Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today,
I'd like to talk a little bit about making time to love yourself,
Making time to be kind to yourself.
I've found that in my life,
Many people who are terribly kind to others are seldom kind to themselves.
They do things for partners and children and parents and teachers and neighbors and pets,
But yet they don't think about taking time to be kind to themselves.
I know I've been guilty of this in my own life,
Making time for everyone else,
But not making time for myself.
I realize my mistake and I've tried to rectify it,
And you have to take time to love yourself.
I often tell my daughters that they need to take time to be kind to themselves.
At its most basic,
Love is just acceptance,
Accepting someone,
Be it a person or an animal,
For exactly what they are.
Love is taking someone at face value,
Accepting all of their good points but all of their thorns as well.
And love is best when it's given.
As you give love to a partner or a child or a beloved pet,
Your life can be better if you take time to love yourself.
And in order to get really,
Really into it,
You have to accept yourself just as you are.
How can we do that?
There are lots of ways to show love to yourself.
Just treat yourself to something you've been wanting,
A candy bar or a new pair of shoes,
Maybe a trip to the park or a leisurely walk out in nature.
You're in the best position to decide what a good treat would be.
Taking time to care for yourself.
Give your body the nourishment and care it needs so you can function at your best.
Do something you like to do and do it without judgment and without worrying about the time.
And maybe most important of all is to accept yourself for who and what you are.
Don't dwell on any failures from the past.
The past is just that,
It's past.
It's unchangeable.
We have to look at ourselves honestly and with kindness.
And in this moment,
Not based on the past,
It's been said that how you love and care for yourself is how you teach others to love and care for you.
And in order to really love and care for others,
We first have to love and take care of ourselves.
And loving yourself doesn't mean to go out and buy yourself something expensive each time.
It's taking time to care for yourself,
To listen to what your heart tells you that you need.
A day off,
A massage,
A camping trip,
A hike,
Whatever it might be that will lift you up.
The famed monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said,
Breathing in,
Be aware of your body.
Breathing out,
Release all tension in your body.
This is an act of love directed toward your body.
And always remember that all of our thoughts expend energy.
They have power,
Power to change us and others.
So make your thoughts count and let them be thoughts of self-love.
Close your eyes now,
And let's go in search of this moment together.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down.
But what does matter is that you are comfortable.
Turn off all your other devices so you aren't interrupted.
This is your time.
So set yourself up for success by going somewhere where you won't be disturbed or distracted.
You can return to the world in about 10 minutes.
But in this moment,
You owe it to yourself to make the most of this time.
Just relax.
There's no pressure.
There's no place to go and nowhere we have to be.
We are just here,
Looking for love in the best possible place,
Which is in ourselves.
Relax your face.
Unclench your jaw and unfurrow your brow.
Relax your neck.
Maybe you'd like to shake out your arms and hands and just let them rest comfortably.
Let your shoulders drop and let your whole body just sag.
Ease any tension out of your chest or belly.
Relax your legs and your feet as well.
And as you begin to really relax,
Let's start to focus on our breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
One breath at a time.
And I always say that because that's what meditation boils down to at its most basic.
It's doing one breath at a time.
Our breath is our anchor.
It's there for us in all moments.
And focusing on it can help us to capture the present moment.
As you focus on your breath,
Track its movement in your body.
Feel it as it comes in through your nose,
The air moving into you.
And notice the movement of it in your chest and belly as that life-giving air flows into you,
Filling you up with energy and vitality and life.
And then track your breath as it moves out of your body,
Your chest and belly deflating as the air leaves.
Just continue to breathe and follow each and every breath and let yourself continue to relax and settle in.
If it's agreeable to you,
Place one hand over your heart to form a connection as you gently breathe.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
One breath at a time.
Take this moment in time to offer love to yourself and do it with no judgment.
Breathe in.
And as you do,
Breathe in love for yourself.
And as you breathe out,
Let go of any tension.
Take in another breath,
Building this loving feeling.
And as you breathe out,
Just let go.
And as we settle deeper into stillness,
Let's set an intention of acceptance.
Accept who and what you are.
Accept the path that your life is on and that your path is a positive one.
Acknowledge all of your strengths and acknowledge what you view as your flaws or weaknesses.
We all have them,
Real or imagined.
Some things that we view as faults are put on us by others,
Our parents or siblings,
Teachers or friends.
And we need to let go of those judgments as well.
What each one of us needs to know is that we are enough.
We always have been.
We are often hardest on ourselves.
But being that way doesn't serve us.
If you like,
Whisper to yourself,
I am enough.
I am enough.
You have been and you always will be enough.
Loving yourself is the beginning of the path that leads to understanding and truly knowing yourself.
Let me say that again.
Loving yourself is the beginning of the path that leads to understanding and truly knowing yourself.
Remember that and think about it.
And anything that doesn't serve you,
Just let it go.
Just continue to follow your breath,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
I have to admit that the concept of self-love was very hard for me in the beginning.
It's not easy,
At least it wasn't for me,
To believe that I was enough.
And I know that's often it's hard to let go,
Especially of the judgments of others.
So if you're struggling a little bit right now,
That's okay.
It takes time to become accepting of yourself.
But you have to know that you are enough.
I'm still a work in progress,
Just as you are.
I've been at this meditation thing for 53 years,
And I'm still in a practice.
Just be grateful for all that you are.
Take this moment in time to be kind to yourself.
Loving yourself will help you to be your best self.
Let go of anything that doesn't serve you.
Let go of old beliefs and old judgments about yourself.
Let go of it all and say it again,
I am enough.
I am enough.
Now,
As we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.
Take in a deep breath through your nose and let it out through your mouth,
Letting out a sigh.
You're ready to move back into your day a little calmer and more joyful than before.
The concept of self-love can be hard,
But I know you can do it.
One breath at a time.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session,
And I'm so thankful that you have taken the time to join me in this practice.
Till next time.
