Welcome to this calming practice.
This is a practice designed to quiet the voice of the inner critic and bring a gentleness to your self-talk.
As you breathe in today's session,
Know that you're safe here and you have the ability to shift how you speak to yourself.
So find a comfortable seated or lying position and begin to settle into your body,
Letting go of any distractions.
If it's comfortable for you,
You can gently close your eyes or simply soften your gaze.
And take a deep breath in through your nose,
And as you exhale,
Allow your body to relax a little more.
Notice the rhythm of your natural breath,
No need to control or to change it just yet.
Gently feel the air as it moves in and out of your body,
Allowing each breath to be an invitation to relax a little deeper.
And now start to take slightly deeper breaths.
Breathe in through your nose for a count of four,
And then out through your mouth for a count of six.
As you lengthen your exhale,
Really imagine yourself releasing any tension or any pressure.
So breathing in calmness and breathing out judgment,
And continuing to repeat the slow intentional breathing for several rounds,
Inhaling for four,
And exhaling slowly for six.
If your mind wanders,
Simply coming back to the count,
Breathing in for four,
Slowly out for six.
In for four,
And slowly out for six.
And as you continue breathing deeply,
You can gently bring your awareness to the inner critic,
And you may notice the thoughts or judgments arise,
Maybe about yourself or others,
Or about your circumstances.
And simply observe these thoughts without any attachment,
No need to fight them or to push them away.
Simply observe.
And with every exhale,
Just imagine the critic's voice softening,
And feel a sense of distance growing between you and those critical thoughts.
Again with every exhale,
The critic's voice softening,
And feeling a sense of distance growing between you and those critical thoughts.
And now with each inhale,
Allow yourself to breathe in a sense of compassion.
And as you exhale,
Imagine releasing the harshness of your inner critic,
Allowing the breath to soften the edges of those thoughts.
You might silently say to yourself on the inhale,
I breathe in compassion.
And on the exhale,
I release judgment.
Let this mantra guide your breath as you continue.
I breathe in compassion.
I release judgment.
Each inhale filling you with gentleness.
And each exhale softening the critical voice.
I breathe in compassion.
I release judgment.
And feel your body relax into this space of self-compassion.
The inner critic becomes quieter,
More distant with every breath.
Replaced by kindness and understanding.
Let go of the mantra now and return to your natural breath.
Noticing and feeling the space within you.
Calm,
Quiet,
And compassionate.
Resting here in this inner calm.
Knowing it's a place you can return to whenever you need to.
And as you allow yourself to bask in this stillness and peace that you've created,
Allow each breath to continue to nurture you.
As we come toward the end of today's short practice,
Take a few final deep breaths.
And begin to slowly bring your awareness back to the room and the space that you're in.
Maybe wiggling your fingers and toes,
Gently stretching your body.
And whenever you feel ready,
You can open your eyes,
Carrying with you the calm and compassion that you've cultivated.
Knowing the inner critic is quieter now and you have the power to return to this gentleness whenever needed.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
