Begin by finding a comfortable position.
You can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor or lie down on a comfortable surface.
Whatever feels right for you today.
And when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze towards the floor.
And let's start by taking three deep,
Clearing breaths.
Inhaling deeply through your nose,
Filling your lungs.
And then exhaling slowly through your mouth,
Letting go of any initial tension.
And again,
A long slow breath in.
In a full,
Complete,
Breathed out.
One more time,
Inhale.
In Exu Now allow your breath to return to its natural easy rhythm.
Without any need to control it.
Simply let your body.
Breathe itself.
Bring your awareness to the physical sensation of your body in this moment and feel the points of contact between your body and the surface supporting you.
Peel the gentle pull of gravity.
You are here.
And your support.
And as you settle,
You will naturally notice thoughts arising in your mind.
This is what minds do.
The invitation here is not to stop your thoughts,
But simply to notice them.
And imagine you are sitting by the side of a gently flowing stream.
Each thought that comes into your mind is like a leaf floating by on the water's surface.
You don't need to jump into the water to grab the leaf or try to stop it.
You can simply watch appear.
Float past and disappear downstream.
You may notice plants,
Memories,
Worries or daydreams.
Just observe them with a gentle curiosity.
Some leaves might be neutral,
Some pleasant,
And some might be difficult or critical.
As you continue to watch the stream of your thoughts,
You might notice some of those leaves carry a harsh or critical tone.
Thoughts like,
I'm not good enough.
I've made a mistake.
I'm failing life.
I should be doing better.
When one of those critical thoughts appear,
See if you can notice it without immediately believing it or pushing it away.
Both are very normal responses and often they are not helpful.
So start by simply acknowledging it.
There is a critical thought here.
This is my inner critic.
Or I notice a critical thought coming up.
You can label it gently into your mind.
Criticism,
Judgement,
Worry,
Concern,
Perfectionism.
And take a moment to acknowledge that this critical part of you often arises from a place of fear.
Or a misplaced intention to protect you.
From any failure or any potential hurt.
And maybe trying to keep you safe.
Even if its method is harsh and unhealthy.
That's why you don't have to agree with a thought.
You don't have to believe any thoughts that come to your mind.
Just notice its presence.
And notice how it feels in your body.
And it's most likely your body is responding.
Perhaps you feel a tightness in your chest.
A knot in your stomach.
Just notice with kindness and curiosity.
Now let's offer a different perspective After acknowledging the thoughts see if you can gently offer a more compassionate,
More flexible and balanced state of mind.
If the thought is,
I messed everything up.
You can gently add.
This is a difficult moment.
And I'm doing my best.
If the thought it's a failure.
You can offer the refrain,
I am a human being who is learning and growing.
It's okay to make mistakes,
They can be frustrating.
But I'll take my responsibilities.
Or perhaps even more simply,
You can place a hand over your heart.
And silently say to yourself This is a memory of suffering or distress or uncomfortableness.
May I be kind to myself.
You are not trying to fight the critical thought.
But to create space around it.
Hold it in a larger,
More compassionate awareness.
Here you are introducing another voice,
A kinder,
Wiser and more supportive one.
The critical thought might still be there.
That's okay.
Like a dark cloud in the sky.
The reminder here is that you are the world sky,
You are vast,
You are open.
And you're capable of holding all weather.
Without being defined by it.
And now gently let go of the focus on your thoughts and bring your awareness back to the sensation of your breath flowing in.
And out.
Of your body.
If you can feel the air on your skin.
Notice the sounds around you.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Solid and support.
When you're ready,
Slowly begin to bring some gentle movement back to your body.
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes Perhaps a very gentle stretch.
And in your own time,
Whenever it feels right,
Can slowly open your eyes.
Bringing this sense of mindful,
Compassionate awareness with you.
For the rest of your day.
