Welcome to this intention of self-compassion meditation.
So if you can,
Sit upright with a long back,
Comfortably in a chair or perhaps even on the floor,
And lying down is perfectly okay too,
If this feels like what your body needs at the moment.
And if it feels right,
Close your eyes for this practice.
If it doesn't,
You can allow your gaze to be soft with a downward focus.
Now take a long slow deep breath in through your nose and allow your body to release and exhale through your mouth.
That's it.
Now one more time and with the exhale,
See if you can notice anywhere in your body where you might be contracting and allow those places to melt as feels comfortable and safe for you.
Now one more deep breath as if you were breathing into your heart,
Your stomach and all the way to your legs and then release as you exhale.
That's it.
Perfect.
Now gently place your right hand on your heart and your left hand on your belly and imagine what would it feel like right now if I were to hold myself with a little more compassion.
Now notice your body's response.
There is no right way of experiencing this.
Just explore what it's like to open up a little bit more to self-compassion and then explore what would it feel like in your body to receive kindness right now.
Good.
And then what would receiving compassion sound like?
And you might tune into a word or phrase that feels compassionate and kind to you.
If nothing is arising just yet or if self-compassion feels difficult to access,
This is okay.
This is just warming up to the idea.
To strengthen your intention for being here you might repeat the following phrases silently or out loud.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I be at ease.
May I be compassionate to myself.
And then still with your hands on your heart and belly consider what would the experience of compassion feel like as a sensation.
Could it be an experience of warmth,
A softening,
A stroking of your cheek,
A hug from a loved one or spiritual guide.
See if you can allow your body to explore the physical experience of compassion and what it would feel like to receive this care.
And if you like you can experiment with these sensations yourself.
You could try wrapping your arms around your body and giving yourself a hug.
You can stroke your cheek,
Your arm or your feet or you might imagine kindness flowing in with every breath you take.
Notice if there's been an opening within you to self-compassion today.
However small or large that opening might be.
If it doesn't feel like you've made much progress towards feeling a sense of self-compassion that's perfectly okay.
This can be a very challenging mental exercise for some of us especially those of us who have experienced trauma early in life.
But in any case just by being here you have planted the intention and heart and mind.
And the more you come back to this intention the more you will notice changes arising in your ability to harness self-compassion when you need it.
For now take a few clearing breaths.
Thank yourself for the short intentional practice and then slowly open your eyes when you feel ready.
Come back to this practice anytime you wish to explore what it feels like to open even just a little bit more to self-compassion.
