What if you were open to sadness?
Not by ignoring it or letting it overwhelm,
But finding balance with it through awareness of why sadness is here in the present moment,
And letting this moment exist with compassion.
Sadness is a core emotion,
And experiencing it is a part of human life.
Finding ways to witness it with compassion can help us grow,
Can help us be more empathetic to ourselves and others,
It can help us discover new ways to move forward.
So in this practice,
Through breath awareness and an affirmation,
We're helping ourselves not to throw away or discard our sadness or try to bury it,
But rather create an open,
Compassionate space within ourselves through which we can witness and be present.
And hopefully by the end,
We feel that we can move forward in a way that allows ourselves to be kind.
To begin the practice,
Make sure you're in a comfortable seat.
That could look like lying down,
Sitting,
Or even standing.
Know that it doesn't need to look like the posture or position you took yesterday,
Instead seeing what is needed in this moment.
Once you've arrived in your seat,
Start to deepen the breath,
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth with a sigh.
Allow yourself to slowly settle with a few more deep breaths.
If your experience today includes the urge to cry,
Please know that's okay.
Don't fight back the sensation,
Let it release if it feels safe to do so.
This is the time to let your emotions be seen with compassion.
Choosing now to gently close the eyes if you haven't already,
Or soften the gaze.
The breath can softly return to its natural rhythm,
Beginning to notice where you can feel the breath in the body.
You might feel the belly expand and contract,
The chest rises and falls,
The air flows in and out of the nostrils.
Slowly scan the body from the top of the head all the way down to your feet,
Noticing the sensation of breath along the way.
As you're scanning,
If you notice sensation or tightness in the body,
Gently note it.
You can say to yourself,
I feel you,
As a simple way to acknowledge your body's experience.
And if a sensation is overwhelming,
You can adjust your position at any point in the practice.
Be aware of what your needs are,
What will make this practice safe for you.
Finding now a single point of focus for the mind,
By finding where the breath is most noticeable.
Where can you most easily witness your breath?
You could stay with the rise and fall of the chest or belly,
The sound of breathing in your ears,
The sensation of breath in the throat.
Picking one focus point for the mind to stay with.
And when the mind wanders,
Which it always does,
Gently bring your awareness back to your breath,
Back to your focus point.
Remembering that this is a practice of compassion,
Not perfection.
I'll start to introduce an affirmation now.
With your inhale,
Speaking out loud or internally,
I hold space for my experience.
And repeating again with the exhale,
I hold space for my experience.
If this affirmation doesn't align or land with you today,
Know you can change it or pick a new one entirely.
I also like to use the phrase,
I see you,
When I'm experiencing big or heavy emotions.
Inhaling and exhaling,
I hold space for my experience.
I hold space for my experience.
I hold space for my experience.
Remember that if the need or desire to cry arises,
If there are tears today,
That's okay.
Allowing the waves of emotions to come and go,
To wax and wane,
In whatever way feels safe for you in this moment.
When you lose the affirmation,
If you become lost in thought,
Come back to the breath.
Allow your original point of focus to anchor you back and begin again.
I hold space for my experience.
I hold space for my experience.
I hold space for my experience.
Releasing the affirmation now,
Come back to the breath,
To your point of focus.
Witness what is always here with you,
This breath.
This breath that has carried you from one moment to the next.
This breath that holds space for all of you.
This breath that creates life inside of you.
This breath that can be compassionate.
This breath that will join you in all of your experiences.
Keeping the eyes closed,
Let the mind come back to the space around you.
Find an anchor point outside of the body to gently bring your awareness a little more outward.
Notice any sounds,
Smells,
Or sensations.
The feeling of the ground beneath your feet or body,
The temperature of your space.
Bring hands to rest against the chest at the heart.
Know that your emotions,
Including your sadness,
Are worthy of being seen.
Your experiences are worthy of being seen.
May you feel peace.
May you feel love.
May you be held in the light.
You can gently open the eyes if they are closed.
And thank you for joining me for this practice.
Please take care of yourself.
And as my favorite musical artist Jean-Baptiste says,
I love you even if I don't know you.
