So get yourself as comfortable as you possibly can,
Making any adjustments you need to make,
And give yourself this gift of a few moments out of your day to decrease tension and increase a feeling of love for this body you live in.
Let's begin by simply focusing on your breath.
Notice how the air feels as it moves in and out of your nostrils or your mouth.
Notice your chest rising and sinking with each breath.
And notice the surface underneath you,
And see if you can really let your body melt into that surface.
Allow your system to take in that there's nothing you need to do right now.
If your mind is active with thoughts,
You can just notice them like you would a cloud in the sky,
And let them pass right by.
Those thoughts are not real,
Even if they feel real.
They're just passing images and stories.
So coming back to what is real right now.
Your breath.
The surface beneath you.
Any sounds you hear.
Now I'd like to ask you to tune into your heart.
Take a moment to think about some of the things you really love.
This will really help to open up your heart.
Think about some of your favorite things.
Maybe your favorite place in nature,
Maybe an animal or a person you love,
Maybe your favorite song.
Think about one or more of the things that open your heart.
People,
Beings,
Places that fill you with a feeling of love.
And as you hold in mind the places or beings that you love,
Notice that feeling inside your body.
Notice where you feel that love inside of you.
And see if you can imagine that feeling beginning to spread like you're filling a bathtub with water.
With every breath,
Breathing in more of that feeling of love and continuing to fill up with it.
And every exhale,
Breathing that love out to your surroundings and as far as you'd like it to go.
As you continue thinking about one or more of the beings,
Places,
Or things that you love,
Imagine that feeling getting even bigger and expanding even more inside of you.
Imagine that feeling spreading out through your entire body into every cell.
Good.
Now one final exercise.
I'd like you to see if you can zero in on one person,
Place,
Being,
Or thing that you love with all your heart.
It could be someone or something you chose earlier or something new.
Think of someone or something that you feel pure love for.
Someone or something that you look at with pure love.
And as you imagine gazing at this person,
Place,
Being,
Or thing,
I'd like you to notice the gaze in your eyes.
Notice the pure love you feel when you look at this being or place that you love.
And I'd like you to see if you can slip yourself into that image now.
So see if you can take the gaze you have for this being or place and look at yourself that way with the same loving gaze.
Imagine looking at your body in the mirror with the same loving eyes.
See if you can imagine looking at your body with this loving gaze,
With this loving heart.
Good,
And you're welcome to stay with this feeling for as long as you'd like and continue practicing if it was challenging.
And when you're ready,
Gently bring yourself back to the surroundings around you,
Becoming aware of the surface beneath you,
Coming aware of your body breathing.
If you'd like,
You can give your body a little stretch.
I thank you so much for joining me today.
