Hi,
My name is Karsia,
And I'd like to talk to you about liking yourself.
I wonder today if you have bought kind awareness to your thoughts,
Your heart,
Your body.
The self-talk you engage in regularly,
It's often unkind.
I know all about that.
You beat yourself up,
And you hold yourself to unrealistic standards,
And you focus on how to always be better.
With mindfulness,
You can tune into this voice and acknowledge these thoughts.
You can also learn to tune in to the things you like about yourself.
Even if they aren't obvious in every moment,
There are parts of you that you like.
In this exercise,
You will bring your awareness to these aspects of yourself to offer a more complete picture of who you are.
Close your eyes and find a comfortable posture to sit.
Make sure your back is straight,
But if you don't like that,
Just be comfortable any way you wish.
Bring your awareness to the sensation of the body breathing.
Let's take a big,
Deep breath in.
Hold at the top and exhale.
Now focus on the chest,
The abdomen,
Or your nostrils.
For the first few minutes,
Allow the mind to settle and focus by returning your attention to the breath as many times as necessary.
Once the mind has settled,
Begin by bringing something to the mind that you appreciate about yourself.
Start with the body.
Ask yourself what you like about your body,
And just pause to appreciate it for a moment.
It may be a physical feature,
Like your hair or skin,
Or it may be a quality,
Like strength or flexibility.
As something arises,
Stay with the experience of liking this part of yourself for a few breaths.
After a minute or two of working with the body,
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.
For the last few minutes,
Focus on the five traditional senses.
Sight,
Smell,
Taste,
Hearing,
And touch.
Go through each sense,
Recognizing the beauty and pleasure these senses have bought you.
As an example,
Recognize that your sense of hearing has allowed you to hear the voice of a loved one,
Someone you appreciate so much.
The sense of touch has allowed you to feel the comfort of a hug.
Be with each sense,
What gifts it brings you,
And the appreciation.
I leave you now to continue being with each sense.
Thank you for meditating with me today.
Stay Bright.
