Hi everyone,
I'm Stephanie Boxer Baum.
Thank you so much for meditating with me today.
For today's 10-minute practice,
We're going to be doing a loving kindness for yourself practice.
Sometimes we can forget how important it is to be kind to ourselves.
And when you can just add in a little reminder every now and then,
It has this cultivation feeling to it that over time,
Maybe every day,
You could just add in a little kindness for yourself.
So come to a supported seat.
Whatever feels comfortable for you today.
This will be a guided practice.
And let's get settled.
Gently closing your eyes.
You could do a soft gaze if that feels right to you today.
Taking a gentle breath in.
And a deep breath out.
Gentle breath in.
And a deep breath out.
It's checking in for a while here.
Letting go of whatever you were doing before this.
Whatever you're going to be doing after.
Letting the mind and the body settle.
It's okay if you have thoughts coming in,
That's completely normal.
Just letting the thoughts go by like clouds.
Coming back to center.
In this very moment.
Perhaps maybe putting your hand on your heart if that feels okay today.
And we'll begin with the phrase,
May I be kind to myself.
May I be kind to myself.
And we say,
May I,
Because it's a well-wishing.
Maybe today you're not feeling so kind toward yourself and that's okay.
We are cultivating this sense of kindness,
Even when it's hard to find.
So I'll watch our time here for these next few minutes.
And what you'll do is silently say to yourself.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be kind to myself.
And when the mind wanders,
Which it's okay if it does,
You just simply bring yourself back to center.
May I be kind to myself.
And there's no sense of urgency here.
You can say it as slowly as you need to.
Maybe if you're feeling excited today,
You can do that.
Say it at a faster pace,
But there's no right or wrong to any of this.
We are letting go of judgment.
We are getting curious.
And we are adding in kindness.
Deep breath in and a gentle breath out.
And changing up the phrase to may I see myself.
Through kind eyes.
May I see myself.
Through kind eyes.
Sometimes it's helpful just to have this idea that there's a different lens that we can look through sometimes when needed.
May I see myself through kind eyes.
It's the same practice here.
Silently repeating the phrase to yourself.
And I'll watch our time.
Easy breath in.
Gentle breath out.
If the mind wanders,
You just come back to the phrase.
May I see myself with kind eyes.
May I see myself.
With kind eyes.
Giving yourself the feeling of a hug or what it feels like.
When you really can be gentle with yourself or at least can begin to try.
That's what we're cultivating here.
Is this sense of kindness that we can practice right here,
Right now in this very still moment.
And then bringing it out to our daily lives when needed.
May I see myself.
With kind eyes.
So letting the sprays go,
Coming back to the mind and the body.
Let's do some inhaling and exhaling.
Inhaling peace.
Exhaling ease.
Inhaling kindness.
Exhaling joy.
Letting go.
Of anything that isn't serving you today.
You deserve to feel the way you want to feel.
And practicing kindness is a way.
To cultivate this intention.
So on your next inhale and exhale.
Beginning to come back to the room,
Maybe wiggling your fingers and toes.
And on your next.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Gently opening your eyes.
When you're ready.
And as always,
I'd love to share a reminder that you are always enough as is.
Thank you so much for meditating with me today and I hope to see you soon.
