A warm welcome in to this loving kindness for carers,
A gentle meditation,
Inviting you now to take a moment to arrive,
Finding for yourself a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
Where your body feels supported,
Letting the hands rest softly and let the breath come just as it is,
Taking a slow easy inhale and a long gentle exhale,
Let your body know I am safe to rest here,
With each breath out now,
Let something soften,
Your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Your belly,
The space behind your eyes,
Carrying others can create invisible weight in the body,
For this moment now,
Allow that weight to loosen,
Even by a degree,
You don't have to drop everything,
Just soften what you can.
As carers we are so practised at offering compassion outward but turning compassion inward can feel unfamiliar,
Even uncomfortable,
So we begin gently,
Place a hand over your heart or belly,
Wherever feels right,
Feel into the warmth of your own touch,
The quiet rhythm beneath your palm,
With your next breath imagine offering yourself the same tenderness you offer so easily to those you care for,
Whisper inwardly may I be held in kindness,
May I be safe,
May I find moments of ease,
You don't need to force the feeling,
Simply let the words surround you like a soft blanket,
May I be held in kindness,
May I be safe,
May I find moments of ease.
Take a moment to honour now the reality of your care,
The tasks,
The worry,
The interrupted sleep,
The emotional labour that often goes unseen,
Let yourself feel without judgement how hard it can be,
Then breathe gently into that truth,
As if you are placing a warm hand on a tired part of your being and say gently it's ok that this is hard,
I'm doing the best I can.
Now slowly repeat these phrases,
Allowing them to land in your own way,
May I be gentle with myself,
May I receive the care I need,
May I feel supported,
May I know moments of rest,
May I be held in love.
Breathe with each line as if you are planting small seeds of compassion within yourself,
May I be gentle with myself,
May I receive the care I need,
May I feel supported,
May I feel supported,
May I know moments of rest,
May I be held in love.
When you're ready,
Bring to mind the person or people you care for,
See them held in soft light,
Not fixing,
Not rescuing,
Simply holding them in compassion.
Offer these words,
May you be safe,
May you be at ease,
May you know peace,
May you be surrounded by love.
Allow these wishes to move outward like ripples on water,
Now come back to your own heart,
Imagine both you and the person you care for held gently within the same circle of compassion,
Both deserving of rest,
Both deserving of ease,
Both deserving of love.
Whisper,
May we both be held in kindness,
May we both be held in kindness.
Take a final,
Slow,
Nourishing,
Deep breath in and a lovely,
Loud if you like,
Exhale,
Sighing it out.
Letting yourself now return to the room you are in,
Nice and slowly in your own time,
A little softer,
A little steadier,
A little more held.
