Hi there,
My name is Vanessa Loder,
And it is part of my mission to help women empower themselves all over the world.
I'm honored to offer this guided meditation for International Women's Day and for Women's History Month.
Many years ago,
When I went on my first meditation retreat,
It was a day long just for women.
I didn't have much of a meditation practice at the time.
We meditated from 9 o'clock in the morning until 4 or 5 in the evening in 20 minute intervals with some breaks and movement in between.
Late in the day,
We were doing a guided meditation.
It was a room full of women,
Nothing but women.
There were three teachers at the front of the room,
Also all women.
One of them had beautiful gray hair with a white streak in her hair.
It was very stunning.
She just looked wise and compassionate.
So late in the day as we were meditating,
I did this thing that I think beginner meditators sometimes do,
Where I kind of peeked my eyes open and looked around the room thinking,
Are all of these people really still meditating?
This seems impossible.
And as I did that,
As I looked around the room,
I just saw this room full of women with the teachers up front and I felt the palpable energy in the room.
And this thought came through me,
Which was,
I've been chasing the wrong kind of power my entire life,
External power,
Money,
Prestige,
Status,
Success as defined by others.
And the thought I had was,
I've been chasing the wrong kind of power my entire life.
And the power that I want is inside this room right now.
It's inside that teacher who's sitting on the days with the white streak of hair.
And it's inside every single woman in this room.
And it's inside me.
It's this intrinsic soul power that we each have inside of us rather than an ego-based power.
So today,
In honor of International Women's Day and Women's Month,
I'd like to do this guided meditation for women.
So I'd like for you to call to mind a woman that you love.
Think of a woman you love dearly,
That you want to support and encourage and uplift.
This could be a friend,
A mother,
A daughter,
A sister,
A colleague at work,
Someone you're mentoring,
A lover.
Simply allow a woman's face to come to your mind,
Someone you care about.
And then repeat these phrases of well wishes to her.
May you have a deep sense of happiness,
Well-being,
And peace.
May you feel safe and protected both internally and externally.
May you be healthy and strong and accept your limitations.
May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May you live with comfort and ease.
And may you be held in loving kindness.
If you'd like,
You can even visualize or imagine her body floating up,
Up,
Up into the sky,
Resting on a beautiful white cloud as she's held in loving kindness.
So relaxed,
So peaceful,
Connected to her own power center that comes from within.
Now I'd like for you to turn your attention inward to send these same well wishes to yourself.
And if it's hard for you to offer loving kindness to yourself,
You can visualize or imagine a dear friend or someone who cares about you in an uncomplicated way is offering you these well wishes.
May I have a deep sense of happiness,
Well-being,
And peace.
May I feel safe and protected both internally and externally.
May I be healthy and strong and accept my limitations.
May I be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May I live with comfort and ease.
And may I be held in loving kindness.
You can visualize or imagine yourself floating up,
Up,
Up in the sky,
Landing on a cloud that holds your weight just perfectly,
Where you're held in loving kindness,
Deeply relaxed and nourished.
Now I'd like for you to visualize or imagine all women everywhere.
In the whole world,
Anyone who identifies as woman,
You be transgender,
Maybe you're born in a female body,
Maybe not,
All women everywhere in the whole world,
On every continent,
Picture all women everywhere as we send our well wishes.
May all women everywhere be free.
May all women everywhere feel safe and protected.
May all women everywhere be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all women everywhere have a deep sense of comfort,
Peace,
And ease.
May all women everywhere respect themselves and feel respected by others.
May all women everywhere be free from bondage and repression,
Both internally and externally.
May all women everywhere feel their authentic power.
May all women everywhere be held in loving kindness.
If you'd like,
You can visualize or imagine every single woman on the whole planet floating up,
Up,
Up,
Away from her duties and obligations,
Away from other people asking things of her,
Floating up,
Up,
Up into the sky and resting on a cloud,
Being held in loving kindness.
May all women everywhere reclaim our center and expand our consciousness as we step into our authentic soul-based power.
Together we rise.
Together we rise.
Together we rise.
We will not be held down.
Together we rise.
Together we rise.
If you'd like,
You can even say those words out loud.
Let go,
Release any anger,
Rage,
Or grief,
Sadness,
Fear.
Together we rise.
Together we rise.
It is time.
Together we rise.
Together we rise.
May you feel the power and the love that is at your center,
That is at your core,
That is always there,
That no one can take from you.
And together we rise.
Namaste.
