Welcome and hello.
Thank you for showing up for yourself today and engaging in a practice of compassion.
This practice brings a compassion of self to those who have experienced traumatic or painful events.
So do the best you can to the extent in which you can.
After all we are practicing self compassion and keep in mind that emotions are after all temporary.
To start find a comfortable position.
Remember to keep your body straight and tall but find ease.
If you have any physical limitations adjust as needed.
Find whatever level of comfort works for you and if you're able whenever you're ready you can gently close your eyes.
Begin by focusing your attention on your breathing.
Spend the next few moments being aware of your breath.
Follow each breath as it goes in on the inhale and out on the exhale.
Breathing in and out.
There's no need to change or modify the breath.
The breath is always there.
It is effortless.
Just observe the breath as it travels in and it begins to connect you to your body.
Breathing in and out.
Breathing in and out.
Now I would like for you to shift your attention and spend a few moments thinking back on the struggle you have had with respect to your trauma and our other painful events in your life.
Notice how long you have been in a place of struggle,
Of suffering.
Notice the emotional battles and the desires to have it all be different.
Breathing in and out.
As you look back also think about how much you have needed to be understood,
Accepted and loved during these difficult times.
Now imagine that you are as large as the universe and that you have all of the capacity to hold these struggles,
All the capacity to provide the warmth,
Acceptance and love that was needed then and is needed still now.
Imagine that from this place of being as large as the universe you could take a blanket of warmth and acceptance and wrap it around this struggle,
Letting it be what it is while holding it with compassion.
Just imagine this place for the next few minutes,
A blanket of warmth and acceptance wrapped around it,
Around the struggle and just holding it with compassion.
Imagine that you can hold the struggle and be a hundred percent acceptable and lovable.
Imagine that you can give yourself exactly what you've needed for the next few moments.
You are whole.
And as the practice comes to a close just take a few moments to bring your focus back to the breath,
Gently becoming aware of your surroundings,
The temperature in the room,
The sounds and whenever you're ready on your own time you can open your eyes.
