Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today,
I want to talk a little bit about self-acceptance.
This meditation is based on a live session I did recently.
Self-acceptance is a powerful and transformative concept that involves embracing all aspects of yourself,
Both positive and negative.
You've heard me say many times before that all of the things that we strive for when we study meditation and mindfulness are just points along the same path.
Being your authentic self,
Giving yourself love,
Being more in the present moment,
Letting go,
And being accepting of yourself,
All of these things are just points on this path of mindfulness that we walk,
And when you find one,
You'll find them all.
To be accepting of yourself,
It means recognizing your strengths and your accomplishments without being overly vain,
And at the same time,
Acknowledging your weaknesses and mistakes without excessive self-criticism.
I said in the session that I had problems with this aspect when I had strokes.
It was hard for me to accept the fact that my left side was weak,
That I couldn't play the guitar like I used to,
That I couldn't walk as well,
And so much more.
And it took time and effort for me to come to accept myself as I was now.
Rather than defining yourself by a single characteristic or incident,
You have to see yourself as being a complete human being.
So if you made a bad mistake,
You shouldn't define yourself based on that.
You have to view yourself with all your parts,
Good and bad.
Here again,
For a time after my strokes,
I didn't really see myself as a whole person.
I saw myself as being broken,
Or incomplete,
And flawed.
As I started to think about it,
I realized that wasn't the case.
I ran my household,
And I was the main one raising my two daughters.
I helped out at their school.
I went on field trips.
I ran the Girl Scout troops.
And I did all of it while dragging myself around with a cane.
You can't see yourself based on just your job or a skill that you're good at.
All of you see me now as a more complete product,
But I haven't always been this way.
It took time.
It took kindness.
It took practice.
It took self-love.
And it took getting in touch with my breath multiple times a day.
Close your eyes now,
And let's get in touch with our breath.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Lying down,
Or standing.
The only thing that matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.
First,
Let's scan our body and begin to relax.
Begin to relax into this moment.
Unfurrow your brow and unclench your jaw.
Relax your face.
Relax your neck and your shoulders.
Those are common places of tension in our world today.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Let go of any tension in your chest or belly.
Feel yourself getting heavier with each breath.
Relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's focus even more on our breath.
Our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.
Just inhale slowly and then gently exhale.
And notice your breath.
Notice your breath as it flows in,
Where you feel it in your body,
A cool sensation in your nose as the air comes in,
And the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and out.
Just continue to breathe at your normal pace and don't force anything.
Just let your breath move in and out.
Let it flow like a river,
Sure and tranquil and calm.
And thoughts are a part of us.
They're a constant part of our world,
But you needn't concern yourself with them when you meditate.
Just focus on your breath and let thoughts pass across your mind and out again.
They're like clouds in the sky or waves on a lake.
Right now we're only concerned with our breath,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
If you hear sounds in the room,
Just let them go as well.
Barking dogs and meowing cats can't affect our river of calm.
Just continue to follow your breath and listen to my voice,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Accepting yourself can lead to a greater sense of well-being and it can lead to personal growth.
And when you accept yourself,
It helps you to build quality relationships.
You build these relationships with others by fostering a positive attitude towards yourself.
And accepting yourself for what you are makes you feel more capable of dealing with life's challenges.
I just keep breathing and I want to read this quote that I read in the live session.
It's by psychiatrist and author Elizabeth Kubler-Ross,
Who also wrote the book On Death and Dying.
And this is a beautiful quote.
And she said,
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat,
Known suffering,
Known struggle,
Known loss,
And have found their way out of the depths.
These persons have an appreciation,
A sensitivity,
And an understanding of life that fills them with compassions,
Gentleness,
And a deep loving concern.
Beautiful people do not just happen.
Beautiful words.
Here I'm going to pause for a minute so that you can just breathe and think and then I'll be back.
Now,
Here are some strategies to help you gain with your acceptance of self.
Be kind to yourself.
And most especially when you've made mistakes.
Each one of us needs to take more time being kind to ourself like we are kind to others.
And this practice of mindfulness and meditation help you to become more aware of your thoughts and your feelings and without judgment.
Another thing that can help is to include positive affirmations to remind yourself of your worth and your capabilities.
Include them in your meditations.
And if you really need to,
Talk to a therapist or join a support group that can help provide guidance and encouragement.
Self-acceptance is a journey and not a destination.
And it's about continuously working towards embracing who you are,
Flaws and all.
You are what you are.
And the sooner you accept it,
The happier you'll be.
Just keep following your breath,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
And notice the sensations in your body from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet and allow yourself to be fully present in this moment.
Then if you're agreeable,
Repeat the following affirmations either out loud or silently.
And as you say these words,
Try to feel the truth of them as you say them.
I am worthy of love and acceptance.
I am worthy of love and acceptance.
I accept myself just as I am.
I accept myself just as I am.
I am growing and learning every day.
I am growing and learning every day.
And I forgive myself for past mistakes.
I forgive myself for past mistakes.
Now as you continue to breathe,
Imagine a warm,
Glowing,
Golden light surrounding you.
And this light represents self-acceptance and love.
And see this golden light enveloping your entire body,
Filling you with warmth and comfort and love.
Visualize this light healing any areas of self-doubt or criticism.
Allow yourself to bask in this golden light,
Feeling its soothing presence.
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.
How good it is.
And every day is precious.
Every day is a good day if you're there to appreciate it.
And getting in touch with your breath multiple times a day will bring you peace and calm.
I really hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.
And I want to thank each and every one of you for taking time to share this moment with me.
You have the power to change your life.
Words have power.
Thoughts have power.
And you can do it one breath at a time.
Breathing in and breathing out.
You are what you are.
And the sooner you accept that,
The happier you'll be.
And I know that you can do it.
Till next time.
