My name is Sadie and I'm a yogi in recovery.
Step five concerns itself with courage and connection.
Sharing the deepest darkest parts of yourself is a sacred yet often painful event.
So it's vital that at this point you really cultivate a friendly attitude towards yourself.
The word ahimsa is a yogic term that means non-violence,
Not causing pain to any living being including yourself.
It's one of the precepts for living life on the eight-limbed path of yoga.
We have spent so much time degrading,
Hating,
Even abusing ourselves.
So if there's one practice that I would have you do each day,
This would be it.
This is a self compassion meditation.
So please find a comfortable seat.
Get as comfortable as you can even if you want to lay down.
You can even do this in bed as soon as you wake up.
It's a great way to start the day off.
Once you find a comfortable spot,
Begin to settle in.
Settle into the stillness,
To the silence,
And notice what it feels like.
Notice any reactions,
Storylines,
Opinions that you have to being still.
Sometimes being friendly towards ourselves is very unfamiliar territory.
So if this feels awkward,
Don't worry.
You're not alone,
But repeat the words anyway,
Even if you don't mean them.
This meditation will have four lines,
So I'll say the first line and then you'll repeat.
I'll say the second and then you repeat so on and so forth.
So are you ready?
Okay.
May I be happy?
May I be free?
May I feel safe?
May I feel loved?
May I be happy?
May I be free?
May I feel safe?
May I feel loved?
May I be happy?
May I be free?
May I feel safe?
May I feel loved?
May I be happy?
May I be free?
May I feel safe?
May I feel loved?
Continue to repeat the whole mantra or parts of it to yourself over and over,
Letting every word really sink in.
If your mind starts to wander,
That's okay.
Gently as you're it back to the words.
Now turn the corners of your mouth slightly upwards into a smile.
Relax your eyebrows.
Imagine the corners of your heart,
Your stomach,
Your kidneys,
Pulling gently upward towards the sky in the shape of a smile,
Your whole body lifting,
Reaching towards the sky.
And repeat the mantra.
May I be happy?
May I be free?
May I feel safe?
May I feel loved?
Several more times.
Do this with the smile on your face.
Keep the smile and bring your hand over the center of your sternum,
Right over top of your heart center.
May I be happy?
May I be free?
May I feel safe?
May I feel loved?
Release your hand off of your heart.
Bring the biggest smile to your face that you can.
May I be happy?
Stretch your arms up towards the sky.
Look up between your hands.
May I be free?
Wrap your arms around yourself.
Give yourself a hug.
May I feel safe?
And finally,
Both hands over the heart center.
May I feel loved?
Relax your hands in your lap or by your sides.
Thank you for your courage in taking this journey with me.
Thank you for taking the time to take care of yourself.
The ripple effect is vast.
Namaste.
