Welcome.
This mindfulness meditation is inspired by Carol Rogers' person-centered philosophy.
And it aims to help you create.
A more compassionate relationship with yourself.
So start.
By finding a space.
Where you can be yourself.
A place where you will not be disturbed.
Take time.
To settle into a comfortable position.
Allow your body to find a posture that feels supported.
If you want,
You can close your eyes.
Or lower your gaze.
Or keep your eyes open.
Let this be your experience,
In the way that feels right for you.
There is nowhere else you need to be.
For these moments.
There's nothing you need to accomplish.
Nothing you need to get right.
Mindfulness is not about forcing yourself to become calm.
Positive or peaceful.
It's an opportunity to become more aware of what is already happening.
Within you.
Let's start.
By breathing in through your nose for the count of four seconds.
And breathing out through your mouth.
As if you're blowing through a straw for six seconds.
So breathe in through your nose,
Two,
Three.
4,
And out through your mouth,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
In through your nose,
2,
3,
4,
Out through your mouth,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Last time in through your nose,
2 3 4 and out through your mouth 2 3 4 5 6 Just let your breathing.
Return to its normal rate.
Now notice the places.
Where your body makes contact with the chair.
Of the floor.
Or whatever surface is beneath you.
Fuel the support.
That is available to you.
Just notice the natural movement.
Of your breathing.
Breathing my PT.
It might be shallow.
You might notice it easily.
Or perhaps your tension keeps wandering.
All of this is welcome.
Whenever you notice your mind.
Moving away from your breath.
You can gently return to the present.
Not as a correction.
But as an invitation.
For this practice,
Imagine creating a little space.
In which you do not need to evaluate yourself.
A space in which you can simply be a person having a human experience.
Bring your attention gently to your body.
Begin with your feet.
Notice any sensations that are there.
Warmth.
Coolness.
Pressure.
Any tingling.
Or perhaps there's very little sensation at all.
There's no need to search for anything special.
Allow your awareness to move slowly.
Through your legs.
Your hips.
Your stomach.
And your bike.
Notice your shoulders.
Notice your hands.
Notice your face and the muscles around your eyes.
And as you become aware of each area.
See whether you can allow it to be just as it is.
You do not have to relax every muscle.
You do not have to make your body feel a certain way.
Just notice.
Simply notice.
Now widen your awareness.
To include your emotional experience.
What feeling,
If any,
Is most present for you at this moment?
It might be contentment.
It might be boredom.
Irritation.
Sadness.
Excitement or uncertainty.
You may notice several feelings at once.
You may notice a feeling that is difficult to name.
If it helps,
You can quietly complete this sentence.
At this moment.
I notice that I am failing.
Than allow yourself.
A little silence.
At this moment.
I notice that I am failing.
Notice the thoughts.
That accompany your feelings.
Perhaps your mind is playing the day ahead.
Perhaps it's remembering something that has happened.
Perhaps it is making judgments.
About this meditation or about yourself.
There is no need to fight your thoughts.
You can recognize them.
As thoughts.
And gently return.
To what you're experiencing now.
The invitation is not to empty your mind.
It is to become more familiar.
With the life unfolding within you.
Now consider what it might mean to meet yourself with acceptance.
Not approval of everything you do.
Not a requirement to feel good about every aspect of your life.
But a willingness to recognise your worth.
Without making it dependent on your performance.
Your achievements.
Of the feelings you happen to experience.
Many of us carry an inner voice that evaluates us.
It may tell us that we should be doing better.
That we should not feel so much.
That we should be further along in life by now.
That we must be useful.
Capable or agreeable.
In order to deserve care.
Notice whether any of these messages are familiar to you.
There's no need to criticise yourself for having them.
They may have developed over time.
And responds to experiences.
And expectations that once felt important.
For now.
Simply notice.
Imagine what it would be like to put down.
Just for a few moments,
The task of proving that you are enough.
You do not have to earn your place in this moment.
You do not have to become a better version of yourself.
Before you can treat yourself kindly.
You can acknowledge your difficulties.
And still recognise your dignity.
You can feel disappointment in something you've done.
Without deciding that you are a disappointment.
You can recognise a mistake.
Without turning that mistake into your whole identity.
You if it feels helpful.
Gently repeat one or more of these phrases.
I am allowed.
Be human.
My feelings do not determine my worth.
I can acknowledge my difficulties.
Without condemning myself.
I can offer myself patience.
Oil I learned.
And grow.
Notice how these words feel.
Perhaps they bring comfort.
Perhaps they feel unfamiliar.
Or difficult to accept.
Perhaps they don't resonate with you today.
There's no need to force a response.
Unconditional acceptance.
Includes being honest about how acceptance itself feels.
You can begin wherever you are.
Now gently turn your attention towards the relationship between what you experience inwardly and what you allow yourself to acknowledge.
Sometimes we become accustomed to presenting ourselves in ways that feel acceptable to others.
We may say yes,
But we mean no.
We may hide our uncertainty behind confidence.
We may tell ourselves that something does not matter when,
In truth,
It matters very much.
Sometimes these responses help us navigate difficult circumstances,
So there's no need to judge yourself for them.
But there may be moments when you wish to understand yourself more clearly.
Ask yourself gently.
What is true for me at this point in my life?
Don't search for a perfect answer.
Allow the question to settle.
What is true for me?
At this point in my life.
Perhaps you become aware of a need for rest.
Perhaps you notice a longing for connection.
A desire for change.
Or a fear.
That you have not fully acknowledged.
Perhaps something in your life.
Feels deeply right.
Or perhaps you discover.
That simply you do not know what you feel.
Whatever arises.
See whether you can acknowledge it.
Without immediately deciding what to do about it.
You don't have to turn every insight into a plan.
You don't have to make a decision simply because you've recognised a feeling.
There's a difference between being honest with yourself.
And being compelled to act immediately.
For the moment,
Honesty can be as simple as saying.
This is what I notice.
This matters to me.
I'm not entirely sure yet.
Is there a feeling?
That you have been reluctant to acknowledge.
If something comes to mind.
.
.
Approach it gently.
You might ask yourself.
Can I allow myself to recognise this feeling?
Even if I don't yet know what it means.
Allow whatever answer comes.
Being genuine.
Is not about having complete certainty.
It's about becoming more willing to live in contact with your experience.
Including the parts that remain unclear.
Know.
Imagine offering yourself the kind of listening that helps another person feel understood.
Imagine listening without interrupting.
Without rushing to give advice.
Without comparing their experience to someone else's.
Without insisting.
That they should feel differently.
Try to turn that quality of attention.
Towards yourself.
Bring to mind something that you've been finding difficult recently.
Choose something that's manageable for this moment.
You don't need to revisit a deeply distressing memory.
Now simply acknowledge a situation,
A concern or feeling that has been taking up some of your attention.
Notice what happens in your body.
As you bring it to mind.
Notice the thoughts.
That accompany it.
Notice any feelings that emerge.
And then,
Rather than asking yourself to solve the situation.
Gently ask yourself.
What is this experience like for me?
Perhaps there is frustration,
Because something important is not gone as you'd hoped.
Perhaps there is a sadness,
Because you've lost something meaningful.
Perhaps that is fear.
Because you care about what happens next.
Perhaps you feel overwhelmed.
Because you've been carrying more than you realised.
You don't need to settle on any particular interpretation.
Allow your understanding.
To emerge gradually.
Now ask yourself this.
What might I need someone to understand about this?
Perhaps you need your efforts to be recognised.
Perhaps you need broom to make a mistake.
Perhaps you need reassurance.
Companionship.
Rest.
Or a clearer boundary.
Perhaps what you need most.
Is to simply have your experience acknowledged.
Now,
Offer yourself a few words of understanding.
You might say to yourself.
I can see why this feels difficult.
It makes sense that I would have feelings about this.
Don't need to dismiss what I am experiencing.
I can listen to myself.
With patience.
And let those words be gentle.
You're not trying to convince yourself that everything is fine.
You are practicing the possibility of understanding your experience more fully.
And sometimes.
.
.
When we feel understood.
Even by ourselves.
Something begins to soften.
Not necessarily the circumstances,
Not necessarily the feelings.
But the struggle against having the experience at all.
So now allow your attention.
To wade in again.
You have spent.
The last 30 minutes.
Noticing,
Accepting,
Listening and seeking to understand.
You don't need to draw a conclusion from this practice.
You do not need to discover an answer.
Carol Rogers believed that when people encounter relationships characterized by genuineness,
Acceptance,
And empathic understanding,
That conditions become more favourable for growth.
You can bring a small expression of those qualities into your relationship with yourself.
Not perfectly,
Not every moment,
But in small,
Meaningful ways.
Ask yourself.
What might become possible.
If I listen to myself with a little more kindness.
Perhaps you might become more aware of what matters to you.
Perhaps you might recognise a boundary you need to establish.
Perhaps you might become more open to uncertainty or more willing to ask for support.
Or perhaps nothing specific comes to mind.
There's no need to manufacture an answer.
Growth can be gradual and difficult to measure.
But for now.
.
.
Allow yourself to trust that you can continue to learn about yourself.
Through attention.
Reflection.
And experience.
So as we end this.
Meditation.
Bring your awareness back.
To your breathing.
So breathe in through your nose,
2,
3,
4 and out through your mouth,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Feel your feet on the ground.
If your eyes are closed.
Slowly open them.
You can stretch your arms out.
And wiggle your toes.
And your fingers.
And notice the room.
All around you.
Allow yourself to recognise that whatever you experienced during this practice,
Was part of your experience today.
There's no need to grade your meditation or give it marks out of ten.
There's no need to decide whether you did it well.
You have simply spent some time listening.
And as you return to your day.
You might carry three intentions with you.
1.
To be honest about what you feel.
To meet yourself with acceptance.
And three.
To listen to yourself with understanding.
And when you find that you have become judgmental,
Distracted or disconnected from yourself.
You can begin again.
Not with criticism.
But with curiosity.
So may you continue to meet yourself.
With patience.
May you allow yourself to be human.
And may you remain open to the possibilities of becoming more fully human.
Yourself.
Thank you for listening.
You you
