Hello and welcome.
Today's practice is about deliberately generating warmth toward yourself.
Not because you've earned it.
Not because you're finally good enough.
But just because you're here and that alone is reason enough.
Find a comfortable position for yourself.
Sitting upright tends to work well for this one,
But do what feels right for you.
Just gently allow your eyes to close.
Take one long,
Slow,
Deep breath in through the nose.
And then when you're ready,
Just releasing out slowly out through the mouth.
We'll do that once more,
Again,
Breathing in nice,
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath in through the nose.
And in your own time,
Long,
Slow,
Gentle exhalation out through the mouth.
Allow your shoulders to drop,
Let your jaw soften,
Let your belly release.
For the next few minutes,
There's nowhere else you need to be.
Begin by noticing your body breathing,
The rise,
The fall,
The effortless rhythm that's been sustaining you ever since you were born.
Place one hand on your chest with your heart,
Feel the warmth of your palm,
The gentle rise and fall beneath it.
This simple gesture,
Your own hand on your own heart,
Tells your body that there's someone caring present and that someone is you.
Let that land.
Someone is here for you.
Someone is paying attention.
Now,
Bring to mind someone you find it easy to feel warmth toward.
It could be a friend,
A child,
A parent,
A pet,
Even a teacher or mentor who showed you kindness.
Someone whose happiness genuinely matters to you.
Picture them,
This person.
Sense their presence.
Notice how it feels in your body when you think of them with care.
Maybe a softening in the chest,
A gentle smile,
Perhaps a sense of openness.
Now,
Silently offer them some wishes.
You can use the traditional phrases or your own words if you prefer.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you live with ease.
Feel what it's like to really wish someone well,
The generosity of it,
The warmth.
This is the same tone we also want to learn to be able to direct toward ourselves.
So,
Let that person you pictured fade into the background and bring your attention to yourself,
The you who is here right now,
Who is breathing right now,
Who is listening right now.
And if it helps,
You can also try imagining a younger version of you,
Perhaps aged 6 or 7,
Sitting beside you.
But if you prefer,
You can just stay with the present you.
Whichever you choose,
With your hands still on your chest,
Begin to offer yourself the same kind wishes.
May I be happy.
And again,
But perhaps even a little softer,
May I be happy.
Notice what happens.
Does resistance come up?
Maybe a voice saying not yet or you don't deserve it.
If there's anything like that,
It's okay,
Just notice it and keep going.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
May I live with ease.
Keep cycling through these phrases slowly.
We're going to let them land in the body rather than just the mind.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe.
May I live with ease.
If your mind wanders or resists,
It's completely normal,
Just gently bring it back.
Hands on heart,
Phrases of kindness.
You can even add,
May I be kind to myself.
May I forgive myself.
May I treat myself as someone I deeply love.
Keep going at your own pace for a little while.
Repeat whichever phrases resonate most or come to your mind.
Let the warmth build,
Not forced,
Just allowed.
Now imagine that warmth expanding slightly from you,
Slowly outwards to the room around you,
And then continuing outwards ongoingly to anyone else who might be struggling today.
And say now,
May we all be happy.
May we all be healthy.
May we all be safe.
And may we all live with ease.
Feel how it softens the edges when you include yourself in the circle of care,
Not outside it,
Not last,
But part of it.
And now let the phrases fade away,
Just rest here,
With your hand on your heart,
Breathing,
Being.
Notice if there's even a trace more warmth toward yourself now than when you started.
Not dramatic,
Just any difference,
Even a small one.
This is in a sense what self-compassion feels like,
Not a thought,
It's more of a tone or a stance,
A willingness to wish yourself well.
And now take one big full breath in,
And let it out with a gentle,
Even audible sigh.
When you're ready,
Let your hand gently rest,
Wiggle your fingers,
Roll your shoulders,
And when you feel ready to do so,
Slowly open up your eyes.
You've just practiced generating kindness toward yourself,
Not because you solved everything or become perfect,
Just because you're here,
You're doing your best,
And that alone deserves care.
The phrases we used,
May I be happy,
Healthy,
Safe,
At ease,
You can return to those any time,
In the shower,
On a walk,
Lying in bed at night,
Hand on heart,
Using those phrases of kindness.
That's the practice.
And over time,
This becomes the background tone of how you relate to yourself,
Not critical,
Not harsh,
Not waiting to be earned,
Just kind.
This practice comes from the course Healing the Self Relationship,
Where we explore this theme more deeply,
And support you in strengthening the relationship you have with yourself.
