Hi,
My name is Rachel.
Today we will be doing a loving kindness meditation.
And loving kindness can be really important for spreading kindness to ourselves and to those around us.
It can help boost mood and just overall wellbeing.
And it's important to note that before being kind to others,
We must be kind to ourselves.
So starting in a seated upright position,
You can start getting comfortable.
Making any small movements that feel comfortable.
You can start taking a notice at all your surroundings.
Any colors,
Objects,
Patterns that stick out to you.
And with the next out breath,
You can gently close your eyes.
Becoming aware of any sounds.
Sounds outside the room,
Inside the room.
The sound of my voice,
The sound of your breath.
And you can start to become aware of any areas of contact between you and the surface below.
Your back against the chair.
Your thighs against the surface below.
Your clothes against your skin.
And starting at the top of the head and ending at the toes,
You can do a gentle body scan.
Noticing any areas of tension.
Any areas of calm.
What feels busy,
What feels quiet.
And gently moving throughout each body part.
And slowly ending at the toes.
Noticing what it feels like to be present and grounded in your body right now.
And starting to come in contact with your heart,
Your heart center.
Notice if there's any color or shape.
See if you can detect a heartbeat.
And if not,
That is perfectly okay.
And taking an inhale in and exhale out.
You can slowly and quietly repeat after me.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be at peace.
And seeing these one more time.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be at peace.
And now notice whoever comes to mind,
Somebody that you'd like to send these well wishes to.
Maybe someone you love dearly or someone you may have a more challenging relationship with.
Let them come to your mind.
And with the next out breath,
Silently and slowly repeating after me.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
And again,
Repeating after me.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be at peace.
Allowing whatever comes up to just be.
As we begin to end this practice,
I want to remind you that you can always return back here whenever you feel like you need it.
So starting to notice any points of contact between you and the surface below.
Noticing where your hands are placed.
How your body sinks into the surface below.
Noticing how your clothing feels against your skin.
Any smells you can detect.
Maybe there's a leftover taste in your mouth.
Noticing any sounds.
Any sounds further away.
How your breath rises and falls.
And before you open your eyes,
I want you to ask yourself this question.
How can I show more kindness to myself?
And allow whatever comes up.
And then I want you to ask yourself,
How can I show more kindness to those around me?
And you can start to make any small movements that feel comfortable.
And in your own time,
You can gently open your eyes,
Returning to your surroundings.
Thank you so much for joining me here today.
