For this meditation on giving and receiving love,
Make sure you're in a place where your heart feels as safe and your body feels as comfortable as possible.
Just bringing your awareness to your breathing.
As you breathe deep within,
Feel the energy of the center of your being.
Feel that metaphor that we call heart.
The tingling of energies that may have been held back over time.
Perhaps desiring to be released and expressed in a new and profound way of giving and receiving love in your life.
The following is a great way to measure your willingness to live fully in love each day.
The question for self-inquiry is simple.
How willing am I to give love today?
And how willing am I to receive love today?
How willing am I to give love today?
How willing am I to receive love today?
If there seems to be anything within you that has a no,
A holding back,
An apprehension,
Anything limiting your ability to freely live in love,
Some more inquiry is required.
Is there anything that has happened that has made me unwilling to give love or hesitant to receive love?
Whatever this is,
Whatever it may be,
It is a call to forgiveness.
You may or may not be ready to forgive now.
That's okay.
But just be aware of whatever the circumstance,
The thought,
Whatever was seen or felt.
Just bring your awareness to it.
Bring your awareness to anything that is keeping you from being in the flow of love.
It could be something that happened 10 years ago.
It may be something that happened five minutes ago.
Know that if you want to live fully in love,
You must resolve this within yourself.
No one else can resolve it for you.
Realize that this is keeping you from living fully in love.
And holding onto this is only punishing yourself.
Now ask yourself,
Is there anything that could happen to help me live more willing to give love or more willing to receive love?
Is there anything that could happen to help me live more willing to give love or more willing to receive love?
Be aware of the many responses you might have.
Notice if your answers are limited,
It may be that you are limiting the love truly available around you.
Nonetheless,
Don't judge yourself for your responses.
Just listen and bring awareness.
How willing or open are you to these things taking place?
Knowing that they are possible,
Does it give a sense of expansion,
A feeling of expansion within or around you?
Lastly ask yourself,
What are the ways I am consciously willing to give love today?
It could be to write a love note to your partner,
Reach out and check in on a friend,
Surprise someone you care about with a book you might think they would like to read.
Now ask,
What are the ways I am consciously willing to receive love today?
What are the ways I am consciously willing to receive love today?
This could be acts of self-care,
A latte from your favorite coffee place,
A walk around the lake.
It could also be willing to ask someone you care about for support.
These don't always have to be forceful acts,
But willing ones.
Say to yourself,
I am willing to be loved by those who love me today.
I am willing to love myself.
I am willing to let life love me.
I am life worthy.
I am love worthy.
To practice staying in the flow of life and love,
Try the practices we have done together every day for a week.
After seven days,
Write down what differences,
If any,
You notice about yourself and your life.
Are you living more in the flow of giving and receiving love?
The great poet Rilke invites us to believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance,
And have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.
Believe in that love.
Visualize that love.
Step into that love.
Believe and give from this love.
