Hello and welcome to this guided meditation that combines awareness of breathing with self-compassion.
My name is Melissa and I'll be guiding you through this practice,
The practice of self-compassion that sometimes can feel challenging,
Distant,
Or just very abstract.
So in combining it with mindful breathing,
We'll nurture an environment to feel the self-compassion in your body,
Your mind,
And your emotions.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position.
Straighten your spine.
Let it be tall and uplifting.
And relax your shoulders.
Letting your shoulders be heavy and soft.
Closing your eyes if you haven't already.
Finding the sensation of the surface beneath you.
Maybe it's a chair,
Cushion,
Or the floor supporting you.
Acknowledging that you are supported.
Also noticing the space supporting you around you.
The air and the space around you seems to hug to the shape of your body.
Now noticing your breathing.
Noticing any sensations,
The pace,
Or the quality of your breathing.
Taking a deep breath in,
And a slow breath out.
One more deep breath,
And another slow breath out.
Feeling your body more relaxed.
Noticing the natural pace of your breathing for a few breaths.
Every breath we take supports and sustains the body.
So each breath is like an act of love.
Breathing with this awareness.
Letting each breath you take be an offering of love to your body.
Noticing feelings of kindness and understanding towards your body and towards yourself as you breathe.
With this understanding and kindness,
Maybe you're sensing love and compassion for yourself as well.
Maybe exploring what that means to you.
You might follow the journey of your breath,
Starting with air coming in through your nose,
Entering your nasal cavity,
Slowly down to your chest and belly.
You might notice your muscles slowly pulsing and working to allow each breath in and out.
You might pay individual attention to these different parts of the body and different stages of the process.
Noticing love and appreciation to each of these parts,
One by one.
As you focus on each different part of your breathing,
Maybe some thoughts and ideas also arise about how you're breathing,
About certain memories of these different parts of the body.
And if that happens,
Gently acknowledge and then gently let them go.
If you notice your mind wandering more,
You can try repeating this phrase,
I love myself with each breath I take.
I love myself with each breath I take.
I love myself with each breath I take.
You might notice your whole being allowing the breathing to happen.
You might notice all the different parts of yourself comes together to breathe as one being,
As yourself.
Sustaining and supporting your existence.
Noticing feelings of love,
Of self-compassion as you practice.
Now as we get ready to exit this practice,
Bring your attention to the surface beneath you.
Feeling those contact points.
Maybe naming the sensations you feel there on your chair or cushion.
Maybe moving your fingers and toes a little bit.
Taking a deep breath in and a slow breath out.
Feeling how refreshing that is.
And remembering these loving breaths that brings together your self-compassion,
The love for your body.
Whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
You can bring in this awareness to any time in the rest of your day.
