So today's practice is going to be on opening ourselves to receive.
So often we are always giving,
Giving,
Giving so much of our energy,
So much of our resources that we forget that there's a place for us to receive and allow.
And often we're not comfortable always receiving.
Sometimes when we get a compliment,
We deflect a compliment and don't say fully,
Thank you,
Yes,
I am nice,
I have a really nice pair of shoes,
That is correct.
And it's okay to receive because there is an energy exchange as we give back to the giver,
We allow the energy to pass through.
So find a comfortable seat,
Find your meditation place,
Sitting down,
Standing on a chair,
Whatever you prefer.
And we're going to offer you the option for this meditation to have your palms facing up.
So whether that be on your thighs or by your side,
And just to open ourselves naturally in that receiving gesture.
And when we have our palms up,
Naturally our shoulders open,
Chest opens,
And begin to allow your body weight to sink down and start to find a few of your breaths as you settle in setting yourself open to receive everything that you have coming your way and to receive some good things that you may not have known that you have coming your way.
Just use the rise and fall of the breath to settle you in,
To relax parts of the body that need to be relaxed,
Soften where places need to be softened,
And use the breath to open up the energy within the body,
And to open up the energy within the heart,
In a place where we feel the most,
Where we give the most,
And we also receive the most.
We're going to begin this practice by giving ourselves the permission to receive.
Sometimes we feel like we shouldn't receive,
Or we feel like we always have to be giving,
That we sometimes don't feel like we deserve it,
We don't feel worthy of receiving maybe a thing,
A dream that we want,
Or a gift that someone gets us.
So I'd like you to start by letting any of those thoughts go,
Maybe just inhaling a peace and openness,
And exhaling any feelings of,
I don't deserve this.
It might be just a mantra of,
I am worthy to receive.
I give myself the permission to be open and receive.
I am worthy to receive.
And if one of those don't fall,
It could always be just inhaling the positive,
And exhaling the negative.
And with each breath,
Feel any defenses that you may have falling down,
Any limiting thoughts,
Letting them go.
We don't receive from our minds.
We receive in our emotions,
We receive in our emotional body.
So feel with each breath yourself moving deeper into your body,
Maybe deeper into your heart,
As you let go of all of those blocks.
If it helps to visualize a wall that's been put in front of you,
With each breath you feel just the wall starts to come down.
And you're allowing the energy to come in.
A couple more breaths,
Just like that.
Inhaling openness,
Peace,
And exhaling any feelings of unworthiness.
And also might help to see yourself as a flower.
And with each breath,
You notice that your petals are opening,
Opening closer towards the sun,
Opening to receive the light.
Getting brighter,
Getting more beautiful with each breath.
And let's take a good conscious breath in and go ahead and let that go.
Now we're going to do a little bit of a practice that's sort of the opposite of our loving kindness,
Instead of giving to people that we know,
Sending them positive words,
We're going to receive those words from our loved ones.
So I'd like you to imagine someone in your life that you deeply care about.
Someone that you love,
Maybe it's a friend,
And whether they would say these things to you is irrelevant.
But I'd like you to imagine them maybe standing in front of you,
And they're going to say a few words to you,
And all I'd like you to do is to receive.
You are so beautiful.
You inspire me to be a better person.
I look up to you.
You are such a wonderful presence in my life.
I love you with all my heart.
You are so beautiful.
You inspire me to be a better person.
I look up to you.
You are such a wonderful presence in my life.
I love you for being who you are.
I love you with my whole heart.
And just notice how your body feels when you're receiving that.
Notice if there was any sense of not believing it,
Sense of discomfort in hearing this from someone else.
And again,
See if you can just relax into that.
See if you can use the breath to release any more of those blocks that still may be hanging around.
Knowing that you are so worthy to receive all of those words,
And the fact that you are doing a practice like this,
An app like this,
Shows how worthy you are and how beautiful you are.
And let's take a nice deep breath in and let that go.
And we're going to imagine now just someone that you don't know all so well.
Maybe it's just someone that's passing you by,
That's maybe noticed some things that you've done.
Maybe they're just someone that admires you from afar in a healthy way.
And I'm going to again say a few words that this person is going to say to you,
Modify just a little bit to make it fit the setting.
And just notice and see if you can just receive.
Nothing to do,
Nothing to say,
Nothing to think about.
You're just receiving these words from this kind person who wants to share with you what they think and how they care.
The way that you live your life is so beautiful.
You inspire me to be a better person.
I look up to you and you may not know it but you've been such a wonderful presence in my life.
Thank you for being who you are.
Allow those words to sink and again feel your body relaxing.
Feel the heart opening.
And take a deep breath in and let that go.
And now we're going to give and receive words from ourself which sometimes can be even more difficult than receiving from someone else.
So feeling yourself speak these words down into your heart.
I am so beautiful.
I inspire me to be a better person.
I look up to me.
I am such a wonderful presence in my life.
I love me with all my heart.
And I thank me for being who I am.
I am so beautiful.
I inspire me to be a better person.
I look up to me.
I am such a wonderful presence in my life.
I love me with all my heart.
And I thank me for being who I am.
Maybe take a few breaths just allowing one of those to sink.
And let's take a good breath in and let it out.
And finally we're going to just take a moment and open ourselves to receive guidance wherever you believe that guidance comes from.
Maybe it's God,
Maybe it's the universe,
Maybe it's source,
Maybe it's Jesus,
Maybe it's the Buddha,
Maybe it's Krishna.
Or maybe it's Mohammed,
Maybe it's just your highest self.
And we're going to open ourselves to receive guidance from that figure,
From that higher power.
Allowing the guidance to come in.
And maybe just resting in the idea that things are working out for you just as they're supposed to.
The timing of it is all perfect.
And it's in the quiet that we can hear our guidance.
I'm going to give you a minute or two of silent meditation just so you can see if you can feel and ask to be guided.
And slowly begin to come back into your body.
And to come back into that open gesture that you took it,
Of the hands.
And maybe it might feel good to take the hands and palm over palm,
Place them on your heart.
Throwing all of that energy back in,
All of that work,
All of that receiving and love that you've cultivated.
And you're welcome to stay here for as long as it feels good.
Whenever you're ready,
You can start to come back.
May you receive all the love,
The peace,
The joy that is who you are.
And may your guidance be divinely inspired.
And may you know that if things aren't coming into your life right now,
There's a good chance that there is a good reason.
And then waiting is also a part of receiving.
As always,
Thank you for practicing with me.
Namaste.
