Namaste.
This is Ali and this is a guided meditation for self-compassion.
Take a moment to bring your hands into jnana mudra.
Find a comfortable seat and close down through the eyes.
Begin by taking a deep breath in through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
In through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
One more time,
A deep breath in.
Exhaling and letting it go.
Letting your breath settle back into a natural rhythm.
And begin to invite the sounds.
Any sounds around you,
In your environment.
And also the sounds of the rainforest.
Of Costa Rica.
Here in this recording.
Noticing not only sounds but also any aromas.
Just noticing the flow of air within the nostrils.
And any hints of fragrance in your environment.
Noticing here if there's anything you could do to get a little bit more comfortable.
In your seated position.
Finding a tall spine.
Relaxing the shoulders down away from the ears.
Beginning to soften the jaw and the tongue.
Relaxing through the eyes and the forehead.
And noticing here the natural oscillation of your breath.
Just feeling the inhale.
Feeling the exhale.
And welcoming the different sounds of the jungle.
Various birds.
Toucans.
Thousands of insects.
And welcoming even the sound of the howler monkeys in the distance.
And as you drop into this moment.
Sensing your body.
Your breath.
The sounds and aromas.
Might you begin to welcome into your heart.
Or into your awareness.
Someone whom you love unconditionally.
Where it's uncomplicated and easy for you to sense how dearly you hold this being in your life.
This could be a beloved pet.
Or even a small child.
Perhaps a grandparent.
A teacher or dear friend in your life.
This might even be a person whom you look up to but have never had the pleasure of meeting.
This could even be a spiritual archetype from a belief system dear to your heart.
Or a loved one that you perceive as an angel or someone watching over you.
Protecting you.
And just begin to gather a sense of the love that flows from this person towards you.
Just as you are.
And with each inhale,
Might you sense or imagine as if you could breathe this love in.
Receiving this being's love.
And just feeling the warmth and supportive qualities of this loving kindness.
Just as you are.
There's nothing to change or make better or different in this moment.
I'm just breathing and feeling the presence of this loving,
Supportive being.
You might even imagine their smiling face looking back at you.
And each breath in,
Allowing yourself to receive their love.
Allowing yourself to feel their love and compassion.
Even their admiration for you.
Just as you are.
And again,
Allowing yourself to kind of bask in these warm feelings of love,
Support,
Compassion,
Admiration.
Receiving their love.
And welcoming the healing and beneficial effects to sort of wash through your nervous system.
To wash through your body.
With each inhale of inviting that loving kindness into your heart.
You might imagine this loving presence like a warm golden ray of sunshine.
This golden light and warmth shining down over your whole body.
And just basking in the light of that warmth.
Allowing yourself to be showered in light.
Love and compassion.
Allowing yourself to receive the medicine of loving kindness.
And for the next few breaths,
Might you deepen your inhale.
Once again,
Imagine breathing in this love.
And exhaling through the mouth.
In through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
And one more time,
A deep breath in.
And if it feels right for you,
You might take the left hand over the heart.
And the right hand over the left.
And just taking a moment here to connect to your heart space.
And to feel a sense of that loving kindness.
Welcoming it in.
And just taking a deep breath here.
With your hands resting over your heart.
And taking a moment to flutter the eyes slowly open.
And just noticing how you feel.
Noticing the effects of this practice.
Gathering hands in namaskar mudra.
And thank you so much for joining me today.
In this self-compassion visualization.
I hope that it felt nurturing and supportive.
And it might take a few times trying this.
Before really truly allowing yourself to drop in and receive the benefits.
So please don't worry if you had trouble with this visualization the first time around.
It's something that you can come back to.
And some of you might be feeling the beneficial effects of this practice.
It's really quite a healing practice.
That can be done each and every day.
In order to build the capacity for self-love and compassion.
Which many people struggle with.
And it's something that is so vitally important to our mental health and thriving.
So I hope you found this practice supportive today.
And I hope that you enjoyed the backdrop of sounds here in the Costa Rican rainforest.
Thank you once again for joining me today.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free.
Namaste.
