Hi my friend.
The self-talk we engage in regularly is often unkind.
If this is familiar to you,
Know you are not alone.
You might beat yourself up,
Hold yourself to unrealistic standards,
And focus on always improving.
With mindfulness,
You can tune into this voice and acknowledge these thoughts.
You can also learn to tune in to the things you love and appreciate about yourself.
Even if they aren't apparent in every moment,
There are parts of you that you like if love is too strong of a word sometimes.
In this practice,
You will bring your awareness to these aspects of yourself to offer a more complete picture of who you are.
Take a moment to close your eyes and find a comfortable sitting posture.
Bring your awareness to the sensation of the body breathing.
You can focus on the chest,
Abdomen,
Or nostrils.
We will take some time in the beginning to allow the mind to settle.
Focus on your breathing.
Focus by returning your attention to the breath as many times as necessary.
Once the mind has begun to settle,
We will begin to focus on the body.
Start by bringing something to mind that you appreciate about yourself with your body.
Ask yourself,
What do you like about your body?
It may be a physical feature like your hair or skin,
Or it may be a quality like strength or flexibility.
Take some time to pause to appreciate it for a moment.
As something arises,
Stay with the experience of loving or liking this part of yourself for a few breaths.
Now we will switch to the mind.
Look at the qualities of your brain and emotional experience.
Ask yourself what you appreciate about your brain,
Your insight,
And your personality.
Again,
Simply be with the appreciation when something arises.
Now take some time on your own and focus on each of the five traditional senses.
Sight,
Smell,
Taste,
Hearing,
And touch.
Go through each sense recognizing the beauty and pleasure these senses have brought you.
For example,
Recognize that your sense of hearing has allowed you to hear the voice of a loved one.
The sense of touch has allowed you to feel the comfort of a hug.
Take some time to be with each sense,
What gifts it brings you,
And the appreciation.
Again,
Remember for each one,
Simply be with the appreciation when something arises.
As we move to a close,
Return your awareness to the breath.
Breathing in and out.
If you are ready,
Perhaps put a smile on your face for the beauty and gifts you provide to this world as a human.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you,
My friend.
