Welcome and take a long,
Slow exhale.
And now gently breathe at your own natural rhythm.
We often neglect to look after ourselves as well as we could.
Most of the time we treat others far better than we treat ourselves.
Missing the point that if we don't care for ourselves properly,
We won't be able to sustain looking after others in the longer term.
If we are exhausted or ill,
We really aren't going to be that much help.
So self-care,
Self-kindness and true self-compassion are really important.
Many of the things that we do or say to ourselves in our head,
We would never dream of saying or doing to others.
In this practice,
I'd like you to begin to consider that you really are worthy of being kind to,
And to begin to treat yourself as kindly as you would your best friend,
Partner or child.
If that idea feels like too much of a stretch right now,
I'd invite you to become curious about what it might feel like if that were possible,
And what difference that might make in your life.
So let's get started with generating the warmth and energy that we need for self-compassion.
See and feel yourself being bathed in gentle warm sunlight.
Breathe in the gentle warm sunlight and allow it to fill your body.
As you breathe in the warm sunlight,
Let it cleanse and fill your body.
Breathe in gentle warm sunlight.
Feel it generate lightness,
Ease and love.
Breathe out loving-kindness.
See yourself from above as a being full of warm sunlight,
Emanating loving-kindness.
Breathe in gentle warm sunlight and breathe out loving-kindness.
Now I invite you to place your hands on your heart or rest them on each other in your lap.
You can repeat out loud,
Whisper or say in your head the following.
Even though I don't always meet my own expectations of myself,
I totally and completely forgive,
Love and accept myself.
Even though I don't always meet my own expectations of myself,
I totally and completely forgive,
Love and accept myself.
Even though I don't always meet my own expectations of myself,
I totally and completely forgive,
Love and accept myself.
Even though I don't always achieve all I want to achieve at the first attempt,
I totally and completely forgive,
Love and accept myself.
Even though I don't always treat myself and others with the compassion I wish to,
I totally and completely forgive,
Love and accept myself.
Let the warmth of the forgiveness,
Love and acceptance radiate through your hands into your heart.
Let the warmth of the forgiveness,
Love and acceptance radiate through your hands into your heart.
From your head to your toes,
Heart across your chest to your fingertips.
Breathe in gentle warm sunlight,
Breathe out loving-kindness.
Breathe in gentle warm sunlight and breathe out loving-kindness.
You can repeat out loud,
Whisper or say in your head the following.
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be happy,
May I be loving,
Loved,
Peaceful.
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be happy,
May I be loving,
Loved,
Peaceful.
May I be safe,
May I be healthy,
May I be happy,
May I be loving,
Loved,
Peaceful.
Let the warmth of the loving-kindness flow from your heart throughout your entire body.
From your head to your toes,
From your heart across your chest to your fingertips.
Feel the kindness and the self-compassion flow.
When you are ready,
Gently bring the attention back to the seat or cushion you are on.
Breathe easily,
Breathe rhythmically.
Gently open your eyes and witness the world of possibilities that is created with a deeper feeling of self-compassion.
And with gratitude for a world full of deeper self-compassion,
Go into your day.
