Hi,
This is Stefania and this is a meditation for love and kindness to ourselves.
You don't have to do anything during this meditation but to sit,
Absorb the energy and participate in your mind or out loud as you will.
Or you can just sit and be.
This is a meditation practice for self-love.
Let's begin.
First,
Find a comfortable place to sit where you won't be disturbed.
If you're on a chair,
Scoot to the back of the chair so your lower back has support so you can sit comfortably.
Ground both your feet flat on the floor.
Sit upright with your spine,
Neck and the crown of your head pulled skyward.
Gently pull your shoulder blades back and down,
Raising your rib cage slightly.
These adjustments will create a physical openness for your heart,
An openness to let in the positive emotions that you aim to cultivate.
Gently lower your gaze to reduce any distractions if you're comfortable doing this and close your eyes.
Before we go any further,
Put your hands over your heart please and visualize a golden light from your head to your toes,
From your left side to your right side forming a perfect circle of protection and peace and divine love.
In this meditation,
You'll hear my voice followed by some periods of silence.
And in these silent periods,
Continue to say the phrases of loving kindness silently to yourself or just think on them.
Take a few deep breaths and bring your awareness again to your heart.
Visualize how each in breath affects your heart physically.
Now,
Breathe normally.
No special effort to breathe,
Just breathe normally.
While continuing to rest your awareness on your heart,
Consider how each in breath nourishes you as your heart drinks in precious oxygen.
This passage of oxygen from the nearby air through your lungs and then into your beating heart and bloodstream is the most basic and constant connection between you and the world around you.
This simple act of breathing knits together all that is within you with all that lies beyond your skin.
Each new breath creates a unity of life as all people share the nourishment that the Earth's atmosphere freely offers.
Check in now.
How is your body feeling?
Do you have any aches and pains?
Any worries?
Tensions?
Or are you eagerly caught up in the anticipation of what lies ahead for you in this meditation?
Whatever the feeling,
There's no need to push it aside.
It's all good.
Pleasant or not,
Let that feeling in.
Select it as part of what it means to be you at this moment.
Meet that feeling with curiosity and openness.
Note how it registers in your body and how those sensations change subtly from one moment to the next.
Whether your current experience is pleasant or unpleasant,
Just witness and accept it.
Whether events in your life are presenting you with good or bad fortune these days,
Just witness and accept those events.
See them as part of the inevitable ups and downs that all people experience.
Just as surely as all people face good and bad fortune,
All people,
All the world over yearn to feel good,
Safe,
Peaceful and healthy.
Alongside your awareness of suffering and the fundamental sameness of all people,
You can choose to wish yourself well.
You deserve this kindness as much as anyone.
Take in a breath.
Hold and let it out.
Now begin by lightly calling to mind your own good qualities.
Let these qualities remind you of what's good in you.
What touches your heart about yourself?
Then gently offer these classic wishes of loving kindness to yourself,
Choosing phrasings,
Words that best speak to your heart.
Feel free to change these words as you need so that they are meaningful and effortless to and for you.
May I feel safe and protected.
May I feel happy and peaceful.
May I feel healthy and strong.
May I live with ease.
See yourself as being a dear friend to yourself.
We're often good friends to others,
But when it comes to ourselves,
We might have a little difficulty.
So right now,
Try to see yourself as being a dear friend to yourself.
It might help to first imagine the warmth and tenderness you might feel towards an infant or a kitten,
As innocent as these small creatures can be.
Experience now how your face softens and your heart expands in their presence.
Now imagine directing these same feelings of warmth and tenderness inward to yourself.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
Between each phrase,
Pause for just a moment to drop your awareness down to your body,
To your heart in particular,
And notice and accept whatever sensations arise there.
Without judgment,
Just notice and accept.
Please know that this practice,
It's more than just a mere repetition of phrases.
The phrases simply open a door to a chance for you to condition your heart to be more open,
Accepting,
And kinder.
Becoming aware of your heart region allows you to witness this conditioning as it unfolds.
Be aware.
And again.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
At times,
You might find that your attention has strayed from the phrases.
That's okay.
Doesn't mean you're a bad person.
It may happen a lot.
Don't worry.
It's normal.
Simply begin again by gently bringing your awareness back to the phrases.
No need to berate yourself for losing your focus.
It's really totally okay.
You're a good person.
Each new moment of beginning again presents another chance to experiment with the spirit of loving kindness.
Can you acknowledge your last,
While at the same time,
Gently returning to the phrases?
Just accepting and gently coming back?
What would it take to set aside all harshness and begin again with a kind and loving attitude towards yourself?
We're going to do it again.
And if you like,
Cross your hands over your heart.
You're speaking to your heart self.
That lovely pink chakra energy area.
Let's try again.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
If you have in your collection a piece of rose quartz,
Even a little nugget,
Doesn't have to be big,
When you are feeling in doubt of yourself,
When you are feeling alone,
Hold your rose quartz to your heart and say these phrases to bring yourself a bit of peace and calm and love.
As you end this practice,
Know that it's completely natural for you to treat yourself kindly.
Even if you may forget to do so,
Quite often it's okay.
Know that you can generate this tender and loving attitude towards yourself that we've just practiced.
You can do it anytime.
Just by reminding yourself that this dance exists and how at ease it makes you feel.
Difficulties and obstacles will still arise.
You're not trying to escape.
Suffering happens,
But you need not add to that suffering by treating yourself harshly.
You can instead offer the ancient wishes of loving kindness to yourself.
And let us close this meditation by again.
This time.
We don't know who is doing this meditation with us,
But let's just envision a big circle of white and gold energy connecting us all,
All of us who are doing this together right now.
And let us once again say these wonderful words.
May I feel safe.
May I feel happy.
May I feel healthy.
May I live with ease.
All is well.
And that's the end of our meditation.
Feel free to return to this meditation whenever you feel the need.
Whenever you might be feeling lonely or down on yourself,
Come back.
We'll be here waiting for you.
Many blessings to you.
Bye for now.
