Hi,
This is Lisa Bratney-Smith and I'll be leading you today in a practice called the Self-Compassion Break from the Mindful Self-Compassion Course.
I invite you to find a comfortable seat,
Somewhere where your sitting bones can feel supported and rooted,
Whether that's the chair or the floor.
And if you're in a chair,
I invite you to have your feet on the floor or have something underneath them so that they're not dangling,
And you can feel a little more grounded and supported.
I invite you to extend your spine up tall,
Let your shoulders fall back and down,
And allow the weight of the body to sink into the surface on which you're sitting.
You're welcome to close your eyes or soften your gaze,
Gently looking downward.
And I invite you to think of a situation in your life where you're experiencing some difficulty or frustration.
It could be a health issue,
Something with a relationship,
An issue at work,
Or stress related to bias or discrimination.
Please choose a specific problem in the mild to moderate range,
Nothing too big.
You can check in with your body to know if you're in the right zone,
Feeling safe,
Challenged,
Or overwhelmed.
Remembering that it's hard to learn when we're in that state of overwhelm.
As you reflect,
If you begin to feel overwhelmed or become overwhelmed during the practice,
You're invited to take good care of yourself,
Offering yourself what you need,
Perhaps to open your eyes,
Feel your feet on the floor,
Your body in your seat,
Or take a few long,
Slow breaths.
If at any point it's more self-compassionate to disengage from the exercise altogether,
Please do so,
Either mentally or physically.
Again,
Again,
Recalling the situation in your life that's causing you stress.
Please allow yourself to drop into the situation and recall how it feels or remember how you felt at the time.
Notice how distress feels in your body.
Now see if you can discover where in your body the sensation of stress is most evident,
Allowing your experience to be just as it is,
Perhaps making just a little more room than usual for the experience of discomfort in your body.
You can engage in mindfulness by labeling the experience for yourself in a gentle and kind way.
This is uncomfortable.
This hurts.
This is stressful.
This is a moment of difficulty or suffering.
Validating your experience as you might for a good friend,
Moving into common humanity,
Knowing that what you are experiencing right now is part of the human experience.
You are not alone.
Others would feel just as you do or did in the same situation,
Remembering that suffering is part of being human.
Now let's see if we can add some self-kindness and respond to distress in a new way.
Can you give yourself some kindness simply because you are having a moment of discomfort?
If you like,
Perhaps placing a hand on the part of your body that feels stressed the most or finding another type of soothing or supportive touch that brings you a sense of kindness through your fingertips.
Or consider for a moment what you would like most to hear in a moment like this.
What words of comfort or support are just what you need to hear?
Perhaps,
I'm here for you.
I love you.
You are enough.
What might those words be for you?
Can you repeat those words for yourself in your own mind in your own way?
Please take a moment and offer yourself kindness in a way that feels just right for you.
Savoring compassionate touch and or offering yourself words of kindness just because you feel distress.
Not trying to change it or make it go away.
Now begin to release the practice,
Letting it settle.
Allowing yourself to feel just as you do right now.
Letting the practice be just as it was and allowing yourself if only for this moment to be just as you are.
When you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes,
Bringing your awareness back to the setting where you are.
