Soften, Soothe, Allow

This audio guides you through the process of acknowledging and embracing difficult situations and lingering emotional distress. Listeners are encouraged to anchor their breath and systematically track dynamic sensations within the body, identifying specific areas of emotional tension. By shifting away from resistance, you are led through steps to physically soften around these tight areas, offer self-compassion, and safely allow the feelings to exist. Please note: This track is for supportive purposes and does not replace professional medical or psychological care.

Transcript

This is a meditation called Soften, Soothe, Allow and it's adapted from Kristin Neff's meditation of the same name. And it's really about working with a situation that you're finding difficult and you can't really get over and working with the emotions of that. So if you get yourself comfortable, Sitting with your back upright but relaxed. And just letting go of any tension. So just breathing normally. Just noticing how the breath feels. Coming in and going out. Just noticing the breathing in. Noticing you're breathing out. Now, Bringing to mind this circumstance. It could be a mistake that you've made or something that you don't like, A situation that you're finding difficult. Just remind yourself of the details. Try not to get too lost in the storyline, But just get in touch with what's troubling you and how you feel about it. So we're going to be working with the emotions in the body and soothing those and comforting yourself. By focusing your attention on the body and the emotions attached. There might be more than one. So just bringing those emotions. To your attention now. Could be anger, Disappointment, Grief. Fear. So choose that predominant emotion that's associated with your circumstance. Just see if you can tell where you feel that in your body. Could be like a gripping on the throat or clenching of the gut. So what part of the body is that emotion affecting? Just tuning in to your body. See if you can describe to yourself. What that might be feeling right now. Be tight or hot, Tingly, Numb. Just trying to describe that in your own mind. That painful emotion. Naturally want to resist against it and tighten up to make it go away. But this actually makes it all the more painful. So once you've got a sense of where that is and how that's feeling in your body, Just see if you can soften around it. See if you can relax a little bit more in that area. Soften that feeling of tension. Or pressure. And if it's overwhelming, Focus your attention on the edge of the emotion. Softening around the borders of it. You could imagine that that emotion is in a container that has water and it can kind of seep out of the edges and pour out naturally, Creating some kind of space. Just softening around this sensation. Taking a big breath in. And with your out breath again, Just softening some more. Just recognising. That every one of us feels these difficult and painful emotions. Validating that difficulty that you have. So I invite you now to put a hand on the area of where you feel that emotion. Just gently touch it. Let it be soft and caring. You might want to caress it a little bit, Stroke that area. And as you touch that space, Soothing that difficult emotion. Just telling yourself that you recognize how hard it is to feel this way. You can even talk to yourself. If it feels comfortable, Maybe saying your own name. And I'm so sorry, It's hard for you right now. Just remembering that you're allowed to feel like this. It's a completely natural reaction. You're not choosing to feel like this. This is what's happening. And that's OK. So being able to comfort ourselves and soothe ourselves. Is actually. . . Really showing yourself, This kindness. And helping yourself. See if you can allow the sensation of the emotion to just be there rather than trying to push it away. Right now, You're safe. There's no danger. It's just your body experiencing that emotion. So, See if you can just allow it to be there just as it is. Noticing now, Does it change at all? And you just accept it being there in your body. Maybe the quality of it is changing. Or it's moving or shifting. So we're just going to stick with this for a few minutes. Just noticing if the same emotion is predominant or if a new one is arising. Just locating the sensation. Softening around the edges. Soothing yourself. Allowing those sensations. Feelings. An emotion to be there. If your mind gets pulled away thinking about it, That's okay. Completely natural, Just bringing it back to the sensation in your body. You can put a hand on there at any time. Are there any feelings of comfort or peace arising? See if you can be aware of those feelings too. If it's still painful. Just go through the three steps. Soften. Soothe allow. And if your mind keeps drifting away, Just refresh in your mind the source of that pain. Getting in touch with the feelings in the body. Softening Soothing. Allowing. And now we're going to let go of that. Let awareness fill your entire body. Feeling that sensation of energy throughout your body. From your head all down to your toes. Just noticing the movement there inside. Pulsating of life. And let your awareness just rest now in your physical presence. Put your hand gently over your heart. And get in touch with those feelings of tenderness. Kindness. Concern. Compassion for what you're going through. Just remembering that we're all imperfect. Life is imperfect. And if we can be open to that. We can be happy. And peaceful. Even in the face of suffering. Knowing that you can do this meditation. At any time for any difficulties you might be facing and it might get easier as you keep doing it. Soften, Soothe, Allow.