Love and Kindness
Only once you fully love yourself can you truly love and respect others.
With the practice of loving-kindness meditation, you are sure to become a more compassionate, kind, accepting and patient individual. As your energy touches those whom you meditate upon, their lives, too, will improve, even if it is only for a moment in time.
Create a mental image of yourself and picture yourself smiling, laughing or simply being filled with joy.
Repeat a personal mantra, or self affirmation statement. Feel love and kindness more with each breath you take.
First fill yourself with love and kindness, and then think about a close family member or friend, next think about someone you know, and then focus on a person for whom you feel ill will towards. For each of these people you will send positive energy.
The more you feel love and kindness, the more you will be able to radiate it to others.
The most important part of breathing in someone else’s bad feelings is that you dissolve their pain and exhale it from your body. If you don’t allow their negative emotion to dissolve then you put yourself at risk for sickness.
I find this exercise beneficial for myself; however, I feel as though it is difficult to always maintain the amount of energy that it is required to expel it upon others. I do know that practicing this every moment in time, that I am more patient and accepting of others than I see others around me with. I would recommend that others first practice just love and kindness towards themselves and be at peace before they expel their energy to anyone else. Once one has mastered the art of being accepting and patient with themselves, then they should start to incorporate others. Otherwise, I feel that it could be too overwhelming for the average person that doesn’t meditate.
I agree that this is a bit difficult for someone that doesn't meditate. I had trouble with it. However the idea of projecting loving kindness has been planted in my brain. I took my daughter to the book store yesterday and we were nearly run down by a young man and his baby stroller. He didn't even apologize and really acted like it was our fault for being in space. Instead of letting him have it, I *attempted* to send a positive vibe to him instead. My daughter thought that I had lost it by the way, when I said lets hope he has a better day tomorrow. It's a start!
ReplyDeleteLindsey, you bring up a really good point about practicing love and kindness toward yourself first. Using all of your energy and focus on others certainly depletes your own energy and wellness. Excellent blog.
ReplyDeleteYes this is exercise might be hard for beginners.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that one must love themselves first before they properly show it to others. Unfortunately there are many people who are unhappy with themselves or they do not like who they are as a person.
"You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy." ~ Author Unknown
"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." ~ Lucille Ball
I like your posting. Although I don't watch television much, I didn't notice how reading a book will calm my mind as well as exercise. Now that you have mentioned it, I can see how come I am at home when the television is off and I am just sitting on the couch starring out of the window. It may seem insane, but it is very relaxing and soothing to the mind.
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