Welcome to Connect First.
My name is PJ and today our focus is on finding self-compassion even when it might be the most difficult thing for us to do.
I invite you now to join me in pausing.
Let's slow down.
Offer yourself a moment to prepare and find your way into a comfortable position.
Allow your body to relax into the moment.
Allow your breath to settle knowing there's nothing to fix,
Nothing to do here.
Invite yourself to find 1% more comfort in this moment and allow your breathing to be natural,
Nothing to do,
Just arrive.
I invite you to bring your awareness to your body.
Feel the points of contact where your body meets the surface around you.
Notice the rise and fall of your breath,
Each inhale filling you with life,
Each exhale softening,
Releasing any tension you may be experiencing in this moment.
I invite you to hold yourself gently in your own care as you would a dear friend,
Perhaps a hand on your heart,
Both hands wrapped around your shoulders,
Or simply with your kind,
Loving attention.
It's something we often extend outward so naturally,
So instinctively for many of us.
Today,
In this moment,
I invite you to gently turn that compassion inward.
How would it feel to treat yourself with the same care,
The same tenderness,
The same love that you show to those around you?
I offer that this is a gentle and essential practice,
That of connecting with what's alive in us.
So in this space,
Today,
In this moment,
I invite you to connect a listen inward.
Know from experience that the way forward isn't to yell inside,
The real way to heal and to bring love into the world,
Into my thoughts,
My words,
And my actions,
Is to do perhaps the most difficult thing,
And to offer myself compassionate understanding.
I'd like to invite you now to reflect on a moment or a time when you were perhaps harsh with yourself.
It could be something recent or something from long ago that still lingers in your heart.
As you hold this memory,
Can you gently ask yourself,
What was I feeling in that moment?
What was I most longing for in the world?
Now imagine you are sitting with yourself as you would a beloved friend.
You might even visualize yourself sitting in front of you in this moment.
Can you offer yourself the words you most needed to hear in that moment?
It could be as simple as,
I'm here for you.
It's okay to feel this way.
Offer these words to yourself with the same kindness,
The same softness you offer to those you love.
I've offered myself this in moments of great distress,
When all of my inner voices are screaming,
Yelling at me to make a change.
I needed to hear that I was good enough.
That I could change.
That I had love to offer others despite what had happened.
Those loving,
Compassionate words made all the difference.
It's about accepting ourselves fully as humans living this human experience.
It's about recognizing our needs as humans and treating ourselves with the same tenderness that we extend to others.
So in this moment,
I invite you to take a slow,
Gentle breath in,
Saying the words you most need to hear right now.
Perhaps these are close to what you need to hear.
I invite you to find your own words.
You are loved.
You are good enough.
You are safe.
Savor the words you choose.
Join me in that again.
Breathe in the words you most need to hear in this moment.
You are loved.
You are good enough.
You are safe.
And when you exhale,
Release any tension or any judgments that arise.
You are safe.
Savor those compassionate words.
And as we close this practice,
I invite you to carry this feeling of warmth,
Of care with you.
Know that you can return to this place whenever you need it.
You are worthy of your own kindness.
I thank you for taking this time,
For turning inward,
For offering yourself compassion.
May you continue to walk through your day with this gentle kindness for yourself,
Knowing that you are always deserving of your own care.
