In this special episode of Healthy AF, Amy takes us on a heartfelt journey to discover the power of Loving Kindness Meditation during the tumultuous times of election season. As we navigate the divisive currents, Amy shares her personal struggles to remain her best self and extends an invitation to join her in cultivating compassion for ourselves and others. Through guided meditations and reflective insights, this episode is a call to embrace kindness and understanding, one day at a time, leading up to election day. Let's come together to transform our challenges into opportunities for growth and connection, proving that even in the midst of chaos, we can remain Healthy AF.
Trying to get healthy and stay healthy is f-ing hard! Everybody struggles with some aspect of it, no matter what they look like or what they tell you. There is no magic formula - a healthy lifestyle is a choice we need to make daily. Join Amy as she supports, informs, and entertains you on your journey toward health.
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[00:00:02] What you want when you want it, where you want it. This is the MESH. Hey, how may we change? I'm a nationally board certified health and wellness coach and this is Healthy AF. In this podcast, I'll be bringing you all things health.
[00:00:19] From the newest health strategies to how to tackle those personal roadblocks that just will not let you move forward. So buckle in. We're going to be inspired and instructed, and Dad gum, we're going to have a little fun on Healthy AF.
[00:00:36] Hey, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Healthy AF. I'm so glad you're here with me for this last podcast here in July.
[00:00:45] I'm going to do a little bit something different this week because I need it. So if you need it too, I'm really happy but even if you don't need it, I need it.
[00:00:57] It's election season. If you're listening in America, which most of my listeners are in America, somewhere. And something special happens during election season. I would like to say that we're all as Americans embracing our freedom to vote, our love of democracy,
[00:01:25] our love of a good debate and integrating everyone's ideas and beliefs. And I don't feel that way. I feel on edge and slightly irritated. I might be pushed to be snippy and in general, I am not my best self. So don't on me.
[00:01:56] You know what is it that I can do to help myself and help other people during this time in our country? And really, I mean y'all we got some time.
[00:02:11] I think this podcast will drop on the 30th of July. And we vote on November 8 and I don't even know what it's going to look like after that. But I do know we've got from now until then to deal with negativity, hatred, very loud fear from all sides.
[00:02:44] And I will not be contributing to my community, my family, my world as my best self unless I apply, keeping, keeping pounds of grace and compassion for me and for everyone around me.
[00:03:09] And yes, I mean everyone. So it's my promise that I'll be practicing loving kindness throughout the season and I want to invite you to join in and to share it with your family friends community members church members.
[00:03:32] And I want to invite you to join us and we are going to invite you to join us and we are going to invite you to join us. And we are going to invite you to join us and we are going to invite you to join us.
[00:04:17] And we are going to practice one together. So when you do loving kindness, meditations and I've done different ones throughout the years and I've seen different things.
[00:04:31] And the worst thing you can do is try to like get it right and in trying to get it right. You get stopped and paralyzed and don't do it because you're not quite sure how to do it or you're not quite sure what to say or not quite sure how to do whatever.
[00:04:45] So just you know playing at Lucy Goosey is going to be okay if you want to Google loving kindness meditation you'll find one in heartbeat. I like to use three to four statements and really get present and kind of wash myself over in those statements.
[00:05:05] So the statements we're going to use today are may I be loved, may I be at peace, may I feel connected to all living beings. And may I know no suffering. So those are the four statements that are chose to pick today.
[00:05:25] So what we do in a loving kindness meditation is we center in and we sort of use those statements to wash over ourselves. And then we put the focus on someone or something that we really love it's easy to love sometimes.
[00:05:42] This is but sometimes I put it on my children sometimes I do not put it on my children. So you can put it on your pet, you can put it on a favorite plant right you put it something that's easy to want good things for.
[00:05:59] And just sort of send those good energetic vibes sometimes I actually visualise I was doing this yesterday thinking about my son and actually. And as I was thinking about you know may he be loved.
[00:06:14] I was recalling the look on his face when he was teeny tiny and I used to tuck him in at night and we had a special kind of mommy son.
[00:06:26] You'd call it maybe a handshake but it was like you know butterfly kisses on the cheek and butterfly kisses over here and nose bumps on foreheads and it's just very sweet. And so I just pictured his face when we were doing that very loving moment.
[00:06:42] So you might want to really embody being close to that person or what that person really looks like when they feel loved or when they feel at peace, when they feel connected sometimes I think about when they're laughing and filled joy.
[00:07:00] So you run or let those emotions come up, let all that energy come. And then we'll go to a wider net maybe someone that you don't have a lot of feelings for maybe someone you don't even know it could be someone like.
[00:07:18] The person who serves you your coffee at the local coffee shop it could be.
[00:07:25] The bank teller it could be randomly like teachers, you know I don't know all the teachers coming up but I know in a school year is coming up and so I might want to put them on a group of people like like teachers.
[00:07:41] And then the last one is someone that is challenging. Like I've got a few people not really not many but I have a few people who are really challenging for me to extend compassion and loving kindness toward. And so that's the new muscle of flex right.
[00:08:06] That's the growth that I'm asking me to do is to extend that loving kindness towards someone that maybe I don't like.
[00:08:20] Maybe I've seen a post on social media that really pissed me off or maybe someone said something that really got under my skin and I have a hard time with. I don't have to like what they said, I don't have to agree with that post.
[00:08:43] But I'll grow and be a better version of myself if I can extend some compassion and some loving kindness toward that living being. And remember that we're all connected. Oh, it's a tough one. So I'm viti now just to come along with me.
[00:09:04] I'm just going to run through these statements. I'm a little bit fearful that I'll bubble them or say the wrong thing or change a midstream and I'm just going to ask you right now for your forgiveness.
[00:09:16] That I'm not perfect and I'm all just making this up as I go along. And take off my glasses. Get comfortable. Take a couple deep breaths in and relax. Center that focus on myself. One more breath in and let it out. May I be loved.
[00:10:03] May I be at peace? May I feel connected to all living beings? May I know no suffering? May I be loved? May I be at peace? May I feel connected to all living beings? May I know no suffering? Just be with yourself. Wrap yourself up in love.
[00:10:51] And now bring to mind someone that's easy for you to love. Might be a person or an animal. Might be your favorite plant. Bring to you joy. May they be loved. May they be at peace. May they feel connected to all living beings. May they know no suffering?
[00:11:40] Get an image of them. Very clearly let that bring a small to your face. May they be loved. May they be at peace. May they feel connected to all living beings. May they know no suffering.
[00:12:22] And now looking with a broader brush stroke to a group of people or a specific person, maybe you don't know very well. And cultivating that compassion for them may they be loved. May they be at peace. May they know no suffering?
[00:13:14] May they feel connected to all living beings. Opening up that heart and sending that energy to them. May they be loved? May they be at peace? May they feel connected to all living beings? May they know no suffering? And sitting with them, tolding that space,
[00:14:13] and now gently bring you to mind. Someone that really challenges your compassion. The knowing that they too are living being. May they be loved. May they be at peace. May they feel connected to all living beings. May they know no suffering. And being gentle with yourself,
[00:15:05] this is hard for you. And standing in your commitment to cultivating your own compassion. Bringing demand that person that really challenges you. May they be loved. May they be at peace. May they feel connected to all living beings. May they know no suffering. And now bringing everyone together.
[00:15:56] All the living beings, the trees, the plants, the pets, the wild animals, all the people. The Republicans, the Democrats. The independence. All the people you know. All the people you don't know. All the people you agree with. All the people you've really disagree with.
[00:16:29] And don't forget to throw yourself into that big ball of living creatures. And one last time, May we be loved. May we be at peace. May we feel connected to all living beings. May we know no suffering. And just continuing to breathe. Let that so-can.
[00:17:26] Feel that compassion and connectedness. And when it feels ready, let her those eyes. We're all the fingers and toes. Come on back. Thanks for being with me. I hope that was helpful. I feel much better. Give yourself some grace if it was tough. Keep practicing.
[00:18:08] You won't get it perfect. It's not really necessary at all. If you loved this, like, subscribe and share it. It really does help out. And I will see you next week on another episode of Healthy A.M. Thank you so much for listening to this episode
[00:18:33] of The Healthier If Podcast. I hope that it is helped you create a new possibility for your health. And since you've been the action to go get it. If you want more information or if you want to connect with me, visit my website at myHealthyLife.co.
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