Giving Yourself Love and Kindness
August 31, 2020- 00:00OK, Good morning everybody.
- 00:01Thank you so much for joining it's Monday.
- 00:04I hope you all had a wonderful
- 00:07weekend and I'm glad you're taking
- 00:09this time now to just start the
- 00:12week in a peaceful, ungrounded way.
- 00:14Again, on Michelle Grand Massage
- 00:15therapist at Smilow Cancer Hospital.
- 00:17It's my pleasure to be with you today.
- 00:21We're gonna start with just a
- 00:24relaxing grounding meditation,
- 00:25and then we're going to go into
- 00:28a guided meditation about giving
- 00:30yourself love and kindness.
- 00:32So as always, just bring yourself
- 00:34into a comfortable position.
- 00:36Whatever is comfortable for you,
- 00:38whether it's sitting down,
- 00:40feet grounded on the floor,
- 00:42cross legged or laying down and
- 00:45keep your eyes open or closed,
- 00:47whatever you prefer.
- 00:50Let's take a deep breath in
- 00:52through your nose.
- 00:55And Exhale through your mouth.
- 00:58The past has already gone and
- 01:03the future is yet to come.
- 01:07You're concentrating on being peaceful,
- 01:10happy, and free in this present moment,
- 01:13just again concentrating on
- 01:16being aware of each breath.
- 01:19Your attention on the breath is continuous.
- 01:24You follow the breath as it begins
- 01:27in your abdomen, starts to expand.
- 01:31Continue to pay attention is your abdomen
- 01:34rises and falls with each breath like
- 01:37a child going high and low on a swing.
- 01:41Like a swing, your breath slows
- 01:43down at each end and you follow
- 01:46it all the way as it slows down.
- 01:51And starts again.
- 01:54Your mind keeps producing
- 01:56thoughts and that's its nature.
- 01:58But you do not follow the thoughts,
- 02:00you just concentrate on the breath.
- 02:03Feeling comfortable and at ease.
- 02:07With each breath, just let go of
- 02:10tension somewhere in your body and mind.
- 02:13If you hear sounds you don't react to them,
- 02:16just notice them and let them go.
- 02:20And continue to enjoy breathing peacefully.
- 02:25Focusing on your breath keeps
- 02:27you from getting lost in thought.
- 02:30If you notice sounds and skin sensations,
- 02:33just don't react to them.
- 02:36Smile it disturbances such as Memories,
- 02:40Little Itches and noises because smile
- 02:43relaxes you and you feel content.
- 02:47With each breath just arrive
- 02:50in the here and now.
- 02:52Spreading comfortably, remind is peaceful.
- 02:55Your body is free of tension.
- 02:59And your common rested.
- 03:01Can you feel free and at home?
- 03:09Just continue to feel grounded.
- 03:12If you're sitting in a chair.
- 03:16Just feel the back of the chair.
- 03:18Support your lower back.
- 03:21Just ground your feet flat on the floor.
- 03:26Failure spine upright.
- 03:31Your neck in the Crown of
- 03:35your head pulled skyward.
- 03:37Gently pull your shoulder
- 03:39blades back and down.
- 03:41Raising your rib cage slightly.
- 03:46These small ships will create a true
- 03:49physical openness for your heart.
- 03:51And open this consistent with the
- 03:54positive emotions you aim to cultivate.
- 03:57Gently lower your gaze to reduce any
- 04:00distractions and a few comfortable.
- 04:02If your eyes are open, close your eyes.
- 04:08Take a few deep breaths and bring
- 04:11your awareness to your heart.
- 04:17Visualize how each in breath
- 04:21affects your heart physically.
- 04:23Just breathe normally now,
- 04:26making no special effort to
- 04:29breathe in any particular way.
- 04:32Continue to rest your
- 04:34where NIS on your heart.
- 04:37Consider how each in breath
- 04:39nurses you as your heart drinks.
- 04:43In pressing precious oxygen.
- 04:46This passage of oxygen from the
- 04:49nearby air through your lungs and
- 04:52then into your beating heart and
- 04:54blood stream is the most basic
- 04:57and constant connection between
- 04:59you and the world around you.
- 05:04This simple act of breathing mix
- 05:08together all that is within you
- 05:11with all that lies beyond your skin.
- 05:16Each new Brad creates a unity of life
- 05:19as all people share the nourishment that
- 05:23the Earth's atmosphere freely offers.
- 05:29Check in now with how your body is feeling.
- 05:34Do you have any eggs? Any pains?
- 05:39Any worries or areas of tension?
- 05:44Or are you excited caught up
- 05:48in an eager anticipation?
- 05:50Whatever the feeling,
- 05:52there's no need to push it aside.
- 05:56Pleasant or not, let that feeling in,
- 05:59except it as part of what it
- 06:03means to be you at this moment.
- 06:09Meet the feeling with Curiosity.
- 06:12An open NIS. Note how it registers in
- 06:18your body and how those sensations change
- 06:22subtly from one moment to the next.
- 06:29Whether your current experience
- 06:31is pleasant or unpleasant,
- 06:33just witness and accept it.
- 06:39Weather events in your life are presenting
- 06:43you with good or bad fortune these days.
- 06:47Just witnessed an except those events
- 06:50see them as part of the inevitable ups
- 06:55and downs that all people experience.
- 06:59Just as surely as all people
- 07:01face good and bad fortune.
- 07:04All people, all the world over,
- 07:08yearn to feel good, safe,
- 07:11peaceful and healthy.
- 07:15Alongside your awareness of suffering and
- 07:19the fundamental sameness of all people.
- 07:22You can choose to wish yourself well.
- 07:26You deserve this kind NIS
- 07:29as much as anyone else.
- 07:35Begin to lightly call to
- 07:38mind your own good qualities.
- 07:42Let these qualities remind
- 07:44you of what's good in you.
- 07:50What touches your heart about yourself?
- 07:59Then gently offer. The classic wishes
- 08:03of loving kindness to yourself.
- 08:07Choosing phrases that
- 08:09best speak to your heart.
- 08:12May I feel safe? And protected.
- 08:17May I feel happy and peaceful?
- 08:21May I feel healthy and strong?
- 08:26May I live with ease?
- 08:29See yourself as being a
- 08:32dear friend to yourself.
- 08:37It might help to 1st imagine
- 08:40the warmth and tenderness.
- 08:42You might feel Tord an infant
- 08:44or a kitten as innocent as
- 08:47these small creatures can be.
- 08:52Experience how your face softens.
- 08:57And your heart expands in their presence.
- 09:10Now imagine directing these same
- 09:13feelings ever more of warmth
- 09:15and tenderness to yourself.
- 09:18May I feel safe? May I feel happy?
- 09:23May I feel healthy?
- 09:25May I live with ease?
- 09:31Between each phrase,
- 09:32pause for just a moment to drop
- 09:35your awareness down to your body,
- 09:38to your heart in particular.
- 09:40And note and accept whatever
- 09:45sensations arise there.
- 09:47May I feel safe?
- 09:52May I feel happy? May I feel
- 09:58healthy? May I live with ease?
- 10:07Know that this practice is more
- 10:09than the mere repetition of phrases.
- 10:12The phrases simply open the door
- 10:15to a chance for you to condition
- 10:18your heart to be more open.
- 10:21Excepting. Anne Kinder
- 10:26Becoming aware of your heart
- 10:29region allows you to witness
- 10:32this conditioning as it unfolds.
- 10:35May I feel safe? May I feel happy?
- 10:41May I feel healthy?
- 10:44May I live with ease?
- 10:51At times you'll find that your
- 10:55attention has strayed from the phrases.
- 11:00This may happen a lot,
- 11:02but don't worry, it's normal.
- 11:04Simply Begin again by gently bringing
- 11:08your awareness back to the phrases.
- 11:14May I feel safe? May I feel happy?
- 11:21May I feel healthy? May I live with ease?
- 11:31Each new moment of beginning again
- 11:34presents another chance to experiment
- 11:37with the spirit of loving kindness.
- 11:41Can you acknowledge your laps while at the
- 11:46same time gently returning to the phrases?
- 11:52What would it take to set aside all
- 11:56harshness and begin again with a kind
- 12:00and loving attitude towards yourself?
- 12:03May I feel safe? May I feel happy?
- 12:08May I feel healthy?
- 12:11May I live with ease?
- 12:16As you end this practice,
- 12:18know that it's completely natural
- 12:20for you to treat yourself kindly,
- 12:23even if you may forget to do so quite often.
- 12:28Know that you can generate this
- 12:31tender an loving attitude towards
- 12:34yourself anytime just by reminding
- 12:37yourself that this dance exists.
- 12:40And how it is it makes you feel.
- 12:44Difficulties and obstacles will still arise.
- 12:48Suffering happens,
- 12:49but you need not add to that suffering
- 12:54by treating yourself harshly.
- 12:56You can instead offer the ancient
- 13:00wishes of loving kindness.
- 13:02To yourself.
- 13:04And we end once again.
- 13:09May I feel safe? May I feel happy?
- 13:18May I feel healthy? May I live with ease?
- 13:28When you're ready, you
- 13:30can take a deep breath in.
- 13:35Then slowly Exhale. And again I breath in.
- 13:46And slowly. Exhale.
- 13:50Stretch your arms out to the
- 13:54left and to the weight as far
- 13:59as you can. Arms overhead.
- 14:03Head down into prayer pose.
- 14:10And when you're ready,
- 14:12you can open your eyes.
- 14:15And just take a moment and
- 14:18come back to yourself.
- 14:20And just acknowledge that we
- 14:22can always take that time to
- 14:25know what is going on around
- 14:27us to be realistic with what
- 14:30our limitations are with what
- 14:32our external influences are.
- 14:34But we can always be kind to ourselves
- 14:38and offer ourselves a bit of peace.
- 14:42I want you to take your fist and
- 14:45put it over your heart and take
- 14:48your other hand and Cup that fist
- 14:52and just press in for a moment.
- 14:55And just kind of feel your own strength.
- 15:00Just take a moment,
- 15:02I'm relax.
- 15:04And just feel your inner strength.
- 15:15Excellent and open your eyes.
- 15:19I thank you so much for being here
- 15:22today for taking the time to yourself.
- 15:25May the long time sun shine upon
- 15:27you and all love surround you.
- 15:30The pure light within you guide your
- 15:32way on guide your way on everybody.
- 15:35Have a wonderful week as
- 15:37we move into September.
- 15:39Will be doing our guided meditation on
- 15:41Mondays just on Mondays now at 10:30.
- 15:44So I hope to see you throughout
- 15:47the month and just be well.
- 15:49And take care of yourselves.
- 15:51Thank you.