My name is Maria Bezel and I welcome you to this self-compassion pause.
Let's take a moment to pause to turn into our experience with presence,
Curiosity,
And self-compassion.
I invite you to begin by coming to a comfortable seated position,
Elongating your spine and letting your shoulders and arms rest comfortably.
Your hands may rest on your thighs or in your lap.
Then take a moment to connect with the surface beneath you to help yourself ground into this practice.
Once you feel grounded,
Turn your attention toward your breath and let a few cleansing breaths move through you,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Continue to breathe naturally and then take a moment to connect with your heart by bringing a palm to rest on this part of your body.
As you breathe,
Feel your hand rising and falling as your chest expands and softens.
See if you can connect with this part of yourself with loving tender presence,
As if you were sending yourself care through the palm of your hand.
Whatever you are going through in this moment,
Know that your experience is entirely human.
Every emotion,
Every experience,
Everything that we go through is part of our humanity.
Take a moment to honor your human experience with care,
Warmth,
And curiosity.
Now imagine that someone you love is going through what you are going through right now.
Whatever you might be struggling with in your life,
Consider that someone you love has or will go through something very similar.
Now with this in mind,
What words of support,
Love,
And care would you offer to this person?
How would you show them your compassion and then offer those words of support,
Love,
And care to yourself at this moment?
If this is challenging at this time or if you cannot find the words to say,
Consider repeating the following words of loving kindness.
May I be patient and compassionate with myself.
May I speak to myself with kindness.
May I honor my experience as being fundamentally human.
May I love myself unconditionally.
Spend a few more moments right here and offer yourself any other words of support that you may need to hear right now.
When you are ready,
Come back to the natural flow of your breath and then reconnect with the seat or surface beneath you.
And on your own time,
You can slowly open your eyes and may you carry this self-compassion with you throughout your day.
