Self-Compassion: Soothing Touch

This is an extremely calming and grounding practise in which we utilise our own internal resources to bring some softness and compassion into our lives. It is especially useful for anyone suffering from intense anxiety or going through a difficult time in their lives.

Transcript

Adopting a position that's comfortable but yet also allows you to maintain awareness and to be awake.

I suggest having your feet on the floor or legs crossed and your back supported and upright,

Your shoulders relaxed,

Your hands in your lap or by your side.

And just closing your eyes or taking a soft gentle gaze at the floor in front of you.

Allowing yourself to settle into your seat a little heavier.

Allowing your breath to become easy.

Just starting to become aware of your surroundings.

Noticing the sounds.

Sounds that are far away and close by.

And close by.

Sounds that are continuous and broken.

And noticing the smell of the air around you.

Can you notice light filtering through your eyelids?

And now starting to become aware of the places in which your body comes into contact with the surface beneath you.

To be the chair underneath your sit bones,

Your feet on the floor,

Your back coming into contact with the surface supporting your back.

And we're just gently gonna scan through our body,

Bringing awareness to different parts and sensations of things that are already going on.

If your mind wanders and gets distracted as it will do,

As all minds do,

Just gently acknowledge that,

Noticing where your mind has gone and then lead your attention back to the point of focus.

Just like leading a puppy back to a path that it strayed from.

So now gather your attention and bring it to your feet,

Both feet right and left together.

Noticing are they flat on the floor or slightly tilted?

Is there any pressure going down through them?

Are they pointing out or in or straight?

Is there any pressure here from your socks or your shoes?

What temperature does it feel like?

With your eyes closed,

How do you know that there are feet attached to your legs?

What sensations let you know?

And try not to create sensations.

There might not be any and that's fine too.

It's just noticing what already is.

And then moving your attention up into the lower parts of your legs.

Is there any clothing coming into contact with your skin here?

Does it feel rough or smooth?

Tight or loose?

And then feeling into your knees.

Is there any discomfort in your knees as there is for many people?

Are the backs of your knees coming into contact with the chair?

Is there pressure from your clothing?

Can you feel your knees from the inside out?

And now noticing the tops of your legs.

The shape,

The volume,

The length.

Noticing which parts come into contact with the chair and getting a sense for the pressure coming down through them.

Is there a temperature difference between the top side and the underside of your legs?

And then your sit bones.

Are they coming into contact with the chair underneath you?

Is there more weight going through one side than the other?

Is there more weight going through the other side?

Is there more weight going through one side than the other?

Again,

Noticing if your mind has wandered.

Just acknowledging that,

Seeing where it's gone,

And then gently guiding it back.

And then starting to feel into the ring of your pelvis with the hips at the front and the small of your back.

Getting a sense for all the internal organs that are here.

How's your digestive system feeling?

The place that we get our gut instincts.

And then moving up,

Noticing your ribs.

Getting a sense of the size of your rib cage.

And noticing,

Is there any movement from your breath here?

Can you feel this movement in the back of your rib cage?

Can you feel that movement in the back of your rib cage?

Can you feel this movement in the back of your rib cage?

And how is the middle part of your back feeling?

A lot of people have a lot of discomfort somewhere in their back.

Is this true for you?

And if so,

Seeing what it's like to become curious about that discomfort.

The gentle kindness,

As if placing a warm light on it.

Is it static or moving?

Is it warm or cold?

Tingling or stabbing?

Now feeling into your shoulders,

Again somewhere where we hold a lot of tension.

Seeing if that's true for you.

Is there any movement of your breath in your shoulders?

A slight rising and falling.

And now noticing the movements of your chest as you breathe.

And again,

Noticing if your mind has wandered and become distracted.

Just leading it back to notice the sensations in your chest.

And now noticing how your arms are positioned.

Are they bent or straight?

What are they coming into contact with?

Other parts of your body?

Your clothing?

Perhaps even air?

Again is there any movement from your breath in your arms?

An echo emanating out from the rest of your body breathing.

Then noticing how your fingers and hands are positioned.

What are they touching?

Are you able even to detect a pulse or maybe some tingling in your fingertips?

And then noticing your neck and throat.

The air passing up and down your throat as you breathe in and out.

Noticing the temperature in your mouth and if there's any taste there.

Is your jaw clenched or relaxed?

Now noticing the muscles around your eyes,

Inside your eyes,

Your cheekbones and forehead.

Seeing if you can just soften them a little.

The whole body here,

Breathing.

All the different sensations already always going on.

Just following the slight movements of your breath,

A gentle rising and falling.

An expansion and contraction.

Noticing the temperature of the air as it enters and leaves your body.

Very slightly different on the way in to the way out.

And now take your right hand and place it over the left side of your chest.

Coming into contact with your skin if possible.

Just notice the warmth of your hand.

The points of pressure of your skin coming into contact with your skin.

Noticing the rising and falling of your chest underneath your hand.

Just noticing if there are any sensations starting to form there.

Maybe a warmth,

A tingling,

A softening.

Or maybe not.

Maybe just the warmth of your hand and the pressure.

Whatever is there,

Not trying to force it.

Just allowing it to grow.

Allowing it to expand.

The gentle rising and falling.

Following the movements of your breath and your body.

And the sensation of skin,

Touching skin.

If your mind gets distracted,

Gently lead it back.

No judgement,

No criticism.

Minds will always wander.

When we notice,

We can bring it back to the sensations of our hands touching our chest.

And the gentle movements of our body breathing.

And the gentle rising and falling.

Every time our mind wanders,

Just gently guiding it back.

And now,

Just releasing your hand back down to your side.

Just noticing how your body feels,

How your chest feels,

Your hand.

How's your mind feeling?

As if zooming out and seeing your body sat here.

Just checking all the different sensations at play.

Welcoming them all in.

Not forcing or exaggerating or resisting.

Releasing your mind's eye.

Again,

Bringing your awareness to the sensation of your feet coming into contact with the floor.

And the sense of pressure as your body connects with the seat underneath you.

The sensations of your back being supported.

Light gently filtering through your eyelids.

The temperature of the room.

The sounds around you.

Just soaking up these last few moments.

Feel very gently and slowly opening your eyes.

Allowing the light and colour to flood back in.

And stretching and moving as you need.

Reviews

Thank you, very soothing!

thankss youuu :))

Very helpful. Unique method of focusing awareness, for me - quite effective! Thank you so much for sharing this with me and the world. Bookmarked and downloaded. I see the light in you. 🤲❤️🤲

A wonderful practice thank you!

Beautiful. Thank you

Lovely and soothing, thank you!!