Thank you for joining me.
The challenges and losses of living with chronic illness are often unseen and misunderstood.
So our own kind seeing,
Understanding and caring of ourselves is all the more necessary and powerful.
I think of this kindness to ourselves,
This self-compassion in whatever form,
As being like soft rain water that gently soaks into the soil of our being,
From which the rest of our life can grow better.
Intentionally practicing,
Directing,
Loving care to ourselves is one way we can develop the benefits of self-compassion.
This practice is slightly different to the traditional self-compassion practices.
In this practice,
We'll combine self-compassionate phrases and ideas with a gentle breathing practice.
So that we can feel into the self-compassionate experience more fully.
Deepening the experience of giving ourselves care and love and kindness.
I'll suggest some of what you might like to receive and strengthen as you breathe in and some of what you might like to release on the out-breath.
The phrases start more simply and build with more self-compassion as they go along.
We're using the breath to open us to the possibility of exchange,
Mirroring the exchanging of gases in our lungs with each breath.
Breathing in what you'd like more of.
And breathing out what you'd like to release.
Without forcing anything,
Just feeling the impact of the words through sensations moving and changing in your body and using those sensations as a guide.
If it feels right for you,
You can then echo the phrase with me in your mind as I repeat it for a second time.
The words are a gentle invitation.
So allow whatever arises.
There's no right or wrong experience.
And if anything doesn't feel right for you today,
Just let it fall away.
Trust yourself to know best for you and that may mean allowing falling asleep or dozing off.
Sleep is a great kindness to our bodies.
If at any time breathing in rhythm to the statements becomes difficult or unhelpful,
Just let the breath go and focus instead on the sense of flow and exchange in the body.
Perhaps using the imagery of ocean waves ebbing and flowing on the shoreline instead of the breath sensations.
Sensing each wave coming into the shore,
Bringing more of what you'd like,
And each wave ebbing away,
Taking away what you'd like to release.
Listen to your body and your needs and adapt things as you go.
Each time it will be different,
But each time you'll be strengthening pathways to support and comfort yourself.
Is not about rejecting difficulty or pasting over reality,
But in this practice being more open to experiencing supporting ourselves.
However it is for you,
I hope this practice helps you embody more of the self-compassion you deserve.
If you've not practiced self-compassion before,
Please know it's normal for it to take time to develop.
So do repeat this and other self-compassion practices for some time before assessing if they are for you.
Many of us have spent years being hard on ourselves.
So it may take a while to soften things up.
Be patient with yourself while you're learning.
I hope that opening your heart to yourself today soothes and softens,
Realigns and supports you in your experience of living with the challenges of your health.
So now find your comfortable position for this practice today.
How your body would like to be.
Perhaps lying down now,
If that's available to you.
And ensuring you are warm.
Take time to make the adjustments or little movements you need.
To be really comfortable.
And closing your eyes if you'd like to.
As you're arriving here,
Feel the weight of your body on the surface you're resting on.
Imagine gravity just got a bit stronger.
Release your full weight.
Trusting that you are held.
Let the earth gently hold you.
And notice it takes no effort to be held.
By the bed,
Sofa,
Chair.
And ultimately the earth.
Arriving here just as you are.
With whatever you bring.
And however that is,
Is exactly where you start from today.
So welcome yourself to this moment as you are.
Allowing all that already is.
You start from here.
With this.
From this.
Now gently turning your attention to the breath and belly.
Become aware.
Feel its flow.
This nourishing of the entire body coming in with each breath.
And take a soft,
Slightly deeper breath into the belly.
And breathe out inviting and relaxing and letting go.
Breathing in as if the lungs were in the belly,
Inflating the belly.
And on the out-breath,
Deflating the belly by gently drawing the navel towards the spine.
Repeating this.
Softly breathing in through the nose,
Belly gently expanding.
Breathing out through the mouth or nose and the belly steadily deflating.
Breathing in,
Belly rises.
And breathing out,
Belly relaxes.
Widen your awareness now and feel into all the sensations in the whole body as the breath comes and goes.
On every inhale as the body is nourished.
Feel space growing within.
On every exhale,
Feel the body relaxing and softening.
And on the next inhale,
Feel the chest and the heart area,
Especially opening.
And on the exhale,
Feel mental activity dissolving.
And now gently release any influence over the breath.
Let it choose its own pace and rhythm.
But still feeling into the sensations of your whole body as it breathes itself.
Soft.
Heavy.
And whole.
Breathing itself.
With each breath,
Feel the inhale nourishing you.
Each exhale a release of toxins and tension.
Sense nourishment and restoration as you breathe in.
And a dissolving and releasing of all you no longer need on the out-breath.
During the following invitations,
Breathing in and feeling the sensations of what you'd like to receive coming in through your heart or through every pore of your body.
Feeling that spread throughout your body.
Before on the out-breath inviting all you'd like to release.
Feeling the sensations.
Feeling it all leave through every pore of your body.
Always making space for your experience and whatever arises in your body.
So on your next in-breath.
Breathing in sensations of ease.
Into your heart or through every pore.
And on the out breath,
Breathing out sensations of tension.
Releasing tension from every pore.
Breathing in,
Receiving ease.
And breathing out,
Releasing tension.
Repeating with me the second time if it's right for you as you feel into all the sensations.
Breathing in receiving sensations of gentleness.
Breathing out,
Releasing the sensations of striving.
Breathing in gentleness and breathing out striving.
Breathing in sensations of safety.
Breathing out,
Releasing sensations of vigilance.
Breathing in safety.
And breathing out vigilance.
Breathing in peace and relief.
And breathing out anxieties and worries.
Breathing in peace and relief.
And breathing out.
Anxieties and worries.
Breathing in slow and calm.
And breathing it out,
Urgency and rushing.
Breathing in slow and calm.
And breathing out urgency and rushing.
Breathing in rest and breathing out depletion.
Breathing in,
Rest.
And breathing out depletion.
Breathing in trust and breathing out fear.
Breathing in trust and breathing out fear.
Breathing in acceptance and breathing out resistance.
Breathing in acceptance and breathing out resistance.
Breathing in hope.
And breathing out despair.
Breathing in hope.
And breathing out despair.
Breathing in forgiveness for self and others.
And breathing out resentment.
Breathing in forgiveness and breathing out resentment.
Breathing in self-trust and breathing out self-doubt.
Breathing in self-trust.
Breathing out,
Self-doubt.
Breathing in,
Taking up more space.
Breathing out,
Apologising for myself.
Breathing in,
Taking up more space,
And breathing out,
Apologising for myself.
Breathing in,
Prioritising my needs.
And breathing out,
Abandoning myself.
Breathing in,
Prioritising my needs,
And breathing out,
Abandoning myself.
Breathing in clarity.
And breathing out confusion.
Breathing in clarity and breathing out confusion.
Breathing in worth and dignity.
And breathing out shame.
Breathing in worth and dignity.
And breathing out shame.
Breathing in tenderness to myself and breathing out harshness to myself.
Breathing in tenderness,
Breathing out harshness.
Breathing in generosity to myself and breathing out meanness to myself.
Breathing in generosity,
Breathing out meanness.
Breathing in care for myself and breathing out self-neglect.
Breathing in,
Care.
Breathing out self neglect.
Breathing in love for myself.
And breathing out judgment.
Breathing in love,
Breathing out judgement.
Breathing in self compassion.
And breathing out my inner critics.
Breathing in self-compassion and breathing out my inner critics.
Breathing in self-kindness,
Breathing out self-criticism.
Breathing in self-kindness and breathing out self-criticism.
Breathing in wholeness and breathing out any feelings of not being enough.
Breathing in wholeness.
And breathing out not being enough.
You may want to consider now.
What is hardest for you.
Hold this situation,
This difficulty and its impact.
Uppermost in your heart.
Considering how you would feel and respond to a friend facing the same thing.
You may like to lay a hand on your heart as you do this.
Noticing any resistance that comes up and breathing softly with your experience.
Speak with tender love to the self deep within you.
Echoing these phrases with me as you open yourself to your own kindness.
It's okay.
I'm here for you.
It's okay.
I'm here for you.
I'm listening to you.
I'm listening to you.
I care about you.
I care about you.
I believe you.
I believe you.
Your feelings aren't wrong.
Your feelings aren't wrong.
I will protect you.
I will protect you.
I love you.
I love you.
I will always be here for you.
I will always be here for you.
Rest and remain here for as long as you would like.
Bathing in the sensations of receiving soft,
Tender care for yourself.
Feel into any sensations of wholeness in particular.
Wholeness that has arisen,
Having released so much judgment and rejection of parts of you.
Rest here.
What can you feel in your body?
What resonated.
Breathe gently.
Breathing in,
Making space for how it is.
And breathing out,
Resting into yourself.
And if those phrases felt difficult or empty.
That's okay.
Not uncommon.
It can take time and much practice to soften up our hearts to ourselves.
Thank yourself for showing up for yourself today.
Sometimes we cannot control what we would like in life.
But in the difficult times,
What we can control is how we treat ourselves.
And being kinder will always be better for us.
I wish you so much peace.
