All right,
So just begin to bring yourself into a position that feels stable yet at ease.
You might be sitting down,
You might decide to lay down,
But something that allows you to feel awake.
And just begin to tune your attention into the fact that you're in a body and that body is breathing.
You don't have to change your breath,
Although you might decide to do so if that supports your presence.
And maybe as you notice the body breathing,
You also begin to notice where the tension is.
Maybe you can ease the body somehow,
Softening the muscles in your face,
Easing the skin of the shoulders.
We begin with an anchor as always so that there's a safe place to come back to.
What I mean by safe places,
As we step into this self-compassion meditation,
You might decide that it becomes too much or maybe you're too scattered.
And so you can return to the anchor of your breath,
The anchor of this body that is right here in this moment.
And so as you notice your body and feel your breath,
You might bring to mind maybe an interaction with someone that challenged you,
Nothing too large of a challenge,
Or maybe you bring to mind a way that you interact with yourself that's judgmental or critical.
And don't seek too much for this.
You might even just notice when I bring these words up that maybe a tightness rises up,
Right?
When I say,
Oh,
An interaction that's challenging or some sort of way of interacting with yourself that's judgmental,
Something that feels unpleasant.
We'll just bring a moment of mindfulness to this.
What I mean by that is we just note that this is a moment of suffering.
This is a moment of unpleasantness or challenge,
Just noting that.
And then also noting that this is common,
That suffering,
That unpleasantness,
Discomfort,
It's a part of life.
We're not alone in these feelings.
Our individual situations might feel that way,
But the suffering and the unpleasantness and the discomfort,
We all feel that.
And as you just take note of this,
You might place a hand over your heart or hand on your heart and your belly,
Or just keep your hands as they are,
Whatever works for you.
And you offer yourself some self-kindness during this time.
May I be kind to myself in this moment of suffering,
In this moment of discomfort.
And may I accept myself just as I am.
These might feel just like words,
And that's fine.
We won't force the feelings,
But we'll just say to ourself,
May I be kind to myself during this time.
May I accept myself just as I am.
Just giving that some breath,
Some space.
Now just listen to these phrases.
There are a handful of them.
Maybe one or two stands out to you as something you'd like to continue to bring up,
This compassion phrases.
Just see what feels comforting,
Supportive.
May I be safe.
May I forgive myself.
May I be happy and free from suffering.
May I safely endure this discomfort.
May I find peace in my heart.
May I be strong.
May I protect myself.
May I learn to live with ease and well-being.
May I accept the circumstances of my life.
May we learn to live together in peace.
Just notice what it's like for you right now,
What you're aware of,
What sensations you can feel.
And now begin to draw your attention back to the anchor,
The body breathing,
The sensations in your own body.
Take a moment here before ending to extend,
To extend some gratitude,
Some deeper compassion and kindness for yourself.
For taking the time to practice together,
Drawing a breath in and a full breath out.
And if your eyes have been closed,
Let them gently open.
