It's so easy to get lost in negative thoughts and self-doubt.
Underneath those feelings of lack and insecurity often lies a deeper truth.
We don't feel worthy of love.
Societal ideals condition us to believe that we must always strive to be better.
That means more successful,
Happier,
Richer,
Smarter.
You get the picture.
Rarely are we ever made to believe that we are enough,
Just as we are.
We may not feel that we're worthy of our own love,
Which is so sad.
When your inner critic starts to creep in,
Judging and telling yourself that you'll never be successful or happy,
Remind yourself to pause whatever you're doing to rest and to breathe.
Mastering the day-to-day range of human emotion can be so challenging,
And I've found that in those moments,
When you slip into not-enoughness,
Are the moments when you most need to focus on loving yourself.
There are so many ways we can take care of ourselves and express self-love.
We can read uplifting poetry.
We can pamper ourselves with massage.
Take a long walk in nature or reach out to a friend or therapist for support.
As meditators,
We can also turn to our practice.
I've personally discovered that meditating on self-love allows me to reconnect with my heart,
To remember that I am worthy of love,
Especially my own.
Meditation on self-love gives us permission to get real and vulnerable with ourselves.
Sitting with your own thoughts and feelings,
Rather than pushing them away,
Is itself an act of love.
When you focus on your heart as you meditate,
You're able to create a compassionate space from which you can feel,
Without judgement,
Whatever it is that you need to feel.
During this time,
You're not beating yourself up about what you think you did wrong or however you think,
I can't measure up.
You're simply allowing yourself to be human.
As soon as we leave the present moment and allow thoughts,
Good or bad,
To consume our attention,
We can feel ourselves drifting away from the experience of this compassionate space.
Meditation allows you to see that thoughts aren't permanent,
They come and go.
When you take a step back from them and let them pass,
You can see that any unworthiness you feel is only temporary.
So instead of being hard on yourself and getting caught up in the usual not-enough storyline,
When you face self-doubt and lack of self-love,
Breathe.
And use this meditation to remind yourself that you are worthy of your own love and compassion.
So let's get ready to meditate.
So first,
Make yourself comfortable.
You can lie on your back or sit in the chair.
If you're lying down,
Feel the connection between the back of your body and the surface you're lying on.
If you're seated,
Lengthen up through your spine,
Broaden your collarbones and let your hands rest on your thighs,
Palms facing either up or down.
Once you're settled,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze and tune into your breath.
Notice your breath without trying to change it.
And notice also if you feel tense or relaxed without trying to change that either.
Inhale through your nose and then exhale through your mouth.
Continue to take deep,
Full breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
As you breathe,
Become aware of the state of your body and the quality of your mind.
Where is your body holding tension?
Do you feel closed off or shut down emotionally?
Where is your mind?
Is it wandering or is it at home within the breath?
Is your mind at ease or filled with restlessness,
Negativity and doubt?
I invite you to place both hands over your heart and continue to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Ask yourself,
How does it feel to place my hands over this tender area,
This place where I experience love for self and others?
Let your breath become smooth and effortless and begin to breathe in and out through your nose.
Feel the flow of air moving into your lungs and then back out into the world.
With each exhale,
Imagine you're releasing any negative thoughts that may be lingering in your mind.
Continue to focus on your breath.
On each inhale,
Think I am worthy and on each exhale,
I am enough.
Let each inhale draw in self love and each exhale release what is no longer serving you.
Inhale I am worthy,
Exhale I am enough.
Take a few minutes to breathe and recite this mantra internally.
Notice how you feel as you say these words to yourself.
If your mind starts to wander at any point,
Know that it's ok,
It's the nature of the mind to wander.
Simply bring your attention back to the breath.
Notice how your thoughts come and go,
Whether positive or negative and simply allow them to pass on by like clouds floating in the sky.
Inhale I am worthy,
Exhale I am enough.
Now visualise yourself standing in front of a mirror and look into your own eyes.
What do you see?
Pain and sadness?
Love and joy?
Neutrality?
Regardless of what appears in the reflection,
Tell yourself I love you,
You're beautiful,
You're worthy of happiness.
Know that what you see in the mirror in this moment may be different from what you see the next time you look.
Imagine now that you could breathe into your heart and visualise love pouring out of your hands and into your heart.
Let this love warm and permeate you from your heart centre,
Filling the rest of your body.
Feel a sense of comfort and calm travelling up through your chest,
Into your neck and head,
Out into your shoulders,
Arms and hands,
And then down into your ribs,
Belly,
Pelvis,
Legs and feet.
Allow a sensation of warmth to fill you from head to toe.
Breathe here and know that love is always available for you when you need it.
As this practice comes to a close,
Take a few more deep mindful breaths and then softly open your eyes.
Wait for a few moments to acknowledge the unique experience you had during this meditation.
Refer back to this practice or any other resource you may have whenever you need to create a loving space for yourself.
This is a beautiful opportunity to learn something new about yourself and tune into your physical and emotional needs.
Let self-love enable you to build a stronger relationship with yourself and allow you to show up more fully in your life.
There's no greater force than love.
Namaste.
