Welcome to day four of the gentle pause.
Already on day four,
Well done.
You should feel so proud that you are continuing to show up for yourself each day,
Even if it's hard,
Even if it's uncomfortable.
I'm honoring you and I hope you're enjoying the journey.
Today is all about self-compassion and kindness,
Learning to meet yourself with grace,
To honor your needs and to give yourself the love and kindness you deserve.
It takes courage to slow down and be present with yourself right now,
Especially when life feels busy or demanding.
So this is the reminder that maybe you need today,
That you matter too.
So if you feel ready,
Take a moment to find a comfortable position,
Perhaps sitting upright today,
Making sure you're comfortable and warm,
And begin by bringing your attention to your natural breath,
Just noticing its rhythm,
The gentle rise and fall of your chest.
And as you inhale,
Sense calm entering your body,
And as you exhale,
Feel all the muscles in your body just soften,
Releasing any tension and arriving fully here in this moment.
And if you're sat upright,
Imagine roots gently growing from the soles of your feet,
Reaching deep into the earth,
With every inhale,
Feeling stability and support,
And with every exhale,
Letting go of any heaviness,
Stress or tightness,
Letting it all flow down through your roots.
And just take a few cycles of breath here,
Allowing your body to settle in,
Your mind to soften,
And your heart to feel open.
Today,
We will be working on self-compassion.
Self-compassion begins by just acknowledging our own humanity,
Our needs,
Our feelings and our imperfections.
It's giving ourselves permission to be human,
And acknowledging that as humans,
We are always going to make mistakes.
And another aspect of self-compassion is honoring our needs,
And knowing that we need to pour back into ourselves,
Just like we do to everyone else.
So I invite you now to just bring to mind something that you typically say or think about yourself,
Or perhaps it's an old memory you replay on loop,
Or something you regret or wish you'd handled differently,
Or maybe it's something more recent,
A moment where you felt you weren't enough,
Or you beat yourself up over a choice or action you made.
And when you have this moment in your mind,
I want you to imagine speaking to yourself as if you are your own best friend.
Think about the advice that your best friend would give you,
How they would speak to you with warm,
With patience,
With understanding.
And remember that we can turn that same care and kindness in words for ourselves.
We can speak to ourselves the way we would speak to a best friend.
We can become our own best friend.
And maybe just allow these thoughts and feelings to settle.
Notice the warmth and care you're offering.
Maybe it feels a little uncomfortable,
And you're not used to speaking to yourself in this way,
But I encourage you to just allow this loving energy to fill your body and your mind.
And now,
If it feels right,
You can begin to silently repeat these affirmations,
Letting each one settle deeply into your awareness.
I treat myself with the same kindness I offer others.
I am gentle with myself in this moment.
I honor my needs,
My feelings,
And my boundaries.
I am worthy of love from myself and others.
I am enough exactly as I am.
And just for a moment,
Reflect on how often you might put the needs of others above your own,
And how today you're going to choose differently.
You're going to give yourself permission to pour into your own cup,
So it can overflow and nourish those that you love.
Today you are choosing kindness over judgment,
And meeting yourself exactly where you are.
You can slowly start bringing your awareness back to your body in the physical space,
Inviting movement and presence back into your body,
Noticing the support beneath you,
Being held by the support,
Feeling the gentle weight of your hands and feet,
And taking a few soft breaths,
Feeling the body and mind carrying this self-compassion with you throughout your day.
And when you feel ready,
You can softly open your eyes.
Wishing you a beautiful day ahead.
