Thank you for joining me for a moment of self-compassion.
Self-compassion can feel challenging at times,
And our practice of self-compassion is not about glossing over or pushing away the challenges and discomforts that will arise,
But rather it's allowing a sense of befriending,
A sense of loving,
And a sense of kindness in the midst of the struggles and challenges,
And that both struggles and compassion can exist in us.
In today's meditation,
We will cultivate a space of self-compassion by envisioning how we would extend compassion to a close friend.
Let's begin.
Eyes can be closed,
Or perhaps softening your gaze out the window,
Or simply the space in front of you.
With the in-breath,
Feel the belly rise,
And with your out-breath,
Feel the belly fall,
Softening through the shoulders,
Feeling a release of tension in the jaw.
With the in-breath,
Feel the belly rise,
And with the out-breath,
Feel the belly fall,
Beginning to envision someone whom you care for so deeply,
Envisioning this person as if they were in front of you,
The crinkles around their eyes,
The curve of their mouth,
And the look in their eyes as they gaze back at you,
Noticing the felt sense in your heart of this person's presence in this moment here and now,
And as you feel the presence of your beloved here,
Noting a time they had struggles in their life,
Noting a time that they had challenges,
What words of support would you extend to them?
Perhaps it is a whisper,
A simple whisper,
Of I am here for you,
And may you be kind to yourself.
I am here for you,
And may you be kind to yourself.
My beloved,
I am here for you,
And may you be kind to yourself,
Noticing the felt sense in your heart of extending compassion to this person with whom you love so dearly in their time of struggles,
Beginning now to open your awareness to this space in your heart,
What exists here in this space,
What sensation is present,
Allowing this felt sense of care of love and of compassion to expand through your heart,
And as you do,
Begin to envision now this practice of extending this same love and this same compassion that you would extend to your dear friend,
Extending this to yourself,
A whisper of I am here,
And may I be kind to myself.
Is this a current time of struggle for you,
Or is there lingerings of a past struggle?
A gentle acknowledgment of what exists in this space,
And perhaps whispering even,
This feels challenging right now,
And I am here,
May I be kind to myself,
A gentle reminder that challenges are a part of our lives,
And it's not abnormal to feel this way,
This is a part of our humanness,
A part of our interconnectedness,
We all do experience challenges,
Letting your awareness rest on this space of your heart,
And again just as you would extend these words to your beloved,
A soft whisper,
I am here,
And may I be kind to myself,
Placing your hand over your heart space,
This connection,
A gentle place of connection and compassion.
As you breathe in,
Feel the heart rise up to meet your hand,
And as you breathe out,
Feel the connection to the palm and your heart linger,
A whisper,
I am here,
And may I be kind to myself,
Lingering with these words for as long as you need,
Thank you so much for joining me,
May you be kind to yourself.
