Hi and welcome to this guided meditation for fostering self compassion.
I am truly grateful that you have chosen me as your guide today to bring more kindness to your day,
To release any negative feelings and to create a safe space for inner love and compassion.
Now beginning by finding a comfortable,
Relaxed place where you won't be disturbed by anyone.
You may choose to lay down or sit,
But if you feel sleepy it may be better to sit in an upright posture to maintain alertness,
Inviting awareness of your needs at this moment.
You may also like to find some pillows or blankets to make yourself just a little bit more comfortable and when you feel ready,
Allow yourself to slowly close your eyes.
Beginning by becoming conscious of your breathing,
Noticing the softness of the inhale and the exhale and slowly releasing on the exhale,
In through the nose and out through the nose,
Bringing mindful awareness to each breath,
Simply bringing all your focus on each breath,
One breath at a time,
Bringing awareness now to any sensations in the body that arise,
Perhaps any areas of discomfort or tension,
Acknowledging sensations and simply accepting them as they are.
It's ok if nothing arises immediately,
It's also ok if you do notice points of tension in your body.
There is no need to label these sensations in any particular way,
Just allowing them to simply be.
When you give yourself the freedom to invite an attitude of compassion to your body,
You perhaps might feel a little lighter,
Almost as if you've given yourself a permission slip to say,
It's ok,
I can rest now.
You may even like to acknowledge this sense of stillness you've created for yourself,
Feeling your whole body resting on your chair or bed,
Your entire body resting on the earth,
Extending this attitude of kindness beyond your body now,
Starting by drawing attention to any thoughts that arise,
Knowing that in the same way you bring mindful awareness to the body,
The same principles apply to your thoughts,
So inviting you now to observe your mind for a few moments,
Observe each thought with kindness and compassion,
Watching one thought leave and another arrive,
Like clouds floating in the sky,
Once again avoiding labeling these thoughts,
Just allowing them to be as they are,
With kindness and compassion,
Simply observing for a few more moments,
Inviting you now to deepen this practice of self compassion,
Allowing yourself to call to mind something in your life that is causing you stress or discomfort,
Try to pick something simple that feels manageable,
It might be something as simple as a mistake you made at work or something hurtful you said to a loved one,
Just bringing clarity to this event in your mind,
Now inviting you to bring to light any underlying emotions,
Perhaps there are feelings of guilt or shame associated with this event,
Perhaps you observe a hint of self doubt this event has raised for you,
Knowing that it's perfectly normal to feel these feelings,
That it's ok to acknowledge when these feelings arise,
After bringing awareness to the body,
You may have an intuition about where these feelings may be stored in the body,
You may feel it in your chest,
Your belly,
Your legs,
Anywhere on the body,
Let's bring in some self compassion now,
Let's begin by recognising that these challenging emotions you're feeling are part of what it means to be a human being,
Over the course of your life you will naturally experience a spectrum of unique emotions,
Some old,
Some new,
Many may not be clear at first,
Simply acknowledging this fact can be so liberating,
Simply allowing yourself to feel whatever it is you want to feel,
Now inviting a sense of warmth to these difficult emotions,
Wherever you feel tension or discomfort,
Just asking you now to place a hand on these areas,
Feeling the warmth in the palm of your hand on your skin,
Connecting with this warm gentle touch,
Allowing it to nourish you,
Allowing any tension to soften,
Allowing yourself to lovingly surrender to this simple avenue to self kindness,
You may like to even use your thumb and apply a gentle pressure to your skin,
Or side to side,
Feeling this warm gentle pressure soothing your body,
Appreciating the opportunity to embrace your own love,
The validation of your emotions,
The gentle touch to invite an attitude of peace toward every aspect of your being,
There is a great quote by vulnerability researcher Brene Brown,
She says you are imperfect and you are wired for struggle,
But you are worthy of love and belonging,
You are so incredibly worthy of your own love,
You truly are,
That when you stumble or fall short of your expectations,
You can revisit this practice to bring some self compassion to your experience,
To surrender to a couple minutes of silence,
Inviting you now to re-familiarise yourself with your surroundings,
Your body resting on your chair or bed,
Any sounds you hear in your room,
Hands resting by your sides or on your lap,
Noticing also how you feel in your body,
Whether you feel slightly more relaxed or at ease,
Perhaps you feel a little lighter and refreshed,
Allowing yourself to embrace any feelings that arise at this moment,
And when you are ready gently open your eyes,
Allowing yourself to fully appreciate the progress you have made during this meditation practice,
Embracing this empowered state with a heart full of love,
Compassion,
Wisdom and courage,
Thank you so much for listening to this self compassion meditation,
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
