This is a gentle and powerful practice to help you rest in the comfort of your own tender nurturing in times of deep suffering.
I'm Kathryn Liggett.
To begin,
Find a place where you can sit or lie down and be completely comfortable.
Somewhere where you have privacy and can let go.
When you arrive in this place,
Do a body scan to make sure that you are as comfortable as you possibly can be,
That you feel supported.
Making those small adjustments to your body.
When you're there,
Begin now to notice your breath without any intention of changing it.
Where is your body breathing you right now?
Notice if there is any tension associated with your breath,
Perhaps in the abdomen,
At the throat,
Or around the heart.
If this is so,
Soften those areas of your body,
Allowing softening.
Breathing now into those soft spaces.
Allowing the breath now to slow just a little bit.
And be just a little bit deeper in the body than before.
Again,
Not forcing,
Not trying,
Simply allowing,
If it feels comfortable in your body.
And as you breathe now,
With every exhale,
Feel your body sinking into the surface that supports you just a little bit.
Noticing any areas of unnecessary tension in the body,
Shoulders,
Neck,
Anywhere else.
And releasing those places down,
Down,
Down,
With each exhale.
Deeper and deeper relaxed.
With every exhale,
Deeper and deeper relaxed.
In this space of stillness,
An inward presence,
Ask yourself a very powerful question.
What am I trying not to feel?
What am I trying not to feel?
Go ahead and place your hands on your own tender body,
Either on the heart space,
On the belly,
Or one on the heart and one on the belly.
Whatever feels nurturing and tender,
Or perhaps it just feels like going through the motions,
And that's okay too.
When we contact our own body with our hands,
It can be a very potent way to hold ourselves,
And our feelings tend to come out.
Like a shy creature comes out of the forest if you are still and present.
So placing your hands on your body with a spirit of tenderness,
Ask yourself again,
Sweetheart,
What are you trying not to feel?
Allowing your breath now to bring the waves of whatever this is closer to the surface of you.
Naming it in your mind,
Naming the feeling.
Is it fear,
Sorrow,
Rage,
Something else?
Naming,
Breathing,
Allowing it now to be in your body.
Giving it a gentle invitation to expand and be as big as it needs to be.
And with your hands on your body in tender support,
Say now to the innermost self that's here,
Who's feeling these things,
I am here for you.
I am here for you.
I am listening.
I am listening.
On the wings of these words to yourself,
Breathing deeply now,
Softening,
Allowing the effect of this love toward yourself to ripple through the body.
Not trying,
Not forcing anything to happen,
Simply giving open spaciousness,
Witnessing to whatever arises,
Including if nothing seems to arise,
Simply repeating,
I am here for you.
I am listening.
Tender hands holding you,
As you are now the holder and the held.
Softening further in this space of being held in your own precious embrace.
Say lovingly to yourself now,
I care about this suffering.
I care about you,
About your pain,
And I'm here.
I care about this suffering.
I care about you.
Speaking with great love to the one deep inside your chest who feels everything.
That part of you abandoned long ago,
Now held,
Now seen,
Now embraced.
I care about you.
Noticing if there's anywhere in your body or mind that resists this tender holding of yourself,
Of this one deep inside your chest.
And if you notice any resistance,
Simply breathe softness and repeat this process,
Telling it,
I am here for you.
I am listening.
I care about you.
All aspects of us deserve and need our love and embrace.
And this is how we heal.
This is the heart of it all.
What it feels like to love yourself.
Whenever this feels complete for right now,
Knowing of course that you can return at any time to this space of wonderful loving tenderness toward yourself.
And I highly recommend doing this many times a day.
I probably do this 20 times a day.
Just simply place my hands on my heart and repeat,
I'm here for you.
I'm listening.
I care about you.
Knowing that this may well become simply a natural part of how you relate to yourself.
Very slowly now begin to bring yourself back,
Perhaps giving your body tender pressure where your hands have been just to say,
I love you.
I'll be back.
Perhaps a smile comes to your mouth.
Noticing how you feel,
How the suffering that you experience has shifted as you have held yourself here.
Bringing yourself back now all the way,
Opening eyes if they were closed.
Taking a deep breath.
And moving now into the rest of your day with renewed spirit,
Renewed love.
I wish you a beautiful rest of your day.
Thank you very much,
So much for your commitment to loving yourself.
