Transforming My Self-Image

Transform the way you view yourself by looking beyond societal criteria of beauty and success, and seeing yourself with the same love and appreciation you would feel for a friend. Through a guided meditation, visualization and affirmation, this practice helps you to strengthen your sense of inherent value and love your imperfections.

Transcript

Hi and welcome to this meditation on transforming your self-image.

When you look at your image in the mirror,

See yourself in a photo or on social media,

Do you notice which aspects of yourself you pay the most attention to?

If you're like me,

It's likely that you tend to evaluate your outward image through societal criteria of beauty and success.

Our society pushes us to place a great deal of importance on our outward image,

Instead of seeing ourselves for who we deeply are,

As sensitive vibrant beings gifted with a fascinating inner life.

This leads us to ignore the depth and richness of who we really are.

Yet one of our deepest needs is to be seen,

Esteemed,

And loved for who we are in all our humanity.

So a new way of looking at ourselves in the mirror could be to see ourselves as we would see a loved one in their entirety,

As a precious and complex being with dreams,

Desires,

Fears,

Joys,

Sorrows,

Imperfections,

And qualities.

As someone who has value in themselves simply by virtue of their existence.

When we give ourselves the gift of this generous look at ourselves,

We give a new more conscious dimension to the notion of self-image.

A dimension that affirms the mystery and beauty of who we really are.

A perfectly imperfect being.

That's what we're going to look at in today's meditation.

Start by sitting upright,

But without it being uncomfortable.

Make sure that the front of your body is open so as to receive the full range of your breath.

Close your eyes to turn your attention inwards and start breathing slowly through your nose.

Become entirely still.

The only thing moving in you is the air coming in and out of your nostrils.

Now,

Notice what's happening in your experience of this moment.

The different sounds around you.

The sensations of your chair or cushion beneath you.

And if you feel a particular mood today,

Notice how that mood manifests within your body.

Turn your attention to the sensations of your breath,

And notice how your body is breathing on autopilot,

Without you having to do anything but to observe this rising and falling movement.

Now,

Starting at the top of your head and going all the way down to your toes,

Observe the sensations in your body.

As if you were passing underneath a scanner.

If you notice stronger sensations,

Slowly sweep your attention once again on this area,

And notice if they're linked to any emotion you're feeling today.

If at any point during this meditation,

You're distracted by thoughts,

Sounds,

Or feelings,

It's perfectly normal,

And it's okay.

When you notice these thoughts,

Simply bring your attention back to your breath.

That is,

To the sensations of the air coming in and out of your nostrils,

Or to the rise and fall of your chest or abdomen.

Follow your breath from the very beginning of the inhale.

Follow your breath from the very beginning of the inhale,

To the very end of your exhale.

And now,

Simply by observing your breath,

Allow it to slow down,

So that the flow of air moving in and out of your body becomes thinner and thinner,

As if your breathing was following the rhythm of very small waves on a quiet beach.

When you follow your breathing with your full attention,

It's as if you were diving in the depths of your inner ocean.

You can watch the waves of your thoughts and emotions from an area of calm and serenity.

If you get caught into one of these waves,

It's all right.

Simply bring your attention back to your breathing.

Simply bring your attention back to your breathing.

Now imagine that a mirror is in front of you.

As you approach it,

You discover the reflection of your own image.

Notice where your attention is focused when you observe your reflection.

See if there's anything you tend to see as a flaw,

Something you find hard to accept.

Now turn your attention inward and see if any difficult thoughts or emotions emerge.

While staying connected to your breathing,

Notice the physical sensations that arise within you.

Simply observe these sensations,

Allowing them to exist within you.

And see if you can welcome that part of you that you tend to judge for being not enough,

Too much,

Or inadequate in some way.

You can experiment with placing your hand on that part of you that you tend to judge for being not enough.

You can experiment with placing your hand on that area so as to acknowledge its right to be here and welcome it with tenderness.

Notice how sensitive this aspect of you is to your attention and how it's part of the singular perfectly imperfect whole that you are.

Now look at yourself in the mirror again,

But this time imagine you're no longer observing yourself with your own eyes,

But through the eyes of a friend,

A loved one,

Or even an animal,

Someone who knows you well and sees you in all your many facets.

From their point of view,

Observe the details of your face and your emotional expression when you're afraid,

And notice what your loved one would want to say to reassure you.

Here and now,

With each inhale,

Call up a feeling of love for the part of you that doubts and sometimes feels afraid.

Now observe yourself from the outside with all your qualities which emerge naturally from your body.

Notice how your simple presence in front of your loved one generates pleasant feelings,

Perhaps of gentleness,

Joy,

Or wonder.

Observe your face,

Your posture,

Your movements,

And notice how you would feel from the point of view of this person facing you,

Who appreciates you simply for who you are.

Notice how,

From this person's point of view,

You're able to radiate love.

Here and now,

With each breath,

Bring to your body a feeling of joy for the part of you that gives and receives love.

Here and now,

Call forth a feeling of acceptance for all the parts of you.

We're now going to focus on six affirmations to help you see yourself in all your beauty and depth.

Allow the words contained in these affirmations to resonate within you while remaining focused on the sensation of your breath.

First affirmation,

I love myself with my flaws.

Second affirmation,

I love myself with my fears.

Third affirmation,

I love myself with all my qualities.

Fourth affirmation,

I love myself for who I am in relationship to others.

Fifth affirmation,

I am enough just as I am.

Sixth affirmation,

I am perfectly imperfect.

Before ending this meditation,

Once again,

Notice your current mood and observe how you feel when you're connected to the present moment.

You can now slowly come back to the space around you by noticing your surroundings,

Starting with the sounds around you,

And then the sounds around you.

Starting with the sounds around you,

The weight of your body on your seat,

And when you're ready,

You can slowly open your eyes.

I hope this meditation was beneficial for you.

Have a great day and I'll see you soon for more meditations.

Reviews

This makes me comfortably uncomfortable!

I’m a fan of Jonathan.

Most certainly one of the best meditations I've come across so far for self image. I really enjoyed the affirmations and the periods of silence for reflection. ✨

Amazing as always.
Thank you for your guidance.

Beautifully guided 🙏🏻 thank you a peaceful way to start my day

Thank you Jonathan always a pleasure to meditate with you, Namaste 🙏🏼 💙

Thank you Johnathon. This is a another wonderful meditation and exactly what I need right now. I shall certainly listen to it again.

I love you 🥰 your voice is soothing and your affirmations help a lot. Can I also say how charming you look? ❤️🌺

Jonathan is always splendid and creates meditations that ground me in who I really am.

Thank you ✨🌺