Kind Mind Meditation

Do you find that you criticise yourself? Beat yourself up about your behaviour, your reactions, your failure at being the best version of yourself at times? Have you noticed how that criticism makes you feel in your body?
It can contract you, diminish you and make you feel down and it can make you angry and frustrated.
And even if we dont mean it to, this inner contraction can spill out into your relationships with others.
But the great news is that you can transform self-judgement into self-support and kindness - first to yourself, and then, naturally, to others.
Here is a meditation that will re-engage you with your naturally kind state. It will soften you, soothe you and open you.
We all need kindness! And it starts with you.

Transcript

Choose a comfortable position,

Either sitting on the floor,

A cushion or a chair.

One where you feel stable and where your back can rise vertically from a solid base.

When you do this,

Your shoulders can simply hang,

They have no work to do and the muscles can relax and let go.

With each out breath,

Let your shoulders relax a little further and feel your energy settle.

Now take your awareness to your brain,

Your thoughts and notice your critical self judgements.

How you criticise yourself,

How you undermine yourself,

How you do yourself down.

And notice your emotional response to these thoughts,

Depressing,

Flattening,

De-energising.

Notice how these thoughts affect your body posture,

Your expression,

How they close you down,

How they close down your heart.

And now take your awareness into your chest and imagine you have in front of you a child.

A child you are fond of and a child who is in distress,

Feels they haven't made the grade in some way.

They may have been rejected or criticised or just telling themselves that there's some way not making the grade,

They're not enough.

Feel compassion for this child,

Notice how your heart opens,

How kindly you feel towards them,

How you want to soothe,

Comfort,

Reassure them.

And let them know they are loved and there's nothing they need to do to win or deserve this love.

They are loved for simply being themselves and now imagine turning this kindness to yourself.

Notice how it feels to be supporting and encouraging yourself rather than criticising,

How it energises you,

Opens you,

Supports you.

Notice that this child mind,

This kind mind is located in your chest,

Bring your focus to your chest,

Allow that mental mind,

That critical mind to do and say as it pleases.

You're simply going to stop listening,

Turn your gaze to your kind mind,

Listen to this,

Choose to support yourself,

Choose love.

And now you can bring your awareness back to that solid base,

On your bottom,

On the chair or the floor and back to your breathing and notice how your energy has settled.

And now you can bring your awareness back to the room,

You can end this meditation and open your eyes.