lets you genuinely be touched by a sense of self-appreciation.
And self-value.
Spend a few moments resting in this space of awareness.
Resting in calm.
Resting in love.
And if it feels like it wants to,
Let it bring a smile to your face and to your heart.
As the meditation comes to an end,
Reflect on how you don't actually need to get the sense of appreciation from outside sources.
It's all right there in your heart.
If you can let go of self-judgments,
Criticisms or resistances and allow yourself to feel it.
Of course,
Cultivating a deep sense of self-love and value is a long journey.
It may require a path of healing and transformation.
But just simply coming back to what you appreciate in yourself and your life can help support that journey.
And the more you can let yourself feel your value,
The more you will be able to emanate love to those around you.
