Shadowing Practice: 10-Minute Guided Meditation: Self-Love | SELF - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hi and welcome.
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My name is Manoj.
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I'm a meditation teacher and co-founder of Open.
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And welcome to today's meditation practice.
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What we're actually going to do is we're trying to generate feelings of kindness, acceptance, warmth and tenderness for ourself.
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And this is a very ancient practice.
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It's a 2,500 year old practice often referred to as metta meditation.
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So I'll invite you to settle into a comfortable position.
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You can lay down if you wish if that's most comfortable for you.
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You can even do this standing up if that feels good.
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But I love to do this seated.
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And as you sit, you may wish to lengthen your spine so it's upright and alert without being rigid or forced.
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You can place both your palms down on top of your thighs, or you can place them on top of each other and
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when you're ready let's take a deep breath in together in through the nose out through the mouth breathing in deeply
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and then as you open your mouth relax your shoulders Begin to just settle into your meditation today.
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You don't have to control your breathing.
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You don't have to force your mind to be quiet.
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Just take a moment as you settle into your practice to just notice that you have a body.
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This awareness of our body can allow us to feel more present with it.
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Notice any sounds that are around you.
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You don't have to wonder what they are or why they're here.
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Just notice that sounds come and go.
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And begin to notice your heart.
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And take a moment to remember that you have a heart.
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And that heart is breathing.
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And that heart is feeling.
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As you keep your awareness here, I'm going to invite you to begin to visualize an image of yourself.
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You can visualize yourself as you are right now.
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Or if it's helpful, you visualize yourself as a child.
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As you visualize yourself, mentally repeat these phrases. May I be happy.
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And as you repeat that phrase in your mind, see if you can bring to mind a time when you were happy.
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It's not important who was there or what happened.
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But really recollect the feeling of being happy.
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And then mentally keep repeating that phrase. May I be happy.
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And then repeat the phrase, may I be safe.
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And as you mentally repeat this phrase, remember a time when you felt safe
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and again the occasion of the people
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that were around you aren't as important as the feeling of safety may I be safe
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As you repeat this phrase, notice how it feels in your body.
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intention creating the feeling
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and offer yourself the phrase may I be healthy and this is your heartfelt wish
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to be healthy in the mind and healthy in the body.
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And you can bring to mind a time when you felt that way.
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And then repeat the phrase, may I live with ease.
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Remember a time when you lived with ease.
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Notice how this feels in your body.
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Thank you.
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As you systematically and mentally repeat these phrases, notice what is being felt in your body.
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And often this feeling that we are feeling is called Metta, loving kindness.
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It's an acceptance, it's a warm heartedness and it's a tenderness for ourselves.
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See if you can sink into that feeling for a few more moments.
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Thank you.
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And when you're ready, you can let go of this technique.
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And just notice how your body feels.
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and perhaps make an intention to take with you into the rest of your day
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the same quality of metta of loving kindness for ourself when you're ready you can very gently begin to open your eyes
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thank you for joining me today i'll see you again next time

Learn English with Videos: A Guided Meditation for Self-Love

Imagine settling into a cozy spot, ready to relax and practice self-love—while also improving your English! The video we’re exploring is a 10-minute guided meditation that blends mindfulness with simple, conversational language. It’s the perfect scenario to practice listening, pronunciation, and even shadowing, as the speaker uses clear, slow phrases to guide you through the process. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this real-life audio gives you a chance to engage with natural English in a calm, low-pressure setting.

Useful Chunks & Collocations to Memorize

  • "Settle into a comfortable position": A common phrase for guiding someone to get cozy—great for describing daily routines or giving directions.
  • "Lengthen your spine so it's upright and alert without being rigid": This chunk combines physical instructions with nuanced adjectives, perfect for improving descriptive speaking.
  • "Mentally repeat these phrases": A key collocation for meditation or learning, useful when talking about internal processes.
  • "Bring to mind a time when you felt...": Ideal for discussing memories or emotions, a must-know for conversational English.
  • "Notice how it feels in your body": A natural way to connect thoughts and physical sensations, common in wellness or self-reflection contexts.

Your Shadowing Challenge: Improve English Pronunciation Today

Ready to try shadowspeak (shadowing)? Here’s your task: Play the video, pause after each short phrase (like "May I be happy" or "Notice any sounds that are around you"), and repeat it out loud—matching the speaker’s tone, pace, and stress. Focus on copying the soft, gentle intonation, which will help you sound more natural in English. Do this for 5 minutes, then try it without pausing. Shadowing is a proven way to boost English speaking practice, as it trains your mouth and brain to work together. By the end, you’ll not only feel more relaxed but also notice a difference in your pronunciation. Remember: The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. So grab your headphones and start shadowing now!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.