This is Julie Potokker from the Balanced Mind Meditation Center bringing you a guided meditation,
Loving kindness for ourselves.
This meditation should run,
I'd say 15 to 20 minutes.
Don't surprise yourself by seeing how long it runs.
Give yourself 20 minutes and we might end a couple minutes early.
Okay so let's start like we always do,
Finding a comfortable position.
It could be sitting or lying down,
Sitting on a cushion on the floor or in a chair or even lying down as long as you're not too sleepy because you want it to be a meditation and not a nap.
Okay now let's close our eyes fully or partially.
If you're uncomfortable closing your eyes,
Just let your gaze be downward and kind of fuzzy to eliminate a lot of the distractions that you get in through your sight.
And now we're going to take three relaxing breaths together in through our nose and out through our mouth.
Now let your breathing find its natural rhythm and we're going to systematically relax.
Relaxing our eyebrows,
Relax your eyebrows.
Imagine your forehead really smooth.
Relax your eyes,
Relaxing your jaws.
Imagine a slight smile at the outside corners of your eyes and at the outside corners of your lips.
Dropping that smile down into your throat,
Relaxing your throat and your neck and letting your shoulder blades just melt down your back,
Keeping your shoulders nice and open.
Dropping that smile from your throat down into your heart center,
Your chest.
Taking a moment to notice what's there,
Any kind of feelings,
Pulses,
Vibrations.
Dropping down into your belly,
Let your abs go.
Relax your belly.
Relax your hips into the floor,
The cushion,
The bed,
The chair,
Wherever your hips are.
Let them go.
Relaxing your thighs and your knees.
Relaxing your calves and your ankles.
Relaxing your feet.
And now softening your hands.
You might want to place a hand or hands where you find them most soothing.
For many people it's their heart.
Often times it's their belly or their cheeks or hugging their arms.
But wherever you find that touch most soothing,
Feel free to place your hands there for a moment or two just as a reminder that you're giving yourself loving awareness during this meditation.
You're giving yourself self-compassion during this meditation.
Now just noticing your regular breath where you notice it most easily.
Could be the tip of your nose where you notice that when you breathe in it's a little bit cooler than when you breathe out.
It could be the rise and fall of your chest or the rise and fall of your belly but wherever you find it the easiest to notice your body breathing,
Just anchor your awareness there for a few moments.
I know that I am breathing in.
I know that I am breathing out.
Bringing your attention back to the gentle rocking of your body breathing.
Feeling that way isn't just tapping into your�Just becamezu.
Now,
As you breathe,
Allow yourself to become gently aware of how it feels to be in your body right now.
Then gently offering yourself words or phrases that fit your needs at this moment.
Words that are just right for you right now.
If you already have phrases that are meaningful to you,
Please use those.
If you're suffering in any way and would like some compassion,
Perhaps a phrase such as may I be free from suffering or may I be kind to myself would be just what you'd like to hear right now.
If you're just feeling fabulous and you'd like to add some loving kindness phrases into your body,
Into your mind and heart and soul,
It could be may I be happy or may I live with ease.
Once you've chosen a phrase or phrases that fit the mood right now,
These phrases will be the anchor of your attention.
When your mind wanders,
You'll be coming back to breathing and to saying these gorgeous phrases for yourself.
Bringing your attention back if it's wandered to your body and these phrases for yourself.
Praise this word now and assistance others.
Then listen deeply.
This is knowledge.
You Coming back in case your mind has wandered or you've even drifted off.
You're giving loving kindness for yourself during this guided meditation.
May I be kind to myself.
Whatever phrase or phrases you're using that are just what you need to hear right now.
Now I'd like you to stay in your mind.
Now I'd like you to stay in the meditation.
Release the phrases.
Release the focus of attention on the phrases and just sit for a few moments.
Rely whichever position you're in in this meditation and just feel your body.
Notice what comes up.
See how it feels now in your body.
You might want to wiggle your toes and wiggle your fingers.
In a few moments the chimes gonna ring and you're gonna gently come back into your day or into your evening whatever time it is for you.
Stretching out any limbs that have gotten tight.
Bringing the feeling back into your feet if they've fallen asleep like mine often do.
Arms up to the sky if it feels good.
Twisting to the right.
Twisting to the left only if it feels good.
Hands at your heart center.
Give yourselves a hug.
Congratulations for giving this time to yourself.
Hoping your rest of your whole day and night be more balanced,
Be less reactive.
Congratulations and thank you for your practice.
This has been Julie Potichar for the Balanced Mind Meditation Center.
