Hi,
This is Ksenia,
And welcome to a practice from the Return to Yourself series.
And today we will be returning to ourselves through self-compassion.
You can take a comfortable position.
And if it feels comfortable,
You can gently close your eyes.
To begin,
Simply note that you are already here.
Notice your body.
Your breath.
The sounds around you.
And take one slightly deeper inhale.
And a slow exhale.
Perhaps even the fact that you chose to pause for this practice comes from a natural wish to feel a little more supported and at ease.
And that itself can already be seen as an act of care.
For a few more moments,
Just reflect on this.
Now gently notice how you are feeling right now.
Maybe there is stress?
Fatigue.
Pressure.
Kumari.
Or maybe the feeling that you've been caring a lot.
Instead of immediately trying to fix anything,
For a few moments you can simply acknowledge,
Yes,
This is difficult right now.
You may also remember that,
Just like every other human being,
You also want support,
Peace and relief from suffering.
You may continue this reflection by quietly repeating a simple phrase to yourself.
For example.
May things feel a little easier for me.
Or may I feel supported.
Or may my life hold a little less stress.
Or may I meet myself with compassion?
You can choose whichever words feel most natural.
If the mind wanders,
That's okay.
Every time you notice it,
Just return to repeating the words that feel most natural.
My things feel a little easier.
May I feel supported.
May my life hold a little less stress or may I meet myself with compassion.
You can use your own words.
There is no need to force emotion,
What matters more is the quality of attention,
Care,
Softness and the willingness not to turn away from yourself in difficult moments.
Now gradually let go of the words and simply rest here.
Allow breathing to happen naturally.
Allow thoughts to come and go.
Allow sensations to change.
And perhaps notice that even very small movements of care toward yourself already reflect the wish to suffer a little less.
This is our self-compassion.
Now gradually notice the body again.
The contact with the surface beneath you.
The sounds around you.
The space of the room.
And perhaps remember throughout the day,
Self-compassion doesn't begin with becoming perfect.
It begins with the willingness to stay connected to yourself in difficult moments.
Thank you for practicing with me.
If this meditation was helpful,
You can save it or leave a short review.
It helps other people find these practices too.
And I'll be happy to see you in the next meditations from the Return to Yourself series.
