Thank you for joining me.
Today we're going to go through a brief meditation,
And it'll be a form of metta,
And we're going to do metta for ourselves.
Metta is an ancient practice of loving kindness.
At its heart,
It's the simple practice of offering goodwill and compassion,
First to ourselves,
And then outward to others and to the world around us.
During this short practice,
We're just going to do metta for self,
And in the future I'll do metta for self and for others.
Tera Brach says,
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible,
Yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns.
We may want to love others without holding back,
Feel authentic,
Breathe in the beauty around us,
Dance and sing,
Yet each day we listen to inner voices that keep our life small.
The wonderful thing about this practice is that it's a gentle way of loosening those patterns that keep us small,
Not through force,
But through kindness.
So now I just want to invite you to arrive,
To settle in,
Find a comfortable position,
Allow your body to soften just a little.
Take a conscious breath in and gently let it go.
Let's do that one more time.
Take a conscious breath in and let it go.
Gently bring your awareness to yourself.
Not to the version of you that has everything together,
Not to the version of you that's trying so hard to improve or achieve.
Just simply be aware,
Aware of yourself right now as you are.
Notice what's going on internally with a little bit of care and kindness.
If you'd like,
Put your hand on your upper chest.
I'm doing it right now.
You can do it with me.
Just as a reminder that you're here.
The practice of metta is gently repeating a few phrases and so let's begin to do that now.
We'll do that without forcing them.
Just let them land.
Imagine a light seed falling to the ground and hitting the ground.
We're going to let these phrases land softly.
I'll speak them and then give you some space to repeat.
May I be kind to myself.
May I meet myself with compassion.
May I feel safe and supported.
May I accept myself as I am.
If you'd like,
Take a long,
Slow breath and release it.
Just do a quick check,
See how you're feeling.
It's okay if there's still some disturbing feelings or you're being carried away by thought.
This practice is a practice of simply offering kindness again and again using different phrases and allowing it to land and take effect as it will.
If you're noticing some resistance or you're a little bit disturbed,
Just say to yourself,
This too belongs.
And let's say a few more phrases.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be patient with myself.
May I know that I am worthy of love and care.
Take another conscious breath in and gently let it go.
And one more time,
Offering yourself these words.
May I be kind to myself.
May I accept myself as I am.
May I rest in compassion.
Let's just rest here for a minute.
Take a few more conscious breaths.
And when you're ready,
Slowly begin to return to the room that you're in.
Maybe wiggle your toes and your hands and your head a little.
Give yourself a little shake.
My hope for you today is that you will be reminded that you are worthy of your own kindness.
Namaste and take good care.
