Hello and welcome to The Daily Insight.
My name is Elisha Goldstein and today's meditation focuses on a four-step self-compassion practice called SAFE to soothe difficult emotions and uncover happiness.
So beginning by getting in a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down,
And taking a couple deep breaths,
Maybe in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Just this opportunity to release into this moment.
And bringing awareness to your body and being aware if there's any difficult emotion present or uncomfortable feeling,
Whether it's a feeling of sadness,
Anxiousness,
Grief,
Anger,
Shame,
Or maybe just a general stress or uneasiness that's there.
Taking a moment to gently bring awareness into that area of your body and just softening.
If it helps you can say to yourself,
Breathing in,
I'm aware of this vulnerability or this tension or holding.
Breathing out,
Softening.
Doing this,
We're not striving to really change the feeling or make it different.
Just shifting into this space of allowing.
So breathing in,
Having an awareness of what's here,
Physically,
Emotionally,
Mentally.
Breathing out,
Allowing and letting be.
And now taking a moment to feel into it a little deeper with a kind,
Warm attention.
You may choose to put a hand on your heart or maybe both hands or wherever you feel the sensation in your body.
This is applying a love or caring or kindness to the feeling that's there.
Asking yourself the question,
What is it that I'm really needing right now?
Maybe to feel cared about or to feel secure,
To feel a sense of belonging,
To accept yourself just as you are.
Maybe to feel more generally at ease.
Whatever it is,
See if you can send these kind intentions to yourself.
You might say,
May I feel whatever it is you're needing?
May I feel loved?
May I feel safe and protected?
May I accept myself just as I am?
May I learn to live with ease?
Make this personal to whatever your needs are.
Breathing in,
Whatever it is that you're needing.
Breathing out,
Allowing and letting be.
Whatever it is your vulnerability is,
It's important you know that you're not alone.
Taking a moment to become aware that there's many other people right now who struggle with this same feeling or vulnerability.
And applying these kind intentions that you are sending towards yourself,
These friendly wishes,
Towards all these people,
Imagining them in your mind and saying,
May we all feel loved,
Feel safe and protected.
May we all feel that sense of belonging.
May we all learn to live with ease.
Expanding those loving,
Kind intentions to all people.
Placing both hands on your heart if they're not there.
Acknowledging and feeling the loving presence that's here.
The loving presence that is you.
That loving awareness and always has been.
So before we end,
Taking a moment of deep appreciation for yourself,
For taking this time out of all your daily busyness,
For your own health and well-being.
This is a great act of self-love.
