Welcome to this self-compassion practice.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Taking three deep breaths in through the nose and out through your mouth.
And letting go and releasing any areas of tension in your body with every exhale.
Allowing your body to be relaxed,
Supported,
Thinking into the support that is holding you knowing that you are in a safe space to be practicing self-compassion.
At any point throughout this practice,
If you find yourself distracted or uncomfortable,
You can always return to your breath.
Your breath is always available for you to come back to.
And now bringing your attention to whatever is going on for you right now.
Maybe there's some stressful situation going on in your life or some difficult experience that you're having.
Or maybe not.
You can also just bring yourself and bring your awareness to whatever is happening for you in this moment.
And just beginning to acknowledge what is present for you.
You might notice stress,
Some kind of anxiety or worry,
An ache in your body.
Maybe there is anger or sadness,
Confusion or an irritation.
Just noticing.
Observing what thoughts,
Emotions or physical sensations are here.
There's no need to go into the thoughts or emotions.
There's no need to do anything about them right now.
You're just observing,
Cultivating an inner witnessing.
Witnessing that is beyond evaluation,
Beyond wrong or right.
Rather an openness to what's present.
Now we begin inviting in a sense of compassion and kindness toward ourselves and our experience.
Turning toward yourself and what you're experiencing right now with a sense of tenderness.
Turning toward yourself in the same way you would a dear friend.
You might begin to do this by connecting to your heart.
Breathing into your heart,
Maybe imagining that your heart could expand bigger and brighter with every breath.
Breathing with any frustration,
Breathing with any sadness,
Breathing with any anxiety.
Whatever it may be,
Just breathing with it is a powerful way to extend kindness and comfort to yourself.
Offering yourself a physical gesture of compassion by placing your hands over your heart or over some place on your body that feels tense or tender.
And just feeling the warmth of your hands,
The contact of your hands there.
Taking that in.
Breathing it in.
In whatever way resonates for you to nurture and extend compassion to yourself,
You can do that now.
You might offer yourself words of compassion like,
I see you and I'm not leaving you.
Or it's okay.
It's okay to feel this way.
Words of comfort like,
I love you or I am loved.
Or even though this is hard right now,
You will get through this.
I will get through this.
Whatever words or statements feel good and compassionate to you,
You can offer yourself those words now.
Notice if the voice of judgment wants to chime in or you want to turn away.
And see if you can practice turning back.
Just practice coming back in the same way you would turn back toward a dear friend or someone that you really cared about.
You might notice that it's hard to receive your own compassion.
Like it may be hard to believe.
That's okay.
I invite you to bring to mind a person or being,
Whether real or fictional,
Past or alive,
Who you experience to be loving and compassionate.
And imagine what they would offer you right now.
Letting yourself breathe that in.
Whether you are extending compassion to yourself through your own gestures or words or through someone that you are imagining.
Letting yourself receive this nurturing.
Receive this nurturing in any way that feels good for you.
You might simply imagine a bright light that symbolizes universal energy.
And just let yourself breathe in that light.
You can stay here as long as you'd like,
Taking in your own self-compassion.
Taking in your own love.
That's why I believe in you.
