Welcome to this self-esteem meditation.
Take a moment to find a comfortable position.
Settle into your body.
Pause.
Notice your breath.
Notice this moment.
Orient yourself to your surroundings by noticing any sounds you can hear.
Feel the weight of your body and the places your body is making contact with.
Whatever is supporting you.
The floor or a piece of furniture.
Notice any smells or the sensation of air drawing into your nose.
If your eyes are open,
Notice what you can see.
The amount of light or dark.
Things above and below.
Far and near.
If your eyes are closed,
Experience the quality of that darkness.
The serenity of drawing your attention inward.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Let your posture grow a little taller.
Exhale slowly and gradually.
When you breathe in,
Imagine your breath is filling your body with a bright light.
As you inhale,
Imagine the light expanding throughout your body.
Sparkling particles of light that represent your aliveness.
The energy in your cells.
As you exhale,
Imagine the light shining out of your body.
Radiating a peaceful,
Loving energy into the world.
Inhale.
Let the column of light expand up and down your spine.
Lifting and creating space in your posture.
Exhale.
Let the light soften and travel all around your body.
From your skin to your muscles to your bones.
From your fingertips to the top of your head.
To the soles of your feet.
From your extremities to your heart.
And radiating back out into the world like glowing waves.
Now place your hands over your heart if you like.
In a prayer pose.
Or one hand on your heart.
One hand on your belly.
Or place your hands wherever they are most comfortable.
Bring awareness to the contact and connection between your hands and wherever they are placed.
Notice and honor the life energy in your hands and your body.
Notice your heart beating and the rise and fall of your breath.
Now imagine the energy of love and receive that energy into your body and into your heart.
Imagine the safe,
Nurturing,
Healing essence of love.
It may help to imagine the source of someone who to you exemplifies unconditional love.
Such as a partner,
Parent,
Friend,
Pet,
Or a religious figure.
Or if not a person,
Animal,
Or deity then maybe imagine the color of love or the quality.
Or an element in nature that embodies the essence of love.
This loving energy does not need to be earned.
When there is nothing you have done or fallen short of that disqualifies you from receiving this love.
Just take the love in and let it fill you up and soothe you.
Let it heal you and inspire you.
Imagine if everyone in the world felt the safety and security of an abiding love.
If during this meditation you notice your mind either wandering or resisting any prompts that is okay.
There is room for that wandering or doubt.
It is normal.
It is what our minds are prone to do.
Just acknowledge and accept your own experience non-judgmentally.
It may help to label what you recognize such as fear,
Critical thinking,
Sadness,
Craving,
Judgment,
Etc.
Then come back to your breath or a word or phrase such as love,
I understand,
It's okay,
Let it go,
This to,
Or yes.
As in saying yes to the experience itself,
Accepting it as it is.
Self-esteem can be complicated.
It can be shallow or ego-based yet plentiful or lacking but perhaps grounded in humility.
But the practice of self-love,
Self-compassion,
Self-acceptance and even celebrating ourselves provides an important foundation for how we interact with the world and also the tone of our internal state.
Self-compassion can anchor us creating a vital and vibrant root system that supports us to grow and flourish.
So I invite you to embrace a practice of self-esteem that is bolstered by self-compassion and loving kindness.
I invite you to extend the following loving kindness phrases to yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be balanced.
May I be free.
May I be supported through my suffering.
May I be awakened to the moment.
May I know compassion and loving presence.
May I embrace my dreams and aspirations.
May I feel seen and heard.
May I remember my worth and celebrate my unique presence and contributions in the world.
May I find and honor my voice.
May I thank my body for its work.
May I allow myself to rest and relax.
May I forgive myself for my shortcomings.
May I offer myself grace.
May I be kind to myself.
And may I be enveloped in peace and abiding love.
If you are experiencing any resistance,
Offer that resistance some grace.
Acknowledge the resistance.
Roll with the resistance.
Even smile at the resistance.
Change can be challenging.
And for some,
Relating kindly to ourselves can be foreign.
This vulnerability can feel like a loss of control and can evoke fear.
Notice the sensations you are feeling.
Just know that accepting yourself can paradoxically bring freedom and a solid foundation for making positive change and living authentically.
So you can change from a place of strength.
Shame and negative criticism keep us held down.
But compassion and acceptance can allow us to rise up and shine out.
Return your focus to your breath.
Scan your body once again and release any noted tension,
Especially in your face,
Throat,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Stomach,
Hands,
Hips,
And feet.
I invite you to receive the following affirmations.
Or you are welcome to add in your own affirmations.
If you notice yourself resisting the phrases,
For example,
If the affirmation is,
I am brave,
You can always add some qualifiers at the beginning such as,
I want to feel brave.
I am working on feeling brave.
I forgive and accept myself for not always feeling brave or I can be brave.
I invite you to let the affirmations wash over you and resonate in your heart.
I am okay,
I am safe,
I am here now,
I am loving,
I am a unique creation.
I am a good friend,
I am a beautiful spirit.
I am well-intentioned,
I try.
I want to help.
I care about others.
I am authentic,
I listen.
I know that it is okay to say no.
I can draw boundaries to preserve my health.
I am a whole person.
I have strengths and talents.
I have dreams.
I am alive.
I do not have to be perfect as no one is perfect and perfection is not my goal.
I embrace my flaws with a spirit of humility and grace.
I am human.
I am open to learning.
I try my best whenever I can.
My efforts are enough.
I am enough.
I am more than enough.
I can let emotions flow through me like water.
I can forgive.
I can grow and expand.
I can admit my mistakes.
I can work on change.
I accept where I am at today and I hold out the vision for how I want to grow in the future.
I can give and receive compassion,
Respect,
And kindness to others and to myself.
It is a full circle of loving kindness that I dance within,
I sing about,
I weave my words around,
And I seek shelter within.
I am love.
I am light.
I can shine.
The light within me always maintains a loving glow.
Namaste.
The light within me honors the light within you.
