Self-Compassion Break

10 minutes. This practice is taught as a meditation, but with practice, you will be able to use it informally as you need in daily life.
You will be exploring the components of self-compassion: mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness.
You will be asked to think of a situation in your life that is difficult and is causing you stress. For this practice, and especially if you are new to it, it's better to choose something mild to moderately difficult in your life, rather than overwhelming.
The Self-Compassion Break was created by Dr. Kristin Neff & Chris Germer.

Transcript

Welcome. My name is Megan Wellwood and I am a mindful self-compassion teacher. And here today I am offering the self-compassion break. So just settling into a comfortable shape for your body. Perhaps this is lying down or being seated or even standing. And if it's feeling okay to do so, Please close your eyes. Taking a partial gaze or fully closing. And thinking of a situation in your life that is difficult. A situation that is causing you stress right now. Such as a health problem. A problem in an important relationship. Something happening at work. Or stress related to bias or discrimination. So please choose a specific problem in a mild to moderate range. Not the biggest problem in your life right now. And you can check in with your body to know if you're in this right zone. Safe, Feeling challenged or overwhelmed. And we can't learn much if we're overwhelmed. And if you feel overwhelmed now or become overwhelmed during this practice, You are invited to take good care and offer yourself what you might need. This might be opening your eyes or feeling your feet on the floor, Your body in your seat. Or taking a few long, Slow breaths. And if at any point it is more self-compassionate to disengage from this practice altogether, Please do so. So again, Recalling the situation in your life that is causing you stress. And please allow yourself to drop into the situation and recall how it feels or remember how it felt at that time. And notice how the stress feels in your body. And see if you might discover where in your body the sensation of stress is most evident. And allowing your experience to be just as it is. And perhaps making just a little bit more room than usual for the experience of discomfort in your body. And try labeling the experience for yourself in a gentle and kind way. Hmm, This is uncomfortable. This hurts. This is stressful. This is a moment of suffering. Taking time to validate your experience as you might for a good friend. And knowing that what you are experiencing right now is part of the human experience. You are not alone. Others would feel just as you do, Or did, In the same situation. Suffering is part of being human. Now let's see if we might respond to distress in a new way. Can you give yourself some kindness simply because you're having a moment of discomfort? And if you like, Perhaps placing a hand on the part of your body that feels stress the most. And if you like, Sending kindness through your fingers into that part of your body that is holding the stress for you. Or gently massaging that part of your body. Or you can consider for a moment what you would most like to hear in a moment like this. Perhaps words of comfort or support. Just what you need to hear. For example, I'm here for you. I love you. You are a good person. What might these words be for you? And can you repeat those words for yourself in your own mind and in your own way? Please take a moment and offer yourself kindness in a way that feels just right. Savoring compassionate, Supportive touch. Or offering yourself words of kindness just because you feel distress. Not trying to change it or make it go away. Now please begin to release this practice. Letting the practice settle. Allowing yourself to feel just as you do right now. And letting the practice be just as it was. And allowing yourself, If only for this moment, To be just as you are. And when you're ready, Slowly open your eyes.