Welcome,
Friends,
To this meditation on cultivating self-compassion.
In this meditation,
We'll be using visualization and breath to invite feelings of presence,
Understanding,
And kindness.
So as you arrive in this practice today,
Get comfortable.
Maybe you find a yoga block under your seat,
A cushion,
Anywhere you feel comfortable.
Maybe elongating your spine,
Gently tucking the chin and noticing how that shifts your neck.
And as you bring more awareness to your body,
Focus on your breath.
Not trying to change it or control it just yet,
Just observing its natural rhythm.
When you're ready,
I want you to imagine a color that you associate with compassion.
A color that conveys some sense of warmth and kindness,
Wisdom,
Inner strength,
Patience,
And understanding.
Now this may only be a fleeting sense of a color,
And that's okay.
Just stay with the exercise as best you can.
Now imagine this compassionate color is surrounding you.
Maybe it enters through your heart and slowly makes its way through your body,
Infusing you with a sense of safety and support.
Or perhaps you prefer to think of this color as a mist or a light that flows through you.
As this happens,
Try to focus on this color as having wisdom,
Strength,
And warmth with a key quality of total kindness.
Maybe even creating a facial expression of kindness on your face,
Gently bringing up the corners of your mouth as if you're smelling something pleasant.
Now as you imagine this color flowing through you,
Focus on the feeling that the sole purpose of this color is to help you,
To strengthen you,
And to support you.
Learning to focus on these experiences can be challenging.
You may find your mind wandering.
You may notice blocks and barriers arise,
Especially those linked to the idea that you don't deserve this in some way.
Recognize these as distractions.
Label them as thinking.
And gently come back to your safe place,
Your compassionate color.
Now turn your attention back to your body,
Doing a gentle scan from your toes to your knees,
Your hips,
Your core,
Your chest.
Your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Your eyes,
And the crown of your head.
And as you scan,
Notice any changes in thinking,
In feeling,
Or in sensation.
Know that this space of compassion is always waiting for you here.
And when you see your compassionate color in your life,
In the wild,
May you be reminded to pause.
To be patient and understanding of yourself.
Let's take one last breath together in through the nose.
And with a gentle open mouth sigh to exhale.
Slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Blink your eyes open,
Bringing yourself back into the space around you.
