The ABCs Of Self Compassion: A Quick Self-Compassion Practice

Knowing how to regulate difficult emotions is one of the most powerful skills you can learn for your wellness. Self-compassion is one of the best evidence-based practices for this. This meditation helps you learn a quick self-compassion practice you can use to manage difficult emotions now using my ABCs of self-compassion: acknowledge, be with, and care. It can be helpful to write your own self-compassion mantra at the end using this acronym to practice self-compassion in the future.

Transcript

This meditation helps you learn a quick self-compassion practice that you can use to manage difficult emotions using the ABCs of self-compassion.

Acknowledge,

Be with,

And care.

So if you're experiencing a difficult emotion right now,

Then this meditation will help you learn how to care for it.

Let's begin.

Get into a comfortable seated posture where you're sitting upright without feeling tense,

Feeling the weight of your body on the surface underneath you.

Alternatively,

If laying down on the ground would feel more nurturing for you,

You can do that as well.

But whatever position you're in,

Just close your eyes or gaze softly at a spot in front of you and set the intention for compassion.

The first step of this practice is to acknowledge the emotion that you're feeling.

The main thing is that this emotion is real.

Without getting sucked into it,

Or getting sucked into any thoughts you have about it,

Just stay with the pure sensations of the emotion.

Take a moment to get curious and identify it,

Saying maybe,

I am experiencing sadness or anxiety right now,

And this is a difficult time.

The next step is to be with the emotion.

Welcome this difficult emotion as a fact of life.

See if you can relax any resistance you are feeling towards it in your body.

Release any tension you're feeling in your shoulders,

Or your neck,

Your belly,

Or chest,

And breathe deep into the emotion and just allow it to be there.

I know it might feel like the opposite of what you want to do right now,

But being with your emotion and welcoming it in actually reduces the intensity and makes it more manageable.

And the last step is care.

So care for this emotion like you would a vulnerable child,

Or an animal,

Or someone you really love and care about who's hurting.

Consider giving yourself a hug,

Or put your hand on your heart.

Open your heart as much as you can towards the emotion and send words of compassion and kindness,

Letting yourself know that it's okay to feel this way.

It's okay.

It's okay,

Dear one.

I know it's hard.

I'm here.

I'm here with you.

Just offer kindness,

Perhaps some words of your own or gestures of your own.

Giving this emotion whatever it needs,

Maybe asking,

What do you need most?

What do you most want to hear?

And say these words back to yourself with care.

And just take some deep breaths into the belly,

Perhaps taking your awareness away from the emotion itself back into the belly.

This is just a short practice.

And the emotion may linger and that's okay.

Whenever you're ready,

You can slowly start to come back,

Opening the eyes,

Perhaps stretching the body,

And continue to be gentle with yourself as you go back into your day.

Perhaps you're finding that you need a little bit more of a break or rest or some more comfort.

So just give that to yourself if you need it.

Otherwise,

Just enter back into your day with care and gentleness.

Thank you for meditating with me.

Reviews

Lovely, simple and practical meditation for beginning to regulate unpleasant emotions. I’m doing eldercare for my mother with dementia, and this meditation really made a difference for me after a stressful issue arose with my mother this morning. 🙏🏼💚

Just perfect. Thank you. I have been trying to find a short self compassion exercise to play in group for women who have experienced domestic violence. I'll definitely be sharing & playing this one.

So peaceful and calming - thank you!

So appreciate your tender wisdom. Needed no “dressing up.” Simple and effective. Thanks!

beautiful, impactful and just enough to shift my state of mind and energy.

Thank you 🙏

Gentle guide with a genuinely kind voice. Made me feel safe and supported. Thank you!

Very helpful

Thank go! My Daily Compassion refill station!👃🏽🥰👌🌻

So soothing and wonderful. Thank you.

🙏💜🕊

A really nice and helpful technique to help me process some difficult emotions at this time thank you 🥰

Lovely short meditation

So simple yet spot on.

Love it.

This was so gentle and a wonderful practice. Strongly recommend for a quick meditation through anxiety or overwhelming feelings

Lovely voice and thanks for the beautiful gentle compassion.

Thank you for your kindness in this meditation,
Blessings

quick and helpful.

A wonderful short self compassion practice to make me feel better with myself