This is a meditation to offer ourselves love,
Support,
Kindness and just replenish ourselves with anything else that we might need in our lives right now.
If you are not brand new to mindfulness you might be familiar with the concept of loving kindness and how it is a practice that we use in order to cultivate a wish of happiness,
Joy,
Love,
Health towards other people.
And we are generally very good at extending kindness to other people.
We're very good at offering good wishes to others.
But when it comes to us,
It's a different matter.
So many of us are very critical towards ourselves,
Very harsh.
Sometimes we more or less consciously employ this as a strategy.
Thinking that we are being proactive,
Thinking that we are pushing ourselves on and encouraging ourselves to achieve and trying to not become complacent with ourselves.
However,
The harness does tend to backfire,
Especially when it produces stress.
Because when we are in a state of stress,
Physiologically and neurologically we can't learn,
We don't function well.
And so sometimes we become dependent on other people to offer us what we need,
To offer us the love and the support that we feel we need.
Of course we all know that we can't always rely on other people and this can produce disappointment and it can create a sense of loneliness and isolation.
But what is useful to remember is that we can be our own best friend.
It is helpful and positive to be our own best friend.
We can replenish ourselves,
We can offer ourselves the things that we need.
So if you're ready,
Take a comfortable seat with your spine nice and straight and if you feel comfortable doing so,
Close your eyes.
And hone in on a sense of your whole body sitting here or lying here if you're lying down.
The whole body breathing.
Your body gently expanding when you breathe in and gently relaxing when you breathe out.
And just settle into a sense of being.
There is nothing else you need to do right now.
There is nothing that needs doing.
We are just being.
And if you notice your mind wandering,
Just gently bring it back to the breath.
Bring it back to being here present with your breath.
Also keeping in mind that bringing your mind back is very very useful.
This is how we are building the habit,
We're building the mindfulness muscle.
Noticing and coming back over and over and over.
So it's time for you now to replenish yourself and to soak up all that you need in your life right now.
What is it that you need?
Is it feeling loved?
Is it feeling at peace?
Freedom?
Fulfilment?
So let's start cultivating a genuine wish for ourselves.
You could say,
May I be kind to myself?
Or may I learn to be kind to myself?
May I feel loved?
May I feel that I belong?
May I experience peace?
May I feel free?
May I know that I am loved?
May I know that my life is meaningful?
May I feel fulfilled?
May I find and live my purpose?
And what words would you like to hear from other people?
What is the best thing that someone else could tell you?
What is something that would make you go thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you?
And each one of these things you can reframe to offer yourself.
For example if you want to hear I love you,
You can express the wish,
May I love myself for who I am,
May I truly love myself as I am.
If you want to hear I'm always here for you,
That is security you need.
So you can say to yourself,
May I feel secure?
May I know that I am safe?
Or if you need to hear,
Oh you are such a good person,
You are such a star.
You can say to yourself,
May I know that I am a good person?
May I be aware of my qualities,
Of my gifts?
May I know what I contribute to this world?
May I know that I am valued and important?
And just find all the words which are meaningful to you,
Find whatever resonates with you,
Anything you need and keep offering it to yourself.
And so cap the words,
So cap the wishes,
So cap the love,
The kindness,
The warmth,
The light.
Let the warmth and the light fill you up and surround you.
Let the words resonate with you deeply,
Let them go inside every cell of your being.
Really soak them up,
Feel them,
Lift them until you are all full of them,
Full of light,
Cocooned in words and in light.
This is just like soaking in a nice warm bath of love and kindness.
So just relax into it.
Coming back home to your own kindness,
To your own love.
Let the warmth and the light fill you up.
And when you are ready to emerge from your warm bath,
Just gain an awareness of your whole body again,
The points of contact.
Contact with the chair or with the bed.
Your feet starting to move,
Your toes and fingers having a little stretch.
And when you are ready you can open your eyes.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
