Welcoming Everything

This acceptance meditation is an invitation to welcome all sensations, pleasant and unpleasant, without changing anything. We notice sensations in the body, thoughts that pop up, and emotions, and offer ourselves compassion for sensations we do not like. It is inspired by Nonviolence and Mindful Self-compassion.

This is a great meditation for a stress release break during the day. Or it can be used to notice what's alive in our inner world before an introspective emotional practice, like journaling or a Nonviolent Communication session.

Transcript

So we can start in a position that's nourishing for the body, Closing the eyes, With the invitation for a moment to do nothing, The only thing we're doing is breathing, A moment to meet yourself in the exact shape how you are, And how are you? Maybe you notice some sensations in the body, The support from the floor, Your clothes, The sense of being in a certain posture, And really turning towards the body with this intention of, Please body, Don't change anything, Everything you feel is welcome, There's so much space, And maybe you notice thoughts popping up, And then again, Not having to change anything, Hello thought, Welcoming any sensation, Pleasant, Unpleasant, And maybe you notice there's something you don't quite like about how you're feeling right now, Maybe there's some tension in the body, Or a certain emotion, That's a normal part of having a human body, So when you notice, See if you can send yourself some kind words like, I hear you, I'm with you, Or maybe you can imagine giving yourself a mental hug, And noticing what happens in the body as you do this, Maybe something, Maybe nothing, Just be curious, And then noticing the sounds in the room, The sense of the space we're in, And whenever you're ready, You can open your eyes again.