Practicing self-love can sometimes feel challenging.
Often it can feel easier to experience love to or from other people.
This meditation allows you to experience love with others and to leverage this to increase your self-love.
Let's begin.
Take a moment to get into a comfortable seated posture where you can feel yourself sitting up tall and straight without slouching but also without feeling rigid.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the surface underneath you.
Close your eyes or you can keep them open and just gaze at a point on the floor in front of you.
And set the intention to open your heart and give and receive love.
Now first I want you to imagine someone who you love a lot.
This could be a person or an animal.
Try not to overthink it.
The first person who comes into your head is just fine.
Imagine them near you,
With you right now,
Maybe in front of you or beside you or even on your lap.
And as you look at this person,
Open your heart towards them and express this love to them in whatever way feels right.
Maybe through words or through gestures,
A hug.
And allow this feeling of love to really well up in your body.
Notice what it feels like.
Welcome that feeling in and just keep sending it to that person who you love.
Now file this feeling away in the back of your mind.
And we will move on to somebody who loves you.
It could even be the same person or animal.
Imagine the second person or animal with you now.
It could even be a spiritual being,
Such as Jesus,
The Buddha,
Mother Teresa.
Sense their presence,
Their warmth,
And their love with you.
Open your heart and allow yourself to receive this unconditional love.
And if any voices speak up that say I don't deserve this,
Just ask those voices to step aside.
So you can experience this feeling of love,
Even just for a moment.
Noticing what this feeling of being loved feels like in your heart and in your body.
Welcome this feeling in.
Commit it to memory.
And allow the visualization of the second person to fall away.
Finally,
I will ask you to imagine yourself seeing an image of yourself in front of you,
Or maybe beside you.
Keeping your heart open.
Send feelings of unconditional love,
Compassion,
And appreciation towards yourself.
Allowing the feelings of loving and being loved to intermingle as you send love to yourself.
Gazing at yourself,
Express this feeling of love.
Let go of any feelings of judgment for yourself.
If you have a hard time loving yourself or if you're having a difficult time with this meditation,
It's okay.
Just keep the intention to open your heart.
Maybe even sending love to the part of you that's judging you.
Keep sending love.
It can get easier and stronger with practice.
Now lastly,
Imagine all three people joining you now.
Yourself,
The person you love,
And the person who loves you.
Standing in a circle all together,
Holding hands.
Sending love to all of them and feeling love coming back to you.
Now allow this visualization to fall away and just sit with the feeling of love you have in your heart right now.
And really commit it to memory.
And know that this is something you're capable of experiencing at any time.
Whenever you're ready,
You can start to slowly open your eyes without rushing.
Take your time.
And as you go back into your day,
See if you can keep this feeling of love within your heart.
