Quick Self-Compassion Break

Neuroscience has shown that self-compassion has a natural antidepressant effect on the brain. When we practice self-compassion, it can help to regulate and soothe our nervous system, while sending a signal to the brain that we are safe.

My hope is that this brief mindfulness practice can support you through anxiety, depression, fear, insecurities, grief, or chronic pain.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided self-compassion meditation.

Find a way to sit that is comfortable and in a way where your body is fully supported.

Shifting and adjusting at any time to make yourself more comfortable.

Noticing the sounds around you.

Feeling where your body is making contact with the chair or if you're laying on your bed or maybe sitting on the floor or a meditation cushion.

Feeling that space and support around you.

And beginning to notice the breath.

No need to change the breath in any way.

Simply feeling and experiencing the body breathing itself.

And bringing a hand over your heart.

Feeling that place of connection between the palm of your hand,

Your fingers and either your skin or shirt.

Imagining that you can breathe right in and out of the heart.

Softly focusing attention here as you with ease and gentleness breathe in and out from the heart.

Present with the breath.

And either silently or out loud bringing compassion to whatever you're experiencing.

Some examples might be this is a moment of suffering.

I'm hurting.

I feel grief.

I'm scared.

I'm human to feel what I'm feeling.

Other people are feeling something similar to I'm not alone.

This is hard.

We'll spend just another moment here silently bringing comfort to whatever you're experiencing.

And if you find there are no words of comfort,

That's okay.

Then simply feeling your hand making contact with your heart.

And that alone is your way of offering compassion and kindness to yourself.

We'll complete this practice with three full deep breaths,

Either breathing all the way into your belly or if you'd like continuing to imagine that you're breathing in and out from your heart.

With the third exhalation,

Releasing your hand.

And this completes our practice.

Reviews

I really appreciated this practice. It was just what I needed. Thank you.