Welcome to the breath of compassion.
You're invited here to take a sacred pause,
To drop beneath the noise and arrive in the soft center of yourself.
Begin by finding a comfortable seat or lie down.
Let your hands rest where they naturally fall,
Perhaps one on your belly,
One on your heart or hands by your sides or on your lap.
Let your eyes close gently and allow the outside world to fade for a moment.
Feel the weight of your body,
Feel the support of the earth beneath you and know that you're held.
There's nowhere else you need to be,
Nothing you need to do.
Just this moment.
Just this moment.
Begin by noticing the breath,
No need to change it,
Just observe.
Let it be however it is,
Shallow,
Deep,
Smooth,
Ragged.
Simply witnessing.
Now bring your attention to the inhale and the exhale,
Feeling the gentle wave of breath rising and falling within you.
Notice how the breath moves the body,
The chest lifting,
The belly expanding,
The body receiving and releasing.
And now begin to soften the breath,
Let the inhale be smooth and steady,
Let the exhale be long and full like a sigh of relief.
Breathe in through the nose,
Breathe out softly through the mouth,
Let yourself arrive even more deeply.
Now begin to imagine that every inhale is a gesture of kindness toward yourself and every exhale is a softening of judgment or pressure.
Inhale,
Receiving compassion,
Exhale,
Releasing self-criticism.
Let it be simple,
Let it be sincere.
With each inhale,
Imagine breathing in a warm golden light,
A soft loving energy that moves into the heart,
The belly,
The whole body.
And with each exhale,
Feel the shoulders drop,
The belly relax,
The heart soften.
You may silently say to yourself on the inhale,
I care,
And on the exhale,
I let go.
Or simply breathe and feel.
Now take a moment to gently turn inward.
Bring to mind a part of yourself that feels tender,
Vulnerable or in need of care.
It could be an emotion you've been carrying,
A part of you that feels tired,
Overwhelmed or unsure.
Whatever arises,
Welcome it with gentleness.
You might place a hand over your heart and let this hand be a signal of love and presence.
And now speak to that part of yourself softly,
Inwardly.
I see you.
I'm here with you.
You don't need to do anything to be worthy of my care.
Let the breath continue,
Steady,
Loving,
Compassionate.
Allow any emotions that arise to simply move through.
No need to fix.
Just stay,
Stay with yourself.
Now if it feels right,
Begin to expand this compassion outward.
First to your own whole being.
Silently say,
May I be kind to myself.
May I accept myself as I am.
May I feel held,
Supported and loved.
And now extend the same wish to someone else.
Someone you love or someone who's on your mind.
May you be kind to yourself.
May you accept yourself as you are.
May you feel held,
Supported and loved.
Feel this compassion ripple outward.
Like circles in a still pond.
Expanding out outwardly and effortlessly.
And now simply bring your awareness back to your body.
Feel the breath again,
Steady and calm.
Feel the hands resting on your chest and belly.
Feel the support beneath you.
Let yourself receive one final full breath.
Inhaling deeply through the nose.
Exhaling gently through the mouth.
And notice how you feel perhaps a little softer.
A little more connected.
A little more here.
May you carry this compassion into whatever comes next.
May you remember that your breath is always here.
Ready to anchor you.
To soothe you.
To love you.
Thank you for showing up for yourself today.
When you're ready you may begin to gently open your eyes.
Take your time.
Move slowly.
And return with kindness to the world.
Namaste.
