Just Kindness

When did you last take some time out to just find some kindness in yourself for yourself. This meditation aims to do just that.

Transcript

Welcome to Kulkama Collected's loving kindness meditation.

You're listening to Maraika Nairn.

This loving kindness I wanted to particularly focus on our own self compassion because I know that sometimes it can be a real challenge to actually find or practice this sense of finding compassion and kindness for ourselves.

It's interesting there's this expression that I think originated with Plato but it's been changed a little bit but it says be kind everyone you know is struggling hard and I don't know about you but for me quite often I find that living in such a blessed community and being in such a you know one having such a wonderful opportunity to life as we do in Australia sometimes I find that when I am met with adversities and challenges and I am suffering in my own way I can often use this to my detriment you know who am I to be suffering or who am I to complain you know there's just so many people out there so much more worse off than me and it can tend to generate this sense of lessening compassion for self.

So today's meditation I really wanted to focus more within because there's this beautiful quote by the Buddha who says if your compassion does not include yourself it is incomplete.

So with that we're going to start to find our way into a comfortable seated position and even with that just finding compassion if the comfortable seated position is lying back on your bed or even lying down altogether just choosing to do that today.

Just ensuring that you've chosen a space where you won't be distracted and allowing yourself to really start to arrive into your practice.

Once you're settled in your seat just starting to get a sense of what you've showed up with today.

Perhaps scanning the body from head to toe and getting a sense of any habitual tensions that are just resting in the body maybe in the shoulders or the jaw maybe the eyes feel a bit squinty and tight or the brow furrowed maybe you're aware of the hips or the belly or the chest and as best you can just beginning to soften just in this way that we are giving ourselves permission to really have this time to have this space.

So as best as you can just softening into this opportunity for time out.

There's nothing else that you need to do right in this moment there's nowhere else you need to be.

Perhaps aware of all of the different sounds that are moving in and out of the soundscape.

Perhaps inside and outside the room.

Maybe you can even hear the sound of your own breathing subtle,

Gentle.

It may feel right to take a few more deeper conscious breaths really breathing deep into the belly and then on the exhalation just allowing yourself to let go a little more into this remembering that in letting go we're not saying that we need to achieve some particular state.

It's just really letting go into what's here whether it's restlessness,

Tiredness,

Irritation,

Boredom,

Just general mind-wandering anxiety.

Just allowing all that you've shown up with to really have a place.

It's here no point arguing just allowing.

And then as best as you can just starting to bring awareness to the anchor of your breath.

Starting to ride the sensations of the breath just as you drive the waves of the ocean.

Feeling into that constant flow as the belly rises and then returns to center.

Maybe what feels more vivid for you is the passage of air at the nostrils or the windpipe.

Wherever you feel the breath most just allowing your attention to firmly focus on this now.

Relaxing the shoulders,

Relaxing the jaw and the brow,

Just softening them as best as you can.

Letting this next breath just be met with a softening belly and this one allowing the breath to be effortless.

In a way John Kabat-Zinn calls meditation effortless effort.

Not trying to do anything,

Not trying to achieve anything.

Just softly riding the moments breath by breath,

Sensation by sensation.

Then when you're ready just beginning to visualize the most brilliant smile.

Maybe it's a smile you've seen on somebody or maybe it's just that image of a beautiful loving open smile.

If the smile were in the sky right now,

This blue open sky,

This smile would fill it completely.

I'm seeing if you can get a sense of the energy of this smile.

What does it feel like?

Perhaps like the sun it's just shining upon you.

These rays of openness,

Of receptiveness,

Of acceptance.

All of the things that come with a bright smile,

Of knowing,

Of loving.

And seeing if you can even allow these smiles to be in part of the body.

So perhaps the corners of the eyes where we sometimes tighten just might loosen or feel that lift in a smile.

The corners of the mouth,

The cheeks.

Just getting a sense of this smile as it moves into your own body.

Feeling the smile move into the heart and the throat space.

Perhaps visualizing it from shoulder to shoulder,

Just cradling into the heart and the lung space.

Maybe you can feel the smile in the belly.

Just as best as you can keeping this image of the smile and really allowing yourself to feel it,

To experience it.

Perhaps you visualize this smile and you can feel yourself hammocked or swinging within it.

Just fostering this general sense of well-being,

Of ease,

Of okayness just as you are right in this moment.

Basking in it with each breath.

Really nourished by each breath.

Each exhalation just seeing if you can continually re-soften the shoulders,

The jaw,

The brow,

The belly.

Just being and just breathing.

And when you notice mind wandering or other emotions or sensations that begin to arise,

Just allowing for them also.

And perfectly normal for the mind to wander,

Particularly after a hectic day or week.

Just noticing when it wanders and allowing yourself to be compassionate with yourself in that.

And simply what minds do.

As best as you can just returning to my voice,

To the sense of the smile,

To the sense of the breath in the body.

Remembering that's the practice.

Perhaps returning to the breath if that feels most accessible.

And really seeing if you can focus just on each sensation.

Really feeling the full duration of the in-breath.

The full duration of each out-breath.

And if it feels appropriate to do so,

Perhaps making these words your own.

Just saying,

May I be safe.

May I be free from the inner harms I cause myself.

And out of harms.

May I be really truly happy and also content when happiness might not be an option.

May I be healthy.

As healthy as I can right in this moment.

May I feel whole.

May I feel a sense of completeness.

Just as I am.

May I live with ease.

May I find greater ease in my life.

I'm just letting these words just resonate.

Settle.

Perhaps some land,

Perhaps some don't.

Perhaps it feels forced to begin with and that's also perfectly normal.

May I feel,

May I be safe.

May I be free from the inner harms that I cause myself.

And those out of harms.

May I be really truly happy and content.

May I be healthy and whole.

May I live with great ease.

Just coming back to the breath as we come towards the end of our practice.

Again,

Just rescanning the body and allowing the shoulders to soften.

The belly,

The chest relaxed and open.

Loosening,

Unhinging the jaw and allowing that tiny smile at the corners of the eyes and the mouth to remain.

And resting awareness on each breath.

No need to worry about the last.

No need to worry about the next.

Just enjoying this one.

For it's the only moment,

It's the only breath that we really have to enjoy,

To experience this moment.

The only moment we truly have to really accept and find compassion for ourselves.

If your compassion does not include yourself,

It is incomplete.

Thanking yourself for taking this time out.

And knowing that like any practice,

Like any exercise,

It's not easy.

But that it's all doing great good.

Thank you.

Reviews

Stunning, just stunning! Thank you.

I enjoyed these moments of kindness to myself- something new for me, but very helpful, and inspiring be more loving to those near me.

Thanks. Fell asleep during this which was welcomed. Will finish it another day because I liked what I was awake for. ❤️🙏

Airways perfectly what I need.

Thank you author for such greatness

If compassion does not include the self, it is not complete. An excellent meditation for acceptance of what is going on within at this moment.

Thanks Marike... great listening to your meditations, as usual!

Simple, warm, and profound. Thank you. 🙏

Added to my playlist, this one grows on you! Love the Australian accent, thank you🌴😎

self love is so important, thank you for instilling the present moment of what's here now 🙏🏼

Thank you Marike! Inspiring words and meditation.

Very nice. Couldn't many times. Soft background music would have added a nice layer for me. Thank you!

Made me think but calming

Beautiful! :) thank you ♡

Great practice. Compassion that does not include yourself is incomplete. Lovely reminder.

What a beautiful soothing voice you have. Plus I'm Australian, it's so nice hearing something in my own accent.
This really resonated with me, my kids are often telling me what I tell them "just because someone else is hurting it doesn't make your pain any less less validated". I hate when my kids put me in my place ;)
Thank you so much, I will be adding this to my favorites and will try and play every day, such an important message.
I look forward to more! Only thing i didn't like were those bells. With your soft voice you should just lead out with your words. xoxo

Such beautiful words and reminder to find love and compassion for ourselves. In doing so we are lightning rods for the same to come into ours lives and the lives we touch!

So relaxing such a beautiful voice🙏🏼