Releasing Shame Through Self-Compassion

In today's practice with Al Jeffrey, you will explore how to release the burdens of shame and embrace the power of self-compassion. Al's gentle guidance creates a nurturing environment where you can explore the depths of shame, recognizing its presence without judgment. By acknowledging and releasing shame, you are empowered to heal emotional wounds, foster self-worth, and develop a more loving relationship with yourself.

Transcript

This meditation is dedicated to cultivating the softness and ease that comes from letting go,

From allowing and listening.

We spend much of our time actively trying to edge ourselves a little closer to the life we think we are meant to be leading,

The love that we think we are meant to be experiencing.

And amidst the deadlines and expectations we place on ourselves and we have placed on us,

It is a rarity to experience the joy,

Ease and flow that comes with letting go and letting come.

All is forever changing,

Nothing natural ever stays the same.

You know this.

Yet we try to cling to identities,

To other people,

To places,

To outcomes.

So let's see if we can touch the joy that resides in letting go and let's remind ourselves that we know our way there in this practice.

So just finding a comfortable posture that will allow you to be both relaxed and attentive.

Maybe you're seated or maybe you're lying down,

Either is perfectly fine.

Wherever you are just gently closing down your eyes on your exhale if you're comfortable to.

And just turning your attention inwards.

This is your time and your space and you're choosing to be here.

So maybe just sending a bit of gratitude towards yourself as well for carving out some space in the dense forest of your life.

And on your next inhale just know you're inhaling and as you exhale you know you're exhaling.

Just taking a couple of breaths like this,

Having your mind come to rest with the body.

Just arriving and settling for your breath.

You breathe in,

Know you're breathing in.

And as you breathe out,

Knowing that you're breathing out.

Know that your attention is a little more soft.

Just noticing what has become obvious or at least a little more clear is the attention somewhere in the body holding tightness.

And just making any small adjustments to allow yourself to feel free and light in your posture.

There's nothing worse than trying to be gentle and compassionate and still-minded when all you're doing is aching.

So just notice if there's any tension or holding in the body and just take a moment to soften wherever you can.

And then when you're ready,

Taking your gaze on the inside of your eyelids and attention up to the forehead.

The space between your eyebrows.

And in your mind's eye,

Can you imagine yourself laying on a beach facing upwards towards the sky.

And you can feel the sand between your toes.

The warmth of the Sun beaming down on your face,

Your arms,

Your legs,

Your torso.

It's fairly warm and you can feel the aliveness of the Sun on your body.

A light sharpness to the Sun.

And there's a light sea breeze.

You can smell the saltiness of the oceanic breeze drifting softly across your face.

The sound of the waves gently lapping up against the shore.

Being closer and closer to you.

Hearing the birds in the distance as they fly over.

But you've got your eyes closed.

And as you take a couple of deep breaths,

A sensation of descending into the sand beneath you on every exhale.

The beach,

The sand to hold you.

And after a while you start to hear the lapping of the water and the shore getting a little bit closer.

You feel the water just softly roll up in over your toes and ankles.

Head chill.

And returning back to the ocean.

Again the water comes up.

This time halfway up your shins.

And as it washes back into the ocean,

This time you feel it take with it a concept of time.

That there could be anywhere else you might need to be.

And so as the water rushes back out into the ocean it takes with it this idea,

This concept of time and urgency.

And needing to make the most of it.

So as it's washed out to sea you feel just that little bit lighter,

A little bit softer.

Again the sensation of sinking even a little bit deeper into the sand beneath you.

Inhaling this time the water washes up all the way to your knees.

And as it returns to the ocean you exhale and this time it takes with it one of the capes we sometimes like to wear.

A cape of having all of our things together.

Knowing what we're doing.

Being seen to be mentally strong.

Just letting the water take with it just one of the capes you might like to hold.

Inhaling and this time it washes up to your thighs.

Exhaling as it returns and taking another cape with it.

Bringing to mind another idea or identity you'd like to hold close and dearly.

And as it washes back into the ocean feeling the sense of weightlessness.

You're lighter,

You're softer.

Greater sense of ease.

Letting go of a sense of self or something that we hold close and cling on to.

Just allowing the holding of the beach and the sand to bolster you up as the water washes away all of these things we cling to.

And breath by breath the water slowly comes all the way up to your shoulders,

Neck and head.

Washing away all of your holding.

The musts,

The shoulds,

The people,

The goals,

The outcomes.

Leaving you lighter each time.

Until now you're floating held by the water itself.

There's no more clinging to identities or people or outcomes.

Thoughts come and they go.

Emotions come and they go.

Sounds come and they go.

All just weather systems passing through the open blue sky of your mind.

And so you take this opportunity to rest in this great openness.

Allowing life to flow through you without holding or grabbing at it in any way.

And so you take a moment to practice laying here without needing to know,

Without needing to grasp or hold on to anything.

Practicing resting in your own living presence.

And you may notice your mind drifting off,

Taken somewhere else,

Somewhere other than here,

Into a sort of virtual reality.

And if that's the case that's perfectly normal.

Just bring a gentle smile to your mind,

To your body,

To your heart.

Noticing where it's drifted to and then just allowing it to come back to the sensation of floating here.

Resting in the openness.

The space in between.

And just taking a couple of deep breaths just here.

Expanding on the inhale.

Seeing if you can notice the inhale,

The exhale and the space between.

Just for a couple of breaths.

And maybe just taking a moment to reflect on what this experience brought to you.

Of something.

Did it teach you something?

Or did it just bring about a feeling that was comforting,

Inspiring,

Grounding?

Maybe it was just a reminder.

A reminder that you know your way back to this feeling.

Or maybe it was a sense of permission.

That it's okay to let go and to not know.

And to live and exist in this vast openness.

In the space between.

So I'll close with a reading from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.

And just allow it to wash through you.

Touching you in the way that it will.

And bringing you back to the day ahead with a sense of renewal.

Colors blind the eye.

Sounds deafen the ear.

Flavors numb the taste.

Thoughts weaken the mind.

Desires wither the heart.

The master observes the world.

But trust their inner vision.

They allow things to come and go.

Their heart is open as the sky.

Reviews

This was great. I feel very peaceful and accepting toward myself. Thank you. 🙏✨🦋✨

This was a most wonderful meditation. Thank you kindly for creating such a heartfelt experience.

Holy ship! This meditation really spoke to me and helped me dialogue with my inner critic. It has been a huge help to me and I will use it every day in hopes I make progress breaking down the painful, destructive side of my inner critic. Thank you! 🙏☀️🩷

I do love this session 💙🙏

I receive a new message almost every time I listen to it 🙏

Thank you 💙🙏

This is my personal favorite meditation since I’m currently struggling with this & will say though that I always come back to this meditation whenever I need peace /clarity/ a mind reset when i’m stressed or depressed. It’s taught me that I know what I have to do, I just have to do it is all which is the hard part [And Part I’m Struggling With] , something that shame is over-protecting me from at the moment. It’s also taught me though that I have to take it slow at the moment & do things in strides rathen then all in one go too. 10/10 😁

Thank you so beautiful

That was very interesting and insightful to listen to. Thankyou. My Inner Critic is in my head and my Compassion is in my heart. The Inner Critic did soften a little in the meditation so that was good. I feel a lot better for doing it too. So thankyou ever so much.

I’m still considering the idea of shame as a protection. I’ve known the difference between guilt and shame for years and so that was not an issue. I will ponder this more and do appreciate your participation in this challenge offering.