SELF-LOVE
A meditation by Mary Loughman, author of “The 12 Powers Series”
Settle yourself into a comfortable position.
As you walk through the visualization portions of this meditation, take as much time as you need. Give yourself this time, here and now, to release all other thoughts that might occupy your mind.
Allow yourself to be fully present in this moment.
Relax your facial muscles, your neck, your shoulders, your lower back, your legs, your hands and feet.
Take three deep breaths in preparation for meditation.
On your third exhale:
In your mind, see yourself standing at the edge of a forest. You see a break in the trees; a path. You walk toward it and enter the forest to follow the path. You feel the change in temperature as you step into the shade of the forest.
As you walk this path, you feel the crunch of sticks and leaves under your feet. You smell the earthy aroma of rotting wood that is being absorbed back into the earth. You smell the fresh leaves and plants that are just beginning their time here.
Your path is clear due to the many that have come before you. Just ahead you see where the path splits into two. There is a directional sign with arrows that offer you a choice. One reads “Self-Love” the other reads “Love for Others.”
On this day you will choose the path to “Self-Love.”
The path is eerily quiet. The only sounds you hear are the sounds you make as you walk, breathe and move along the path.
You come to a small clearing and feel the heat of the sun as it abruptly hits your body.
You stop for a moment to watch the colorful wildflowers move in the wind.
Across the clearing, you spot an orb the size of a beach ball that appears to be made of glass. You are drawn to it as if it were a human magnet. As you approach it, you see it begin to sparkle with tiny flakes of light, like a snow globe filled with stars.
You bend to pick it up. It is heavy and cool as you cradle the globe in your arms. As you look inside of it, a scene comes into view. It is a scene of something that is weighing on you. This could be a worry you have, a situation you are struggling with, or a fear you are experiencing.
You look at this scene within the globe and feel all the feelings that this brings to you. You feel it in your heart, in the pit of your stomach; you feel the weight of it.
After a moment you begin to see the scene within the globe transform. The scene begins to morph into what is on the other side of this worry, struggle or fear. You can see what your life will look like in the future. You see the positive result or the lesson learned. You can see what comes to you once you have moved through this heavy experience. What you see within the globe is a scene of your best expectations.
As the scene changes the globe gets lighter and warmer. You begin to feel a change in your body. As the scene transforms, so do your feelings about it. You can feel the joy, the warmth of love and peace that the scene is now emanating. You feel it in your heart and it brings a smile to your face. You take a deep breath and feel this resolve wash over you. As you exhale, the now almost weightless bubble in your arms bursts into the atmosphere. You see the tiny stars float away into the every-thingness that is the universe.
Smiling, with a sense of wonder, you turn to look for the path that brought you to this place. You follow it back to the edge of the forest carrying these feelings of joy, love and peace within your heart. You feel energized and light. You bring this energy to your day with gratitude and enthusiasm for what is to come.
Take three deep breaths. As you exhale your third breath take just a moment to look at your surroundings and feel grateful for your place in this world. You affirm:
Today I release all worry, struggle or fear. I am grateful for the gifts I have to offer and my ability to bring these gifts to fruition. I am the light of the world.
Shine bright, shine on.