I have spent a lot of time feeling lonely and isolated, not feeling the love in my life. I have found that meditations like this one from my book A Journey to Peace through Yoga, help me to feel love and loved. 

The Practice

This is a meditation for when you need love in your life. It is a good idea if you can do some gentle movement to reduce restlessness in your body and mind before you settle for meditation.

  • Sit or lie in a comfortable position, with your spine as straight as possible.
  • Breathe in and contract your muscles from your toes to your crown and relax on your breath out.

Repeat a few times until you are feeling relaxed.

  • Gently close your eyes and take a few moments to notice your breathing.
  • Become aware of your breastbone moving in and out as you breathe.
  • Feel your heart and imagine breathing in and out of your heart.
  • Invite your mind to remember a time in your life when you felt really loved, and if you can’t remember, imagine what being loved might feel like.
  • Allow your mind to focus on the feeling (it may evoke a sensation, colour and or sound) and let the feeling fill your awareness.
  • Sit in that feeling for a few moments.
  • Then, when you are ready to come out of the meditation offer the feeling to someone who may be in need of feeling loved; let it go on your breath out.
  • Deepen you breath and notice the clothes on your skin and your weight on the chair.
  • Rub your palms together, gently open your eyes into your warmed palms and massage your face.
  • Take a few moments before returning to your day and appreciate the stillness and love you have found in your own heart.