Welcome,
My colleague and friend,
And congratulations for finding your way here to take a self-compassion break.
Allowing yourself to take this time to rest and refocus is an act of self-compassion.
Compassion for others begins with self-compassion because we cannot give what we do not have.
Compassion for self will benefit you,
But it will also ripple out to all of those around you.
To begin,
Find a comfortable position for your body at this moment in time.
Sitting in a chair,
Sitting on the floor,
Lying down or even standing up are all just fine.
If there is any discomfort,
Shift position or add pillows or other support that feels right for you.
And when you are ready,
Gently close your eyes or if you prefer,
Lower your gaze onto the floor or the surface in front of you in an unfocused way.
Take a few moments to find and ease into this body position.
When you are ready,
Take a few slow,
Easy breaths.
Inhale and exhale.
In and out.
Opening and allowing the body to be just as it is.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Opening and allowing to be in this moment just as it is.
And when you are ready,
Think of a situation in your life that is difficult,
That is causing you stress right now.
It may be a health problem,
Relationship problem,
Perhaps a work problem.
Maybe you feel someone is not treating you with the respect you deserve.
Choose something in the mild to moderate range,
Not a big problem that might seem a bit overwhelming.
Take a few moments to make this choice.
With this problem in mind,
Allow yourself to see,
Hear,
And feel your way into the problem to the extent that you feel some uneasiness in your body.
To the best of your ability at this time,
Without judgment or criticism,
Observe where you feel it most.
Take contact with this feeling in whatever way feels right to you.
And as you get in touch with this feeling,
Say to yourself slowly and clearly,
This is a moment of suffering.
You can say something like,
This hurts,
Or ouch,
Or this doesn't feel good.
Really understanding that this is a moment of suffering.
Just say to yourself slowly and clearly something like this,
Suffering is a part of living.
Suffering is a part of being human,
Part of our common humanity.
All human beings experience suffering.
I am not alone.
Sufferers would feel just like I do in this situation.
Or you can choose your own words to feel and express to yourself that suffering is a part of living,
A part of being a human being.
And when you are ready,
And if you so choose,
Put your hands over your heart,
Or your belly,
Or somewhere that feels soothing and supportive and comforting.
Feel the warmth of your hands evoking feelings of self-kindness.
And then perhaps say to yourself something like,
May I be kind to myself,
May I give myself what I need,
May I accept myself as I am.
Or maybe something like,
May I care for myself tenderly in this moment.
If these don't quite fit for you,
Perhaps a stronger statement is what you need right now,
Something like,
I will not allow myself to be harmed in this way,
Or may I have the courage and strength to make a change.
Offer yourself words of comfort.
If you are having difficulty finding the right words,
Perhaps imagine that a dear friend,
A child,
Or a loved one is having the same problem.
What would you say to this person,
Heart to heart,
Without giving advice?
What words of kindness arise inside of you for this dear friend or loved one?
And if you are ready,
Try offering these same words of kindness to yourself,
Along with your soothing touch.
It is possible to be as loving,
Kind,
And compassionate toward yourself as you are to those you care about and those you care for.
Use this compassion break meditation whenever you find you are being too tough on yourself or too tough on others.
You deserve the same kindness you bestow on those around you.
Health Compassion practice rewires our brains toward kindness,
Acceptance,
And love.
And this can transform our world,
One meditation at a time.
Go in peace.
