Hi,
Welcome.
I'm glad you're here.
We're going to take a few minutes to slow down and practice compassion together.
To begin,
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position where your body feels at ease.
If you would like,
You can close your eyes or simply let your gaze rest softly on the floor or somewhere in front of you.
Letting go of tension in the body,
Maybe by rolling your shoulders gently,
Unclenching your jaw,
And letting your hands relax in your lap.
Allow your body to arrive just as it is in this moment.
Notice your feet on the floor or your body against the seat beneath you,
Feeling supported and held.
Notice the breath.
Center yourself by breathing deeply,
Taking a slow inhale and an easy exhale.
Again,
Breathe in through your nose,
Expanding the shoulders and chest,
And exhale through your mouth,
Letting go and relaxing.
Let your breath settle into a natural rhythm,
Calmly breathing in and out.
And now see if you can generate a little kindness and caring for yourself.
Bring to mind something that's been difficult lately.
Nothing overwhelming,
But something stressful,
Frustrating,
Or a bit painful.
As you bring this to your awareness,
Notice what shows up in the body.
Maybe heaviness in your chest,
Tightness in your stomach,
Or a restless energy.
Whatever it is,
Just notice it with curiosity and openness.
Take another slow,
Steady breath in and exhale,
Honoring that there may be some emotional pain and that this is a moment of suffering.
You can also place a hand on your chest or both hands if you choose,
And notice the warmth,
The soothing touch and gentle pressure,
Sending a message to yourself that you care about what you're going through,
That you're here for yourself,
And recognize that struggle is a part of being human.
Everyone has moments of difficulty,
Self-doubt,
Or pain.
You're not alone in this,
And in fact,
The very thing you're experiencing connects you to the human story.
See if you can soften a little,
Knowing this truth,
And connect for a moment with your shared humanity.
Feel free to take a conscious breath in and exhale,
Letting go of any tension while you do this.
Now gently offer some compassion to yourself through a few phrases we're going to repeat,
And you can feel free to repeat these to yourself or just take them in and let the words softly land.
Breathing in and exhaling,
Telling yourself,
May I be kind to myself in this moment.
May I give myself the compassion and care that I need.
May I know that I'm worthy of care.
May I know that my struggles did not define my worth.
May I accept myself just as I am in this moment.
Check in with what you're feeling,
Even if these phrases feel a bit awkward,
Just let them be an offering and see if you can take in this kindness.
And now we can extend this compassion outward to others in the world around us.
And if you'd like,
Bring to mind someone in your life,
Maybe a close friend,
A loved one,
Or someone who's maybe going through some challenges or difficulties right now that you care about.
Hold this individual gently in your mind and silently offer,
May you be kind to yourself in this moment.
May you receive the compassion that you need.
May you know that you are worthy of care.
May you know that your struggles do not define you.
May you accept yourself just as you are in this moment.
Check in and notice what it feels like to send this wish to another person.
Be with that sense of compassion and care as you breathe in and breathe out.
Take one more deep breath in,
Opening and expanding your chest and let it out slowly with a sigh.
Before we wrap up,
Gently check in with yourself.
If there's even a small shift in your state of mind or body,
Acknowledge that,
And if not,
That's completely fine as well.
What matters most is you paused,
Turned inward,
And offered kindness to yourself and others that you care about.
This simple act of compassion is a powerful practice that can significantly add to your well-being in life.
When you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes and return to the space around you and carry this sense of compassion with you forward today.
Thank you and take care.
