Hello and welcome to this meditation for self-compassion.
I'm Charlotte,
A meditation teacher accredited by the British School of Meditation,
With a specialist focus upon supporting people through grief.
This loving-kindness meditation is rooted in the Buddhist Mettā tradition.
Spots within it you'll find a version of this practice which I've created for the modern world.
From my heart,
I offer you this meditation.
The focus upon the cultivation of compassion to the self may help with the process of grieving.
As it may support with letting go of feelings of guilt or self-blame.
It may support you in reconnecting to your body or in creating space in your mind.
There aren't any expectations.
The experience belongs to you.
All feelings are valid and can be expressed in any way which feels comfortable or not at all.
Perhaps you haven't experienced compassion towards yourself before and that's okay.
It's just a step on your path of connecting to yourself.
Within the meditation,
There is space to pause at any moment that is desired.
If you feel as though you're finding any of the concepts difficult,
Remember that there's the option to return to the breath at any moment.
It is common to feel your mind wandering.
If and when you notice this happening,
Simply allow yourself to return to the breath.
And know that this is a tool which you can come back to at any time during the meditation.
And throughout your day.
You may want to feel yourself settling into your chair or the floor.
Perhaps you allow the seat or the floor to support you.
Perhaps you notice the ground beneath you.
You may want to close your eyes or fix your gaze upon a point in front of you if this feels comfortable for you.
You may want to focus upon the rhythm of your breath again if this feels comfortable for you.
Perhaps you start to feel aware of yourself,
Breathing in and breathing out.
You can breathe in your own way.
Perhaps you feel your breath moving through your body.
You might want to label your breath.
You could say to yourself in your mind,
I am breathing in and breathing out.
In your own time,
If you wish.
We'll begin this meditation with compassion towards ourselves.
This may feel new to you and remember you can return to the breath at any point.
Compassion is unique to you.
Perhaps if you find it helpful you could just focus upon the repetition of the phrases rather than their meanings.
In your own time,
Begin to repeat in your mind.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I care for myself.
May I care for myself.
May I care for myself.
May I accept myself.
May I accept myself.
May I accept myself.
At any point that you like.
You can connect to your breath or the phrases.
There's no rush.
No end point.
Nowhere else to be but here.
You only need to connect to one phrase at a time.
At your own pace and maybe with your own rhythm.
We continue to repeat.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I care for myself.
May I care for myself.
May I care.
For myself.
May I accept myself.
May I accept myself.
May I accept myself.
Now feel yourself gently releasing the phrases.
You may want to acknowledge the connection to yourself,
Or perhaps compassion,
Which you may have experienced today.
Even if it was just a moment of awareness,
Or perhaps it was many,
Remember that this is only the beginning of something new.
You may want to feel an awareness of the chair or the floor beneath you.
Very gently,
You may want to flutter your eyes open.
Or redirect your gaze.
Thank you for sharing in this practice today.
