Self-Compassion Meditation

Research has shown that beneficial structural changes start to occur when we practice self-compassion. These changes are noticeable in areas of the brain connected to memory, self-awareness, and compassion. This is ideal to work through a recent difficult situation, reaction, or emotion.

Transcript

Now finding that comfortable sitting position so we can practice the self-compassion meditation. So both feet on the ground, Hands on your lap, Taking a deep breath through the nose, Exhaling through the nose slowly as we close our eyes and relax our gaze. So connecting with our breath just for a few seconds to allow our awareness over the mind and the heart and the body to be in the same place. So just connecting with the breath as we inhale and exhale. Inhaling, We notice. Exhaling, We notice. So I'm going to invite you right now to bring to mind a recent difficult situation, Something that is manageable if this is the first time that you're practicing self-compassion. So finding that recent opportunity when some difficult emotions were present. What happened? Bring in as much detail that you can to your mind at this moment, How you felt. And just stay with that for a second, This difficult experience. Acknowledging how difficult was this moment for us, How difficult it felt to feel this pain. And perhaps we can introduce a few phrases to help us. This was hard. I'm struggling with this. Whatever is it that you're struggling with. Identifying just a phrase that defines what is happening for you. This is a moment of sadness or distress. So to work through this emotion, Difficult moment, We're going to connect with compassion. In compassion, We remember that suffering is part of life, That it is normal to feel what we feel, That many others have experienced or are experiencing similar things. Hardship is part of life and it's part of being human. So it's okay to feel this way. We may say to ourselves, Many others may be experiencing this at this time, Or at some point in their life, Hardship is part of the human experience. And to help with coping with this emotion, We may bring both of our hands to our heart, Put one on top of the other, As we bring support to ourselves, As we were our best friend. And in the supportive way, As a gesture of kindness, We put this warmth on our body. Sometimes it may feel better to put the hands on the belly too, Whenever it feels comfortable, Or we feel supported. And we may repeat phrases like this to help us cope with this difficult time. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. I am here for me. And you feel that every word. I'm here for me. I care about me. Everything will be okay. I care about me. Everything will be okay. Continue providing the support to yourself. At times, You may draw a circle on your heart or on your belly to allow the support, To feel the support that everything will be fine, That you care, That you love yourself, That you're here for you. And we stay with the support and repeating phrases of support to ourselves, Just for a few more seconds. And even if you need to, Gentle circles on the belly or the heart, Drawing them to help us cope with this difficult situation. If you get distracted by a noise or a thought or a strong emotion, Continue supporting ourselves. And you say, All right, Everything will be all right. Everything will be fine. I care about me. I'm here for me. Allowing, Taking in that support that we give sometimes to others, If we forget to give to ourselves. Allowing that to come, To feel the safety, Slowly shifting our attention to the breath, Bringing back our hands to our lap, Just focusing on the breath and allowing whatever emotion, Thought, Or experience that we brought here to go. By bringing the attention to the breath, We connect with this present moment, Our body, Here sitting, Sensing every inhalation and every exhalation. As you hear the bell, You still lowly start to return your attention back to the room where you are.