Find a comfortable posture.
Adjust your body so that you are alert and relaxed.
You might have your feet flat on the ground,
Your eyes closed,
Or gazing softly on the floor.
You can place your hands on your lap or wherever they're most comfortable.
Let's begin with three slow gentle breaths.
Now put your hand over your heart or on your wrist or elsewhere,
Noticing any response in the body to the physical sensation of touch with the weight of your hand.
Take a few more breaths to settle into your body.
Feel your body breathe as one integrated system right here,
Right now.
Sense the gentle rhythm of your breathing.
Now take a moment to allow your heart to open gently,
To become receptive like a flower opens on a warm sunny day.
Bring to mind a difficult moment,
One that might have happened this week,
Last night,
Or even today.
On a scale of one to ten,
Make it a five or six.
Being present with mindfulness helps us to see what is happening in the here and now.
As you strengthen your capacity of noticing and observing what is happening in your present moment,
You become more aware of when you are in a challenging,
Stressful,
Or difficult moment.
So the first step with self-compassion is recognition that this is a difficult moment.
You can say this is hard.
If you like,
Put your hand on your chest,
Allowing the sensation of touch to calm the body.
Open up to the sense that you're part of the human experience,
That you are not alone.
That brings you to the second step,
Connecting to our shared common humanity.
You can say,
I'm not the only one who's experiencing this.
I'm not alone.
And for the third step,
We apply self-kindness.
Use your compassionate voice with yourself.
What do I truly need?
What will best serve right now?
Or it's okay,
Sweetheart.
Let the words fill your being.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go.
Just surrounding yourself with the kind phrases.
Use words and phrases that are most meaningful to you.
And then let go of the phrases and just rest in your own breathing,
Your own body.
Take this compassionate voice with you throughout the day,
Bringing a kind inner friend or inner mentor with you to support you with whatever the day will bring.
Thank you for being here,
And may you be well.
