Tracy Lapreziosa (00:04):
Welcome to Networks for Training and Development's Healing Circle. On the first Monday of every month, a new meditation is released. All our previous Healing Circle meditations or thoughts to ponder reside on our website, www.networksfortraining.org. I'd like to encourage you to check them out. We have a number of years' worth of recordings to choose from, and I'm sure you'll find something that's appropriate for any day of the week. My name is Tracy, and I'll be guiding you through today's meditation.

(00:40):
This recording is being released on April 7th, 2025. On this day, like many days, we might find ourselves overwhelmed, maybe so overwhelmed that we're feeling stuck, maybe depleted, not feeling very good about ourselves or others. Maybe it's because we're overwhelmed with a health issue, a relationship conflict, loss of employment, or too many work responsibilities being piled on us at work. Maybe we are caregivers, and in addition to having to take care of ourselves, we're responsible for a parent, a partner, an adult child, or small children. We lose sight of ourselves because of all the responsibilities that cause our stress levels to just increase.

(01:44):
And maybe we're feeling a lot of negative emotions in response to world events. We're grasping for control, for peace within ourselves and our circles. Too often when we're overwhelmed, we tend to put ourselves at the very bottom of the list, the very, very bottom of that daily to-do list, or that weekly to-do list, or the monthly to-do list. We wake up, we may wake up feeling empty, depleted, with very little in our tank to face the day. And when our tank is empty, we may not be very kind to ourselves. And if we're not kind to ourselves, we may not be kind to others. When the heart is empty, we struggle to mobilize ourselves, to mobilize reaching out to other people. And when we're depleted, it's difficult, very difficult, to feel good about ourselves, to feel good about others and the world at large.

(02:53):
So, what can we do to boost ourselves, to create our own inner peace, to spread peace and kindness to people that we meet, and to manifest it for the planet at large? We need to fill our own cup so that it can more easily spill over to others. It's hard to give when your own cup is empty. How do you fill your cup? How can we fill our cup? How can we fill our heart? How can we generate enough kindness, positive energy, and love to share with others? How can we have enough energy to get through our own day so that we can help others? So, we're going to do two short meditations, and the first one is aimed at filling our own cup, and it'll be followed by another one to help us to allow that cup to overflow through the greater space of our planet.

(04:03):
So, let's begin with filling our own cup. Find a comfortable position, whether it's sitting on the floor, in a comfy chair, or lying down, and move to steady and balance your body, and have it be supported by the earth. Feel the support of the earth. Where are the points on your body where you are being fully supported? Allow your body to settle into the space and soften. If possible, elongate, lift, and lengthen parts of your body, maybe your spine, maybe your legs, your arms. Just allow your body to move and fill the space around it and just feel settled. Move till everything feels comfy and settled.

(05:16):
Now let's shift to our breath. Let it flow in and out effortlessly. Don't try to change it, just notice it. Notice the rhythm. Move to a deeper, slower breath if you can. Notice the sensation of the air going in and out of your lungs, your nose, your mouth. Focusing on the breath in and out. Be present in the body, not in the mind, and just be in this space, following your breath in and out. Put your hands on your heart and you'll feel your breath. Feel your chest going up and down. But let's also focus on the feeling of being full of love and kindness. Feel the love and kindness from your heart flow throughout your body. It's warm. Notice your posture and breath, and feel the warmth of love and kindness running through your veins. Take a moment to step outside your body and see yourself as you are in this moment, in this space. See the warm glow of love and kindness emanating from your body, moving from your heart throughout.

(07:23):
Now, let's repeat the following phrases as we're focusing on the love in our heart. May I be happy and peaceful. May I be happy and peaceful. May I be happy and strong. May I be happy and strong. May I feel safe and protected. May I feel safe and protected. May I live with ease and well-being. May I live with ease and well-being. May I experience joy in everyday life. May I experience joy in everyday life. May I accept myself, my strengths, my talents, my faults, my challenges. May I accept myself for who I am.

(08:51):
Now, let's take a moment to give gratitude to your body for all that it does for you. It doesn't matter how your body looks or how your body moves, your body does a lot for you every day. Be grateful for everything that your body does for you. Tell your body how grateful you are. Provide some words of encouragement to your body, to your heart, to your spirit, whatever you feel they may need at this moment. Feel the kindness and love that you're providing to yourself filling your heart, filling your cup, filling your spirit. Place your hands in prayer pose at your heart. Take a deep breath in and breathe out with a sigh. Feel how your cup has been filled. Feel the readiness to share with a greater space.

(10:31):
So, if you need to change positions, do so now as we move into our next meditation, and settle yourself into your physical space. Relax, elongate, settle in. Focus on your breath moving in and out. Get back to the breath. Focusing on the breath, not trying to change it, we're just coming back into our body here. Focus on your heart and your body that is now filled with love and kindness. Our body is full. It's full. Focus on the awareness of yourself in this moment, and that need or that feeling that your cup is ready to overflow.

(11:42):
Now, let's spread that awareness from ourselves outward to our inner circle of family and friends. Feel the love and kindness moving outwards from your body into your inner circle. Spread the awareness out even further to those in your neighborhood or community that you come in contact, that you know. Visualizing those circles: yourself, your inner circle of friends and family, the next circle of your community and people that you meet throughout the day. And next, let's take it out another circle. Let's think about people that you know both in the present and in the past, and feel that love and kindness emanating further outward and into the past.

(12:51):
Think about the people that you see on a day-to-day basis, but you don't really know who they are. Feel the love and kindness growing and moving further outward to those people. Imagine all the people you know exist but you haven't met and feel that love moving further out. Expand your thoughts to others in different cities, in different states, in different countries. Sharing your love and kindness. We're all connected by spirit. Continue to feel the love and kindness of your heart and soul reaching out to all corners of the earth. Consider spreading that love and kindness beyond humanity, to nature, to plants, forests, water systems, rock, microorganisms, and more, animals. The full collective of life that shares our planet. Visualize the whole, the planet and all life connected to the love and kindness emanating from your heart. Can just see ourselves full of love flowing outward in waves, further and further outward.

(14:39):
Now, let's repeat the following phrases. May all beings be happy and peaceful. May all beings be happy and peaceful. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings be safe and protected. May all beings be safe and protected. May all beings live with ease and well-being. May all beings live with ease and well-being. May my actions and thoughts contribute to the good of all. May my actions and thoughts contribute to the good of all.

(15:47):
Take a moment to add any personal thoughts to your meditation that may be bubbling up. Take a deep breath in and breathe out with a sigh. Hands in prayer pose at your heart space, and let's chant om. When you're ready, open your eyes, continue to feel the love within you and the overflowing from your cup to all beings. May you carry the energy of love and kindness with you wherever you go. May you be kind to yourself every day. May your cup be full. May your cup overflow. Thank you for listening.