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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners

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Why We Self-Sabotage

Cory Muscara

00:00

00:00

Meditation

4.8

Duration

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Why We Self-Sabotage

In this meditation, we'll explore (and practice letting go of) the subtle patterns of conditioning that cause us to self-sabotage our success and happiness.

Let's start by settling

into a comfortable posture.

This could be sitting,

lying down or standing.

If it feels okay to do so,

you can close your eyes.

And we'll take one deep breath

together as a way to further settle in.

Breathing in through the nose.

And out through the mouth.

You can invite the jaw to relax.

As well as any muscles in

the face that may be tense.

Let your shoulders be at ease.

As well as your hands and belly.

In this moment, there's no place else

you need to be, nothing you need to fix.

See if you can give yourself the

permission to actually be here.

Letting the breath settle

into its natural rhythm.

And we'll take a few moments to

center our attention on our breathing.

As the mind wanders, future, past,

ideas, whatever, doesn't matter, we

just observe it and gently redirect

back to this breath and this moment.

In this meditation, we're working

with our tendency to self-sabotage.

Since a lot of this often happens out

of cycles of self-hatred and not feeling

comfortable in our own skin or feeling

like we need to fill a void in some

way, cultivating a more compassionate

relationship with yourself can actually

be quite powerful and liberating

for some of the negative patterns

we get sucked into over and over.

So we're going to practice a

loving kindness meditation.

I invite you to place one hand on

your heart, maybe the right hand,

and then the left hand on your belly.

If you feel some resistance to doing

this, all the more reason to do it,

especially if it feels uncomfortable.

That's often when we need it the most.

And we'll just take a deep

breath into our hands.

Breathing in.

And breathing out.

Feeling the lungs breathing with

our hand on the belly and our heart

beating with our hand on our heart.

And in your own mind, you can

repeat these phrases after me.

The first one is, may I be happy.

So just say that in your own mind.

May I be happy.

And then, may I be safe.

May I be healthy.

And may I find what I

most need in this life.

May I be happy.

May I be safe.

May I be healthy.

May I find what I most need in this life.

Let's do one more round,

really feeling the words.

May I be happy.

May I be safe.

May I be healthy.

And may I find what I

most need in this life.

Take one more deep

breath, taking it all in.

And when you're ready, you

can open your eyes again.

Great job.

The more we practice loving kindness,

the more we're becoming our own best

friends it's a journey, but I can't think

of any journey that's more worthwhile.

Thank you for your practice.

And until we talk again, take care.

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