My name is Lucy.
I'm a Mindfulness for Lost teacher and I'm going to be taking you through a loving kindness meditation today.
A loving kindness meditation is a meditation that you can use to really help to show yourself some compassion.
So often we are our own worst critic.
We can blame ourselves.
We can feel guilty.
And we can feel like the loss of a baby is all our fault.
Maybe directing that disappointment at our bodies and that frustration towards ourselves.
So practicing loving kindness can be a way in to showing ourselves some compassion and to recognizing that this is difficult.
To really understanding what it is we need.
What might be helpful.
So I want to invite you then to find somewhere comfortable to relax.
Making sure that you are completing this meditation at a time that you won't be interrupted.
At a time when there are no distractions.
And really ensuring that you are safe and held and supported by the surface beneath you or behind you.
So during this practice we are not going to be changing the breath in any way.
We're just going to be allowing the body to breathe itself.
But before any meditation practice it can be helpful to take some long slow deep breaths.
This is helpful because it helps to send a message to our minds to tell the mind and the body that it's time to settle down.
Time to relax.
So I want to invite you now to do that.
Taking some slow deep breaths.
Breathing slowly in through the nose.
And then out through the nose.
And we breathe through the nose because this helps to slow the breath down.
When we release our breath through the mouth.
This actually shortens the breath.
So whenever possible breathing through your nose is a really good idea.
Because it helps to stimulate that relaxation response in your body.
Slowing that breath down.
Taking slower,
Deeper controlled breaths.
And then just allowing the breath to return back to its normal rhythm.
Connecting with the physical body now.
Gently scanning your body.
Releasing it into any areas of tension.
Consciously relaxing your body where possible.
Releasing,
Relaxing the eyes and the jaw.
Really allowing your shoulders to relax.
Even taking another slow deep breath.
And on the out breath releasing those shoulders all the way down.
Notice how different the shoulders feel by consciously placing your attention on this area.
Noticing how this area relaxes.
And releasing into your abdomen.
Relaxing the body all the way down.
The whole of the lower body.
Releasing any tension here now.
Allowing the body to feel heavy.
Soft.
And still.
So we're going to be bringing in this idea of loving kindness now.
So I wonder if you can use your imagination for this.
And imagine that you were surrounded by a wonderful warm bright light.
And this light represents everything about loving kindness.
It represents feelings of warmth and support.
It represents love and care.
And imagine that this warm white light is surrounding your entire body.
Filling you up with so much love.
Helping you to feel calm and safe.
Knowing that everything about this light is soothing.
And as you imagine yourself in this warm light,
You may even want to repeat the following words.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
And may I live with ease.
Now if this is too difficult for you,
If you are really holding on to a lot of negativity about yourself,
Then it may even be helpful to imagine instead a close family member or a friend or even a pet.
And imagine them showing you nothing but kindness,
Nothing but care,
Nothing but love and support.
Imagine them telling you that this is not your fault.
And that whatever happens in your life has nothing to do with your actions.
When we show ourselves loving kindness,
When we begin to notice the way that we speak so self-critically to ourselves,
It helps us to drop any resistance to the way that things are.
We need to give ourselves time.
We need to apply patience.
And we need to just allow whatever's there,
Whatever emotions are there,
Thoughts are there to be there.
And once we recognize that those thoughts or feelings are there,
Then we can begin to understand what might be helpful,
What might help to soothe us in that moment.
So imagining yourself in this warm soothing light,
This light that represents love and care,
Imagining now all the people that you love,
All the people that you know,
All surrounding you in a circle concerning nothing but care,
Nothing but love,
Nothing but compassion and kindness.
If this feels emotional for you,
I want to invite you to wrap your arms around yourself,
Give yourself a hug.
Know that like you,
I suffer also and I'm sending you nothing but kindness,
Nothing but love and support wherever you are.
So I want to invite you to bring your awareness back to your breath.
Just gently following the in-breath and the out-breath as we spend a few more moments together,
Resting in this safe space and breathing together.
And so bringing this practice to a close now you can move the body in any way you want to.
Take some deeper more energizing breaths if you need.
You may even just want to rest here for a while longer,
Holding on to this sense of calm and relaxation and this sense of loving kindness.
Remember you can show yourself loving kindness in so many ways,
Eating when you're hungry,
Drinking when you're thirsty,
Not using harmful substances or not engaging in behaviors that you know won't be good for you.
But remember this is all a process,
Change takes time.
So be kind to yourself,
Speak to yourself as you would a friend.
Sending all my love to you wherever you are.
You take care.
