As we settle in and get comfortable in our meditation space, let’s

take a moment to focus on our breath, gently breathing in through

the nose and out through the mouth.

As we close our eyes, we open to the light that is within.

We are willing to open ourselves up to the truth, and the truth

is, we are loved. We are love. And we don’t need to do anything

to be loved. We already are loved. May we now allow this truth to

come forward.

We open ourselves up to the possibility that figuring out who

we want to be in all our relationships, starting with ourselves, is

the path to deep and lasting love. The kind of love that nourishes

us from the inside out and fills us with a deep sense of awe and

wonder, gratitude and joy.

We understand now that our thoughts, feelings, and actions

are the only things we can control. We practice being the people we

want to be, and we are ready to share and receive a deeply nourishing,

lasting love.

We are more aware of our triggers and how to better manage

our emotions. We are generous with what we can give. Our core

belief is “I am complete.”

We understand we are brought together to learn from one another.

May we learn not to attack or defend and instead practice

forgiveness and take responsibility for our wounds (which appear

as character defects we are tempted to judge in ourselves and others),

so we can heal these wounds and release the painful feelings

associated with them, thereby showing up for ourselves and others

as happy, healthy partners.

We are willing to give our partners unconditional acceptance.

When we don’t like a certain behavior, we try changing our

response to that behavior rather than trying to change our partner.

When we accept a person for who they are, it sets us free — we

don’t feel the need to try to control them. Instead, we can focus on

controlling our emotions and decide whether to stay in or leave the

relationship.

We now surrender our grievances and attachments to anyone

who has done us wrong.

We practice more forgiveness, which is the answer to everything.

When someone hurts our feelings, and we don’t feel the need to

cause any emotional harm back, we pass the test. When we are willing

to take 100 percent responsibility for our lives (even though it

can be challenging), we grow up faster and become emotionally

stronger.

Instead of lashing out against people who’ve hurt us, we now

take a deep breath and see it as an opportunity to heal an old

wound and grow. With practice, we become less and less reactive

and feel a greater sense of peace and freedom.

We sit here in meditation with the awareness that nothing

changes until first it is accepted exactly as it is.

May we commit to showing up fully for ourselves and in all

our relationships, asking ourselves, Am I really showing up for

this person and creating a safe space for their transformation

and enlightenment?

In creating the space for another’s transformation, we allow

them to be who they were not yesterday — we give them the freedom

to get it right.

We pray for our partner’s happiness every day. We remind

them how wonderful they are. We resist the temptation to project

onto another that they somehow complete us and to demand that

they behave a certain way.

We take inventory of our own shortcomings and the work we

still need to do. We understand that our commitment to changing

our thought patterns and behaviors can make us available and

ready for lasting love.

May we now release expectations.

Take a moment to imagine what it would feel like to stop expecting

your partner to be more, better, or different.

Rather than looking for or expecting one special person to complete

us, we look for ways we can love, honor, and accept ourselves

and others more completely.

To start envisioning what this might look like, we ask our

highest self all the ways we can prepare our heart, body, personality,

beliefs, and home for real love — the kind of love we seek and

the kind of love our current or future partner deserves.

May we be willing to hear whatever we need to hear, taking our

time, before slowly and gently coming back to the room.

Excerpted from the book from The Full Spirit Workout. Copyright ©2021 by Kate Eckman. Printed with permission from New World Library — www.newworldlibrary.com.