Welcome,
And thank you for taking this opportunity to tap into the love within you and offer yourself love.
Sometimes it may feel easier to love others than it is to love yourself.
And part of the reason for that may be that you're not always comfortable offering love to yourself,
Because deep down you might feel unworthy or undeserving of love.
Many of us have a harsh inner critic who likes to point out our flaws,
Limitations,
And mistakes,
And leaves us feeling a sense of unworthiness,
Feeling not good enough,
Or even unlovable.
For this practice,
We'll ask the inner critic to step aside for a while so that you can access your loving self,
That part of you that offers warmth,
Love,
Kindness,
And care.
So to begin,
Find a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
Whatever's most comfortable to you.
Go ahead and close your eyes and begin to focus in on your breath.
Use your breath to help you settle in and relax.
Release any tension you may be feeling with each exhale.
And feel your breath opening up your chest and expanding your lungs when you inhale.
As you continue to breathe,
Feel the gravity pulling your body downward,
And feeling the surface beneath you supporting you and holding you up,
Allowing your breath to come in and out gently and naturally,
Feeling your chest and belly rising and falling with each breath.
Breathing into your heart,
Nice nourishing breaths.
See if you can notice your heart beating in your chest.
And also see if you can notice your heartbeat in other areas of your body.
Perhaps there's a pulse in your neck,
Or your hands or your feet.
Feel your heart pulsing throughout your whole body while you settle in and relax into stillness.
From this relaxed and still state,
We're now going to wake up your loving self,
That love within you.
And you can do this by first bringing into mind someone you love,
Who's easy to love unconditionally.
This can be a person or a pet,
Can be a loved one from the past or the present,
Or it can even be someone imagined in the future,
A future love.
In your mind,
Imagine looking at this loved one with loving eyes and a smile.
You can even bring a slight smile to your face now as you imagine your loved one before you.
Allow yourself to open up space for the feeling of love to emerge,
Knowing that right now you can give love freely,
Effortlessly,
Without fear or doubt or consequences.
Notice the feeling of love within you.
Notice where you feel it in your body and how it feels there.
The warmth,
The lightness,
The expansiveness.
Breathing into the feeling,
Giving it life and energy,
And feeling the love expand with each inhale,
Feeding it with your life-giving breath,
Continuing to breathe into it.
Next,
Imagine a light in the center of your chest,
Right where your heart is located.
Imagine that it's growing larger with each in-breath.
And as it expands,
You feel your heart opening.
Bringing your loved one to mind once again,
Now feel yourself sending that pulsating,
Loving light and energy toward your loved one,
Feeling love being extended outward,
And noticing how it feels to extend love to your loved one.
Next,
We'll practice being able to receive love,
Because sometimes you may find it difficult to receive love.
It may feel really vulnerable,
Like it's unsafe to open your heart,
Or you may feel that you're unworthy.
So we'll start by having you give yourself permission to receive love,
Letting yourself know that right now it's safe,
And you deserve love.
You are worthy of receiving love.
Say to yourself,
I give myself permission to receive love.
I deserve love.
Let that sink in.
I deserve love.
If you notice any resistance or thoughts and beliefs of not deserving love,
Notice it and allow yourself to let it go for now.
Imagine letting it all go with each exhale.
And with the inhale,
Imagine breathing in peace and openness.
Now I'll ask you to imagine someone who you care about,
Saying kind and loving things to you.
And it doesn't matter if this person would actually say these exact words,
Just try to imagine it,
And all you'll need to do in return is receive it,
Without judgment.
Just allow yourself to take it in.
So bring into mind someone you care about.
And imagine this person in front of you,
Telling you this.
You are important to me.
I want nothing but the very best for you.
I care about you deeply.
I don't expect you to be perfect.
And I accept that you're not always at your best.
I love and accept you for who you are.
Notice how you feel when you hear that.
Next I'll be asking you to give and receive loving words to yourself.
And if you'd like,
You can place your hand on your heart in a loving gesture.
Now bring the feeling of love back into your awareness.
Notice how you can access the feeling of love just by thinking about it,
By feeling into it.
Now speak these words into your heart.
Everything I need is within me.
I have a lot to offer to this world.
I deserve happiness,
Love,
Peace,
And freedom.
Even when I make mistakes,
I deserve love.
Even when I'm awkward and insecure,
I deserve love.
Even when I'm angry and irritable,
I deserve love.
Even when I put up walls around my heart,
I deserve love.
Even in my darkest moments,
I deserve love.
Even when I feel the most alone,
I deserve love.
Even when I have nothing left to give,
I deserve love.
I don't have to do anything to be loved.
There is an abundance of love within me.
I love myself for all that I am.
I love myself for all that I am.
Notice how it feels to receive those loving reminders and continue to breathe.
Take some time to let them really sink in.
And take a moment now to truly appreciate yourself for giving yourself this opportunity to devote time to giving and receiving love.
Take a moment to feel the gratitude and love as it runs through you.
Now ask yourself,
What's the most loving thing you can do for yourself next?
What can you do today that will be an act of love for yourself?
Now I invite you to bring your awareness back into the space that you're in,
Aware of your body resting on whatever surface you're resting on.
You can begin to move your body a little.
Stretch if you need to.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes and notice your surroundings,
Reorienting yourself to the present moment.
And remember to do something loving for yourself today and every day.
Take good care.
