Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be disturbed.
Make your way into a comfortable seated position,
With your back straight but not rigid and your hands resting gently in your lap or on your knees.
Close your eyes and begin by taking a few deeper breaths to settle in.
Breathing in through your nose.
Breathing out through your mouth.
Breathing in through your nose.
Breathing out through your mouth.
With each exhalation,
Feel your body softening as you relax,
Releasing any tension in your body and your mind with each breath.
Silently set the intention for this meditation.
I am here to heal the shame within me.
I open my heart to self-compassion and acceptance.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the sensation of the air entering and leaving your body.
Feel the rise and the fall of your chest or your abdomen with each breath.
As you focus on your breath,
Allow any thoughts or distractions to fade into the background.
Slowly observe them without attachment,
Returning your focus gently back to your breath.
Air moving in,
Air moving out.
Feeling the body breathing,
Awareness of the sensations of the breath.
Feel the weight of your body pressing down into the surface beneath you.
Now gently bring to mind a situation or memory where you feel or have felt shame.
It might be a specific event,
A mistake you made or a pattern of self-criticism.
Notice where in the body this emotion manifests.
It might feel like a heaviness in your chest or maybe a tightness in your throat or maybe it feels like a knot in your stomach.
Acknowledge this feeling without judgment.
Remind yourself that it's okay to feel this way and that this emotion does not define you.
Shame,
While powerful,
Is not permanent nor definitive.
Shame arises as a consequence of our past actions that are shaped by specific conditions.
Yet it's not fixed.
It evolves,
Offering you an opportunity to learn,
To grow and to create new positive outcomes.
Everything is rising and passing away.
Everything is impermanent.
Everything is transient.
That includes feelings,
Emotions and shame.
It does not define who you are but it is a passing experience shaped by conditions that no longer exist.
Your true nature transcends past mistakes and temporary emotions.
You are not bound by the shame as you have the capacity for transformation and healing.
In the present moment you can cultivate compassion,
Make wise choices and move forward on the path to liberation,
Free from the burdens of shame.
As you observe the feeling of shame begin to cultivate a sense of mindfulness.
Recognize that this shame is a mental and emotional experience and like all experiences it is impermanent.
Gently repeat to yourself.
This is a feeling.
It is not who I am.
It will pass.
This is a feeling.
It is not who I am.
It will pass.
This is a feeling.
It's not who I am.
It will pass.
Now place your hand over your heart and imagine sending warmth and compassion to yourself.
If it helps,
Visualize a warm soft light emanating from your heart.
Filling your entire body with a sense of love and acceptance.
Visualize the shame as a dark cloud that begins to dissolve and fade away with each breath.
See it being replaced by the light of wisdom and understanding.
Let go of the extremes of condemning yourself and the indifference.
Embrace the middle path of self-compassion and mindful awareness.
Reaffirm your intention to live with kindness towards yourself.
To learn from the past without being burdened by it.
May you be kind to yourself.
May you accept yourself as you are.
May you forgive yourself for past mistakes.
May you release this shame and be at peace.
Take a few more deep breaths.
Feeling the calm and peacefulness within you.
Allow this sense of peace to permeate your entire being.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Take a moment to notice how you feel.
And carry this sense of compassion and understanding with you as you continue with your day.
