This is a meditation for extending loving kindness,
Chesed,
In Hebrew,
To your own self.
Find a comfortable position and allow your eyes to gently close.
If you're seated,
Pull your shoulders back so they feel straight.
And ground yourself by imagining that you are connected with the earth below,
While your upper body reaches toward the sky.
Take a few deep breaths,
Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly.
Notice where you experience your breath,
Is it at your nostrils,
In your upper chest?
Maybe you can feel your tummy expanding and then releasing.
With each inhale,
Become a bit more present.
And with your exhale,
Release anything that's preoccupying you.
This loving kindness chesed meditation consists of four phrases,
And each one of these statements will be a blessing that you wish upon your own self.
You will be wishing yourself well.
I'm going to say each phrase and you will repeat it to yourself.
There are four phrases.
So let's begin.
May I feel safe?
See if you can be infused with the feeling of safety and protection.
If not,
It's okay.
Just say the phrase and wish it upon yourself.
May I feel safe?
May I feel content?
This is the feeling of having enough,
Of being enough,
Of being satisfied with what is right now.
May I feel content?
May I feel strong?
Breathe in strength as you repeat.
However you imagine strength to be.
May I feel strong?
May I feel worthy?
Call to mind a time when you felt really good about yourself or appreciated or loved.
May I feel worthy?
As you repeat these blessings,
Your mind will probably wander.
No problem.
That's what minds do.
When you notice that you're thinking or planning or worrying,
Just gently turn yourself back around to these blessings.
To shuva is the Hebrew word for to turn,
To return.
May I feel safe?
May I feel content?
May I feel content?
May I feel strong?
May I feel worthy?
Now at your own pace,
We'll have a bit of silence around two minutes for you to repeat these phrases to yourself,
Wishing blessings,
Wishing blessings to yourself at your own pace.
May we feel content?
Now,
I'm going to recite these blessings upon you,
So that you receive this blessing.
And just take in the blessings,
Let them wash over you.
May you feel safe and protected and secure.
May you feel content.
May you feel that you have enough,
That you are enough.
May you feel strong.
Strong in your body.
Strong in your mind.
May you have endurance and strength.
And may you feel worthy.
Worthy of love.
Worthy of blessings.
Worthy of gifts.
Worthy of just being.
And now together,
Let's wish these blessings over the entire world.
You can imagine certain places in the world where you know there is suffering or pain or in need of healing or maybe particular people in your life that you would like to wish blessings to.
And so you can repeat after me,
May you feel safe.
May you feel content.
May you feel strong.
May you feel worthy.
And yehi ratzon,
May it be so.
May you feel safe.
