Hi there,
Dr Adele Stewart here.
This is a 10 minute guided self-compassion meditation designed to follow a journaling session.
Whether you've just done journal speak,
Wild journaling,
Raw journaling,
Uncensored journaling or any other form of honest unfiltered writing.
Let's begin by gently bringing the writing session to a close.
If your eyes are open,
Allow them to softly close or lower your gaze.
Take a moment to notice the surface beneath you,
The support of the chair,
The floor,
The earth,
Holding your body.
There's nothing more to process right now,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to analyse or even understand.
The work of expression is complete.
Taking in a slow breath through the nose and allowing a long unhurried breath out through the mouth,
Perhaps like a sigh.
Again,
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
Bringing your attention to your heart space and maybe placing a hand there if that feels supportive.
Silently or out loud.
Acknowledge,
Something honest moved through me just now.
You might not like everything that was expressed,
You might not even agree with it,
You don't need to justify it.
This kind of journaling is not about truth,
It's about release.
Letting yourself recognise the courage it takes to let unfiltered thoughts and feelings have a voice.
If there's some resistance that arises,
Shame or judgement or fear,
Gently noting,
Ah,
Resistance or maybe a protective part here and allow that to.
Nothing is wrong with that.
Now imagining that a wise,
Steady,
Deeply kind presence is with you.
It might be a future version of you.
A loving figure,
Real or imaginary.
Or simply the felt sense of compassion itself.
You might let this presence speak inwardly to the part of you that just expressed so much.
I see you.
I hear how hard this has been.
You don't have to carry this alone anymore.
Noticing how your body responds.
No need to change anything.
If emotions arise,
Allow them to move at their own pace.
Tears,
Softness,
Numbness,
All are welcome.
Gently reminding yourself.
I am safe in this moment.
This feeling is allowed.
I can feel this and still be okay.
Perhaps letting your nervous system begin to register that expressing emotions didn't lead to danger here,
But to care.
If you need more time for the emotions to express themselves,
Feel free to pause the recording.
But otherwise,
Bringing awareness now to your breath.
Not changing it or controlling it,
Just noticing,
Noticing the felt sense of compassion.
It's in your body.
You might even sense that as you inhale,
You're inhaling the quality of kindness,
Gently entering your body.
And as you exhale,
Perhaps exhaling any tension or imagining tension softening.
You might silently offer yourself phrases such as,
May I be kind to myself in this moment.
May I allow myself to be human.
Humans feel emotions like this.
Humans need to express themselves like this.
May I rest now.
May I be kind to myself.
May I allow myself to be human.
May I rest now.
If your mind wanders,
That's totally fine.
Just gently return to the feeling of the breath,
The gentle phrases,
Perhaps the contact of your hand on your heart.
Knowing that your job right now is not insight,
It's integration.
Beginning to notice the room around you now,
The sounds,
The light,
The sense of being here now.
And offering yourself one final acknowledgement.
I showed up for myself today,
Or a phrase that's similar.
And can that be enough?
And when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes if you haven't already.
Carrying forward not the content of what was written today,
But the relief,
The safety,
And compassion that followed.
Thank you.
