Hello,
And welcome to this meditation.
Today we are going to do a short,
Calming breath control practice,
Followed by a loving kindness meditation.
When I began studying meditation,
I was surprised to learn that holding your breath actually calms you down.
This was something I had noticed myself doing during times of anxiety and stress,
And it turns out that science has proven that breath control practices stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system,
Taking you out of a fight or flight response.
The practice we are going to do today is called a 4-7-8 breath.
We have learned that exhaling longer than you inhale actually calms you down.
So the way this breath works is we will inhale for a count of 4,
Retain our breath for a count of 7,
And exhale for a count of 8.
And don't worry,
I'll count for you.
Practicing loving kindness,
Which is a calm awareness meditation,
Is best for people who have trouble manifesting positivity,
Or maybe they're struggling with limiting beliefs,
Or for people who just seek to improve their mindset.
I lost my dad recently.
He was very sick and I was very far away,
And practicing loving kindness helped me send loving wishes to my dad and my family,
And also to his caregivers.
It also helped me be loving towards myself for feeling bad for not being able to be there to help them.
Let's begin by getting into a comfortable position.
You can sit on a cushion or a pillow or in a chair,
Or you can lie down if that's more comfortable for you.
Begin to feel the ground beneath you as if you had roots.
Relax your face,
Your jaw,
Shoulders,
Abdomen,
And hips.
And now let's take 3 deep breaths,
And then we will start with 2 rounds of 4-7-8 breathing.
And I will heat count.
Long,
Slow inhale in,
And long,
Slow exhale out.
Deep breath in,
And exhale.
And one more,
Inhale in,
And exhale,
Really feeling grounded.
Let's begin.
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
Hold,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale,
2,
3,
4,
Hold,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Now return to your normal rhythm of breathing,
And take a moment to explore how that feels.
Now begin to bring to mind someone that you love,
Someone who brings you joy,
Someone you feel really connected to.
Bring their image into your mind.
Can you see their eyes?
Their smile?
Maybe you can see their clothing,
Or their hair.
Imagine everything you can about them.
Can you feel the love you have for them in your heart?
Speaking from your heart,
From the place you feel this love for them,
Silently repeat after me.
May you be happy.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be healthy.
May you feel safe.
May you feel safe.
May you love and be loved.
May you love and be loved.
Stay with all of these positive wishes.
Taking a deep breath in,
And on the exhale,
Release the image of this person with love.
Bringing to mind someone neutral.
Maybe you don't even know this person,
But they have helped you in some way.
Maybe it's a clerk at a store,
Or a waitress in a restaurant,
Someone who held a door for you,
Or someone who smiled at you as you passed them on the street.
Remember everything you can about this person.
Can you see them in your mind's eye?
Let this space of appreciation in your heart,
And silently repeat these words.
May you be happy.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be healthy.
May you feel safe.
May you feel safe.
May you love and be loved.
May you love and be loved.
Taking a deep breath in,
And on the exhale,
Release this person with appreciation.
Letting your breath return to a natural rhythm,
Begin to bring an image of yourself in mind.
Maybe you'd like to place one hand on your heart,
And one on your abdomen.
Or maybe you want to hug and hold yourself.
See yourself as you are right now.
Connect to the heart space where you can give yourself a little compassion,
Acceptance,
And love for who you are in this moment.
And keeping the image of yourself in your mind,
Silently repeat these words.
May I be happy.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be healthy.
May I feel safe and free from pain.
May I feel safe and free from pain.
May I love and be loved.
May I love and be loved.
Linger in these feelings of love for yourself for just a little while longer.
And allow the image of yourself to fade,
Taking a moment to just enjoy your breath normally and naturally.
Consider this question for a moment.
What is a really positive wish you have for yourself?
And let's take a moment to reconnect and check in,
Noticing how you feel after offering loving kindness to someone you love,
Someone you appreciate,
And most importantly,
To yourself.
Take a couple more deep breaths.
And if you are lying down,
Gently make your way to one side and return to a seated position.
And whenever you are ready,
Gently begin to blink open the windows of your eyes.
I would like to end today's meditation with a quote about self-knowledge from the prophet by Kahlil Gibran.
Say not,
I have found the truth,
But rather,
I have found a truth.
Say not,
I have found the path of the soul.
Say rather,
I have met the soul walking upon my path.
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line,
Neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself like a lotus of countless petals.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
I hope you have a beautiful day and remember to be grateful.
