Hi my friend,
It's Violeta Z here and welcome to your loving-kindness meditation practice.
This practice is designed to help you,
A high achiever,
A deep thinker,
A feeler,
Transform judgment and self-criticism into compassion and acceptance for yourself,
Others,
And the world around you.
You may have learned that being hard on yourself,
Pushing yourself,
Is what's needed to achieve and move forward in life.
And although there is truth in this,
Because these qualities have helped you get to where you are in life,
It's also a heavy weight to carry.
And so,
In a moment,
You will be guided to release some of those pressures and instead nurture yourself with kindness and love.
And from this space of loving-kindness,
Compassion,
And acceptance,
You can continue to achieve and grow forward while embodying the identity of someone who is already happy,
Relaxed,
And successful in the now,
Instead of these being qualities that you're continuously striving towards.
So when you're ready,
Let's begin.
I invite you to find a comfortable position.
You may sit upright or even choose to lie down.
This is your practice and so I encourage you to take a moment to tune into your body and consider what it is would make you the most comfortable right here,
Right now.
Feather your nest and make any final adjustments to settle more into the space and into this moment.
And when you're ready,
I invite you to close down your eyes if this is going to be a part of your practice today and begin to take three deep conscious belly breaths.
Inhaling from the bottom of your belly,
Allowing the chest to inflate with air.
Breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the nose.
Emptying the lungs completely and breathing in from the bottom of your belly,
Tracing the breath to and through your chest and out your nose.
Once more,
Exhaling completely and from the bottom of your belly,
Traveling with the breath to and through the chest and out your nose.
Becoming more aware of how it is for the body to be in contact with the surface beneath you and tuning into the sensation of weight,
Body's contact with the surface beneath you.
Seeing if you can notice the whole body now.
Becoming aware of the whole body and scanning from the top of your head all the way down to your toes.
Can you notice any tension along the way?
And if so,
Inviting a conscious breath into these spaces,
Choosing a point of tension in the body and pausing there for a moment to inhale intentionally into this space without expectation and simply noticing what and if there's any changes.
Continue scanning,
Finding the next tension point if there is one and doing the same once more,
Inhaling intentionally into this space and nurturing the tension with the breath.
Conscious inhale and exhale in through the nose and out through the nose.
Once you've reached your toes,
Reversing the scanning and traveling with the breath from the toes to the crown of your head.
See if you can notice any lingering tension as you scan the body from the toes to the crown of the head.
And when and if you do,
Pausing for a slight moment to breathe intentionally into this space before continuing to scan upward.
Breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the nose,
One conscious breath at a time.
When you've made it to the crown of the head,
I invite you to release any effort and resume an effortless rhythm of breath.
Body breathing,
Breathe.
Resting here for a moment and simply noticing how it is right here,
Right now.
The quality of the thoughts,
The quality of the breath,
Any sensations you may notice without trying to change them,
Simply observing what is here in the room right now.
As we prepare to shift into the next phase of our practice,
I invite you to set an intention.
It can be as simple as,
I am worthy of love and kindness exactly as I am.
Taking a moment to consider which intention resonates with you right here,
Right now.
Allowing it to emerge from your subconscious without seeking it with your conscious mind,
Without overthinking it.
Once your intention is clear,
Let's begin by directing loving kindness towards yourself.
As a high achiever,
You might often carry the weight of perfectionism or self-criticism and the constant push for more.
Today you are invited to offer yourself the kindness you so easily give to others.
As you breathe,
Silently repeat the following phrases to yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be at peace.
May I feel worthy and whole.
With each phrase,
Imagine warmth and love spreading throughout your body,
Like sunlight gently radiating from your heart.
Feel this light filling you with a sense of acceptance,
Love,
And compassion for all that you are and for all that you are not.
Just as you are in this moment.
If any self-judgment arises,
Acknowledge it,
Witness it,
Then gently turn your focus to these words.
Allow the loving kindness to soften any resistance.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be at peace.
May I feel worthy and whole.
Releasing your focus on these phrases to yourself now and bringing to mind a younger version of you,
Perhaps the version of you who first set out to achieve,
To prove themselves,
Or to be strong in the face of challenges.
Picture them clearly in your mind.
Noticing how old they are,
How they seem,
What their energy is like,
And offer this younger version of yourself the same loving kindness,
Repeating,
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel worthy and whole.
Imagine yourself embracing this younger part of you,
Filling them up with love and reassurance they may have needed,
But didn't always receive.
Feel the connection between you both as you remind yourself of the love that you have for them.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel worthy and whole.
Continue repeating these phrases of loving kindness and reassurance towards this younger version of yourself for a moment longer.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel worthy and whole.
Releasing any effort now and preparing to shift.
Bring to mind another human you know who also carries the weight of high expectations,
Whether it's a friend,
A colleague,
Or someone you Picture them clearly,
Recognizing that they too experience the pressures,
Doubts,
And challenges you might face.
As you hold them in mind,
Silently repeat the following.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
May you feel worthy and whole.
Feel the loving kindness you send out to them.
Imagine it enveloping them in warmth,
Peace,
And support.
Recognize that like you,
They deserve this love and care,
No matter how successful,
Busy,
Or strong they seem on the outside.
Now,
Expand your focus further to include all humans who strive,
Achieve,
And work tirelessly to prove themselves in this world.
Imagine this collective group of high performers,
High achievers,
Each carrying their own unique challenges and desires to be their best,
To feel their best,
And do their best work.
Send loving kindness to this group,
Repeating,
May you all be happy.
May you all be healthy.
May you all be at peace.
May you all feel worthy and whole.
Visualize the love and compassion flowing out from your heart,
Connecting with every human who needs to hear this message.
Know that by sending this energy,
You are also healing yourself.
Finally,
Return your focus back onto yourself.
Feel the love and kindness that you've extended now to the collective circling back to you.
Imagine it filling you up as though you are immersed in a radiant glow of compassion,
Of understanding,
Of acceptance,
Of freedom to be completely yourself.
Take a moment to rest in this feeling of warmth and kindness,
Knowing that you are deeply worthy of love,
That you are held,
No matter what you achieve,
How busy you are,
Or what challenges you face.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Let go of any remaining tension or self-judgment.
Before we close,
Silently affirm to yourself,
I am worthy of love and kindness,
Just as I am.
I honor myself for all that I am,
Not just what I achieve.
Now,
When you're ready,
Gently bring your awareness back to your body,
Wiggling your fingers and toes,
Maybe tensing the muscles to become more aware of the room that you find yourself in.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
As you move through your day,
Remember that you can return to this loving kindness practice whenever you need it.
You are deserving of love,
Care,
And compassion,
Always.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
I'll see you in the next one.
