Hello,
Beautiful one.
Welcome to this mindfulness meditation for when you're feeling lonely.
Begin by getting into a comfortable position with your head,
Neck,
And spine straight,
Or in whatever way feels good to you so that you can feel relaxed,
Yet alert.
If you've ever felt lost in loneliness,
You can know how difficult it can be to shake this feeling.
Fortunately,
When we decide to make changes,
We can use meditation to create powerful effects in our lives.
We can learn how to start new habits and stick with them.
And loneliness is simply a feeling that's become a habit.
It really can't be taken care of by any external means.
We can be around people and still feel lonely.
You could have friends and feel lonely,
Or you could be completely alone and feel lonely.
It's simply a thought of separation that creates this feeling of loneliness.
And it can have kind of a cycling effect until you change your focus.
And that's what we're going to do here today.
So as you've chosen your comfortable position,
Go ahead and close down your eyes,
If that feels comfortable to do so.
If not,
Then you can just soft focus someplace across the room or down past your nose.
And knowing that right now you are the person you need the most.
And so give yourself some kudos for taking this opportunity right now to practice some self care.
Right now we're going to start with some breathing.
Many times we go throughout our days,
Breathing shallowly or sometimes not breathing at all and then taking big gasping deep breaths when we notice that we haven't been breathing.
So right now,
We're going to nourish you,
Your spirit,
Your mind,
Your body with some purposeful breathing.
So fully inhale now expanding your belly and chest as much as you can and hold it for just a moment.
And then exhale with a sigh.
And then inhale again,
Filling your chest and your belly with fresh oxygen and hold it for a moment.
And as you exhale,
Just allow your body to release and inhaling again.
So much so that your body is just brimming with oxygen,
Taking a moment to soak up this life force.
And then exhaling,
Noticing your body releasing and relaxing.
Fully inhale once again,
Purifying your body,
Exhaling,
Knowing you don't have to do anything at all to feel better.
And one more time,
One last beautiful breath coming in,
Feeling the goodness of this simple task of breathing and then exhaling once again,
Allowing relaxation to just sweep over you.
And now breathing in whatever way feels good to you.
But take note of how you're feeling right now.
What sorts of physical sensations are you noticing?
Breathing deeply and fully in this way might cause some buzzing or some lightheadedness,
Or you might feel deeply relaxed and heavy.
You've oxygenated and nourished your body.
Breathing deeply and fully is actually an expression of self compassion.
And as you're breathing comfortably and easily now,
Notice how that feels.
So this is a tool that you can use whenever you're faced with any sorts of feelings.
But today we're causing talk talking about the feelings of negativity and loneliness.
So when you take these big deep breaths,
They allow you to relax and to slow down,
Helping you to get out of the cycle of negativity.
So next time you catch yourself feeling hopeless,
Or negative,
Or lonely,
Remember to take these five very nourishing breaths.
Mindfulness meditation also helps you to become better acquainted with yourself and your emotions,
Allowing you to be in charge of them,
Instead of letting them control you.
When we're mindful,
We're paying attention to the present moment.
And we're taking the observer stance,
Or stepping back and allowing ourselves to kind of look at these emotions.
And so right now,
You're just relaxing and feeling safe and comfortable.
There's nothing really to bother you or disturb you.
You're completely safe and relaxed.
And in this state right now,
You're able to really make some pretty profound changes.
So it's amazing how our emotions come and go,
Like waves on the sea.
We all know that it's perfectly okay to feel relaxed.
So it's just the same as there's nothing wrong with feeling uncomfortable.
It's just another feeling that has sensations that you're experiencing,
Sensations that come and go.
And when we allow them to come and go,
They loosen their grip on us.
Now gently bring into your awareness,
This feeling of loneliness.
And notice where and how any different sensations in your body,
Sensations of discomfort might arise.
And then be with this feeling as if you're with a friend or a loved one who's very upset about something that's happened to them.
Be there for your discomfort,
Just as if you were consoling a dear friend.
Join with this feeling and the sensations of loneliness as if you're meeting someone you love because they called you and they needed you.
Is the feeling of loneliness really scary?
Or can you see it as a friend who's just having a bad day and needs some consolation?
You'd soothe your friend's tears with your compassion.
So now soothe those lonely feelings in the same way.
Be present and listen because you're the only one that can give solace to this feeling.
The same way your friend reached out to only you when they needed comfort.
You helped to alleviate the feelings of despair by being there with them and not pushing them away.
Would you tell your troubled friend to go away when they were upset,
Looking for your presence?
Probably not.
So instead of wishing your loneliness away,
Bring it in,
Comfort it,
Bring it some compassion.
And now allow any feelings of discomfort or seclusion or emotional pain to just pass by,
Kind of like a rain cloud that's just brought a heavy rain.
As the cloud passes by,
And the sun peeks out beaming with light and warmth,
When you comfort your uncomfortable feelings and sit with them as you would a good friend,
You're allowing the storm to rain down,
But then letting go.
And as the wind blows it by,
You can see the sun break through,
Drying up the waters with its warmth.
You can see a smile on your friend's face because you were there for them.
And perhaps allowing your loneliness to fade away.
So a good way to work with loneliness is to change your focus.
As soon as you feel it arise,
Coming back to this meditation as many times as you need to,
So that you have meaningful interactions with your emotions and your inner self,
Allowing yourself to just be with and work with any emotions as they arise.
As they arise.
Today,
We allowed loneliness to be there,
Like a friend who's having a bad day,
Allowing it to express itself,
And then letting it go.
Focusing in again now on your breath,
Taking a deep breath in and letting it out,
Releasing whatever doesn't serve you today.
And taking another deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Go ahead and wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Maybe even giving a little stretch as it feels good to move after sitting for so long.
And then whenever you're ready,
And with soft eyes,
You can return to the room,
Knowing that you did good work here today in beginning to work with your feelings of loneliness.
I'm Kelli Dennis.
Thank you so much for joining me here today on Insight Timer.
If you want to learn more about mindfulness and working with difficult feelings or stress or anxiety,
Please check out my profile,
Kelli Dennis.
Be well and have a wonderful day.
Namaste.
