Welcome to this self-care meditation.
It can be so hard to carve out time to look after ourselves.
Modern life is busy,
Too busy,
And the demands all around us are many.
Too many of us feel frequently overwhelmed by the demands on our time and energy.
And all too often,
It can be too much and take a real and measurable toll on our health and well-being.
Let's take the next few moments together to care deeply for ourselves,
Bless ourselves,
Our lives,
Our bodies,
And minds.
Recognizing that our words have power,
Most of all the words we say to ourselves.
Recognizing also that we are responsible for our own self-care.
And try as we may,
We cannot pour from an empty cup.
If you are able to,
You may wish to find your favorite blanket or quilt and wrap it around yourself as a physical sign of the care and comfort you are offering yourself in this practice.
And if that's not for you,
That's okay.
Now pause,
Breathe in,
Hold the breath,
Exhale,
And let's begin.
Come to a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Take a deep breath and exhale out of the mouth with a sigh.
Do that again and feel the tension leaving your body as you slow down and focus on your body and your breathing.
This moment is just for you.
Allow yourself to relax and just be in your body,
Feeling its sensations as they arise and disappear.
Take this moment to acknowledge all the responsibilities in your life,
Whether at work or at home,
In your relationships,
And any other area of your life.
Recognize that they are many and wide ranging.
Notice how this practice of noticing makes you feel.
Take a moment to encourage and congratulate yourself for doing all that you do.
You may feel some resistance to this and that's okay.
Now we will introduce our centering thought,
I bless myself.
The words we speak to ourselves have great power to change our thoughts and feelings,
Our perspective and our moods.
By simply offering yourself a blessing,
You are acknowledging that you are worthy of care and attention and taking responsibility for caring for yourself.
No one else can do this for you.
It's a wonderful and powerful practice.
Repeat this phrase again,
I bless myself.
I bless myself.
I bless myself.
Repeat this phrase silently in your mind for the next few minutes.
If at any point you find your mind has wandered off into thoughts,
Gently bring it back by returning to the words,
I bless myself.
I bless yourself.
You You Notice to a close now,
Bring one or both hands to your heart to seal in this blessing and bring it forward into your day.
Repeat to yourself one more time,
I bless myself.
Now take a deep breath,
Exhale and step back into your day.
