Welcome to the three-step compassion pause.
This is a simple practice to help you meet moments of difficulty with a little more kindness,
Understanding and compassion.
There's nothing to achieve or get right.
Simply allow yourself a few moments to slow down and follow the guidance.
Always taking things at your own pace.
Begin by taking a moment.
To arrive here just as you are.
Give yourself this time.
You might notice the support of the chair beneath you.
Or the feeling of your feet resting on the floor.
Perhaps you're lying down.
Allow yourself to settle.
Letting go of anything you don't need to focus on right now.
Nowhere to be.
Nothing to do.
This practice is an invitation.
Not something you need to do perfectly.
You are always in control.
You can pause.
Adjust or stop at any point.
So if he feels comfortable.
You might bring to mind something mildly difficult for you at the moment.
Perhaps a small moment of stress.
Frustration or discomfort from everyday life.
This is a very safe practice.
But let's avoid anything too overwhelming or intense.
This practice is simply about gently meeting something manageable.
With a little more kindness.
You don't need to explore the situation in detail.
Just a light awareness is enough.
You may prefer to focus on a physical sensation or discomfort.
Or simply stay with the words of the practice.
There are three simple steps to this practice.
So before we begin,
Let's just take a moment to settle.
The first step is simply to notice what's happening.
Without analysing.
Judging or trying to change anything.
Gently acknowledge what is present.
You might say silently to yourself.
Something feels difficult right now.
Or perhaps this is a moment of discomfort.
This feels stressful.
This is hard in this moment.
You get the idea.
There is no need to find the perfect words.
Simply recognizing what is here is enough.
Allow yourself a few moments now.
To be with and safely acknowledge what you're experiencing.
The second step is to connect with the understanding that difficulty is part of being human.
We all experience moments of stress.
Uncertainty,
Sadness and discomfort.
None of us are immune to life's challenges.
Therefore you might gently remind yourself.
Many people experience moments just like this.
Or perhaps I am not alone in finding things difficult sometimes.
Others have this feeling too.
Allow yourself to consider that struggling sometimes is simply part of being human.
You don't have to face every difficult moment feeling that you're the only one.
So take in whichever words feel comforting or supportive at this time.
Let's take a moment for you to be with that,
Safely.
Now we move towards the third step.
Inviting a more compassionate response to ourselves.
If it feels comfortable and okay to do so,
You might place a hand somewhere reassuring.
Perhaps over your heart.
On your arm or simply resting your hands together.
This often works for me.
There's no need to touch if that doesn't feel right for you.
This is your practice,
Your time.
Take a gentle moment to consider how you might respond to yourself with a little more kindness.
You could say silently to yourself,
May I be kind to myself in this moment?
Or perhaps I'm here for you.
This too shall pass.
May I treat myself with the same care I would offer to someone else?
Choose whichever words feel most natural and supportive.
They don't need to be complicated.
I just need to be yours.
Now you may ask yourself gently,
What would feel most supportive to me right now?
Perhaps the answer is a little rest.
Some SPICE!
Or simply allowing yourself to be as you are.
There's nothing you need to fix or change.
Just allow yourself the opportunity to respond with kindness.
As we come to the end of this practice.
Take a moment to notice how you're feeling.
There's no particular experience you're supposed to have.
And nothing needs to be different.
Simply acknowledging that you've taken a few moments to offer yourself some kindness and understanding is critical.
When you're ready,
Only when you're ready.
Gently bring your awareness back to the room around you.
I sometimes like to notice something I can see.
Something I can hear.
Or again feeling my connection against the chair,
The bed,
The floor.
Remember this practice isn't about fixing discomfort.
Or making difficult feelings disappear.
It's about learning to meet ourselves with a little more warmth,
Compassion and understanding.
Knowing that everything is temporary,
It comes and goes.
You can return to this three-step compassion pause whenever you need it.
Even if just for a few seconds.
Taking time for yourself.
Taking care of yourself.
