This week, Carley Hauck invites us to look within ourselves to affirm what it is that we love most, and to align with our values.
By connecting with our heart and remembering who and what we love, we also get to connect with our inner caring, protective instinct. This compassionate part of ourselves provides the motivation to choose beneficial actions, not just one time but over the days, weeks, and months of our lives.
This beautiful practice offers the start of a journey toward living our compassionate values in a deeper way, serving both ourselves and others in the process. We ask: When I love what I love, how might that support the greater good?
A Guided Meditation to Connect with What Matters Most to You
- Begin by sitting comfortably. Notice your feet on the floor, and sit up tall, yet in a gentle posture. Bring your shoulders back and down, moving your neck side to side so that you can really allow yourself to let go of tension, or tightness, and come back into the body.
- Breathe gently in and out of your heart. If it feels comfortable for you, you can place a hand on your heart. Or simply just notice the sensation of energy around your heart as you breathe in, as you breathe out.
- Feeling this connection to your heart, start to name silently to yourself things that you love. It might sound like this: I love, I love, I love. Notice what flows easily when you think of things that you love. Continue this process, noticing all the things that arise and pass.
- Out of all of these things that you love, what do you love so deeply that you would fight to protect it? There may be many things, but for this exercise right now, just choose one. Notice how that answer feels in your body. Is there this strong inner knowing, and where does that live in your body? Maybe it’s in your heart. Or your belly. Or your hands. Or your feet. Or it could even just be this coursing all through your body, this very strong sense of, “Yes, this is what really matters to me.”
- Now begin to feel these physical sensations extend outwards into love and compassion, with your commitment to protect what you love. See if you can feel that energy extending out from your body, almost as if there is a light that is emanating from this commitment, the deeper knowing.
- Now, how could you align greater action around what you love in your life? Take a moment and notice what arises, letting go of any judgmentsHow could I put more action into my life around what I really love?
- Now allow yourself to envision: What does this look like to engage in this action on a monthly basis? A weekly basis? This isn’t some extra thing on your to do list. This is coming from a deeper sense of what matters, a deeper sense of motivation. What can you commit to today as your first step? How might you loving what you love support the greater good? How does this benefit others?
- As the first step towards aligning and acting on your heartfelt commitment, it is important to name what your commitment is. Try saying, “I am committing to…” and see what arises. Think of it on a monthly basis, a weekly basis, a daily basis. What action steps are you committing to that align with this deeper truth of what really matters?
- Now, I invite you to share these commitments with two other people in your life. Who are these people? Notice who comes to mind that you feel excited to share this with. When we are witnessed in our commitments, we have a sense of support and accountability to follow through on our actions.
- Open your eyes when you feel ready. Start to wiggle fingers and toes, doing some movement in your chair. Before moving into your next activity, take a couple of minutes, maybe even ten, and write down what arose in this exercise. What are you committing to? What action steps are you taking? Who are you sharing your commitments with? Be the light and shine the light.
Never Miss a Meditation
Enter your email below to get new podcast episodes delivered straight to your inbox! You’ll also get insights from expert mindfulness teachers and exclusive deals on Mindful Shop products, events, and more.
