Hello dear friend.
This self-gentleness practice you can do anytime,
Everywhere,
Whenever you feel the need to tune in with yourself and understand what is going on within you.
Make sure that you can sit or stand or lie down comfortable.
Maybe you're standing in a line or maybe you're sitting behind your desk.
It doesn't matter where you are.
Just make sure that you feel you have the space to be with yourself for a few moments.
Now gently close your eyes and for a moment bring your attention to whatever you are hearing.
So you hear my voice,
But can you hear also further away?
Can you hear the more subtle sounds in your environment?
Whatever you are hearing you don't have to change it.
Just let it be and observe what you are hearing.
Now bring your attention to your sense of touch.
What are you feeling?
How are your feet feeling while standing on the ground?
Bring your attention to the different touch points in your feet.
And if you're sitting bring your attention to your buttocks resting on the seat.
Can you feel also more subtle like clothes resting on your skin?
The air touching your skin.
All right now bring your attention for a moment to your nostrils where the air is flowing in and the air is flowing out.
You don't have to change your breath just let it be normal,
Let it be natural,
Let it flow in and out.
All your attention to your nostrils.
Air flowing in,
Air flowing out.
Now bring your attention to your body.
While you're sitting here become aware of your body.
How does your body feel?
Is it relaxed?
If you do then gently shift your attention to that place.
Like a laser beam of light your attention is shining on that place.
And while you're doing that you might notice that it starts to dissipate slowly,
Steadily.
And maybe you can help this place to let go of the tension a little bit more by deliberately deciding to relax,
To let go.
Now bring your attention to your heart in the middle of your chest if you like.
You can put your hands there.
And while your attention rests on your heart can you feel how it beats?
Can you maybe even hear how it beats?
Now you have connected with your heart.
Please notice is there anything there in your heart that needs your loving attention right now?
Is there an emotion that you felt today or earlier that is still there that needs some of your loving care?
Whether it is an unpleasant or a pleasant emotion it doesn't matter.
This emotion just wants to be seen,
Just wants to be heard.
And it can be that this emotion now becomes stronger,
Prevalent in your experience and that's okay just let it be.
Don't push it away.
Don't tell yourself that you are not allowed to feel this.
But also don't tell yourself stories to feed the emotion.
Can you just let it be?
Can you just observe your emotion like you were just observing whatever you were hearing and feeling?
Can you do that?
Can you observe that feeling as a physical response in your body on a thought that you're having?
Now ask your heart what does it need?
What does it need from you right now to be okay,
To be calm and happy,
To be open and safe?
And when you ask your heart it can be that the answer is not so clear but that's okay.
It can be that you hear a song,
You smell a scent,
You suddenly get an impulse and that's all okay.
And if you don't understand the answer that's also okay.
It will come later.
I promise.
What is it that I can do right now to feel a little bit better?
All right now you know the answer.
If it is possible to do this for yourself right now then just do it.
And if not,
Then just do it.
And if now is not the right time then set the intention to come back to yourself later on and to honor whatever it is that your heart needs right now.
But if you can give yourself that hug,
If you can find that different thought that will cheer you up if you can find that caressing gesture towards yourself then just do it right now.
Okay well done.
So this is it.
This is a moment where you tune in into your body right here,
Right now,
Into your heart,
Acknowledging what's going on there and honoring whatever your heart is telling you.
And like I said,
If you cannot live up to it right now that's okay.
Just find another moment.
Create another moment.
Because when you start to tune in with yourself on a regular basis something is going to shift.
Something is going to shift for the better because you will become more aware when you are not gentle to yourself and you will start to feel better what it is that you need.
And the next step will be that you will indeed start to give this to yourself.
Thank you for joining me in this practice.
I hope it is helpful for you.
Try to do this at least once every day and do that for a month or so.
And just notice what happens with you,
How much more self-gentle you will become.
With love and gratitude.
Until next time.
