So bring in a current difficulty to mind Something in your life that's challenging right now that's causing you some stress We want to remember to practice within our zone of tolerance So that means not choosing something that's going to feel overwhelming We want to choose something That is challenging But at the same time feels like we can work with it to grow our sense of self-compassion So just taking a moment to bring that situation to mind getting in touch with what's happened or perhaps what might happen and The first thing we do is take a moment to practice some mindfulness To recognize This is challenging This is stressful Maybe to notice what's going on emotionally for you in the present moment Maybe even exploring where you feel those emotions in the body As best you can practicing non-judgment However,
Your experience is in this moment But gently acknowledging Yes,
This is hard from that place of mindfulness Reaching out to a sense of common humanity with other people Reminding yourself that you're not alone in this experience That we all struggle at various points in our life You might remind yourself of the eight billion other humans on this planet Maybe many other people are feeling Very similar to you in this moment Perhaps some might even be struggling in a similar situation these challenging moments are part of what it means to be human and Finally taking a moment to bring some kindness to yourself You might place a hand over the heart Feeling the warmth of your hand the gentle touch Perhaps gently saying to yourself May I be kind to myself in this moment?
Perhaps there's some other words of encouragement or support That might be helpful to offer to yourself Maybe asking what would I say to a friend who is going through something similar and Remembering that you can use this practice at any time that you need Touching into these three elements of self-compassion Mindfulness Common humanity and self-kindness That they're there whenever you need them the most
