Welcome to Morning Mantra 2.
I've created these guided audio recordings for my personal use.
One mantra for one month.
If you listen to this and find it isn't for you,
Feel free to try one of the others or create your own.
Alright,
Find a space where you can get comfortable and not be disturbed for 6-10 minutes.
Laying down in bed,
Sitting outside,
Or maybe listening to this on a waterproof Bluetooth speaker in your shower.
Whatever allows you to relax and focus on you.
Our minds enjoy thinking.
That's their job after all.
So to focus inward we need to give our minds something to do.
When I'm outside I like to close my eyes and listen to the sounds around me.
I don't reach for them.
I simply label them as they come to my ears.
Traffic,
Wind,
Or construction.
Today however,
I'm going to focus on my breath and body.
To give our brains something to work on,
Let's count to 4 as we breathe in and try to count to 8 as we exhale.
If you have any trouble,
Try 3 in and 6 out.
Whatever's comfortable for you.
We'll do this for approximately a minute.
I'll start us off,
But then I'll stop counting aloud so that you can do it in your own mind.
Ready?
Breathe in.
1,
2,
3,
4.
And out.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
In.
In.
Not only are we focusing the mind inward,
But we're also relaxing that fight or flight biological system that stress can often trigger.
So take a minute or two when you're feeling anxious and try this breathing exercise we just did.
Today I want to focus on acceptance and compassion.
We spend much energy denying our reality and avoiding our feelings.
Whether it's a failure on a recent exam at school or the fear of being financially prepared for retirement,
We blame others,
Seek distraction and refuse to process the reality.
Most of us have applied for a job,
For example,
And gotten an interview and had to wait to see if we were the one chosen.
That waiting in limbo is difficult so much that if we find that we were not picked,
There's still some sort of relief in that final knowing.
That relief is acceptance.
Acceptance isn't liking or condoning.
It's simply recognizing.
In true acceptance,
I can move on to another job application or seek feedback from the interviewer without the judgments and frustrations that denial brings.
Accepting doesn't mean shutting our emotions down.
Instead,
We can console ourselves as we would a friend in a similar situation.
So in preparation for the following mantra,
Ask yourself these questions.
Do I accept my moods?
Do I accept my body as it is?
Do I accept myself as I am?
Sit with those answers as you repeat the mantra for today.
Repeat the following in your head or aloud.
May I accept myself as I am?
May I accept my life as it is in this moment?
May I be kind to myself today?
May I accept myself as I am?
May I accept my life as it is in this moment?
May I be kind to myself today?
May I accept myself as I am?
May I accept my life as it is in this moment?
May I be kind to myself today?
Keep going through the silence.
May I accept myself as I am?
May I accept my life as it is in this moment?
May I accept myself as I am?
May I accept my life as it is in this moment Okay.
May I accept myself as I am?
May I accept my life as it is in this moment?
As it is in this moment.
May I be kind to myself today.
Keep going.
Wherever you are,
Stop.
If you closed your eyes,
Slowly open them and return to the world around you.
Thank you for joining me today.
Remember we're not condoning past behavior.
We're simply accepting what is so that we can move forward.
You aren't flawed or broken.
You're human just like the rest of us.
Much love to you my friends.
And in keeping with today's practice,
Remember to be kind to yourself throughout today.
I'll meet you back here in the morning.
Have a fantastic day.
