This practice is called the mindful self-compassion break.
If it feels okay to do so,
Please close your eyes partially or fully.
Take a moment to notice your body seated in this chair or meditation cushion.
Notice points of contact where your body meets the surface that you're resting on.
Notice your breath.
So just taking a moment to presence yourself in the here and now,
Practicing mindful self-compassion.
Think of a situation in your life that's difficult,
Something causing you stress right now.
Might be a health problem,
A problem in an important relationship,
A work problem or maybe stress related to bias or discrimination.
Please choose a specific problem in the mild to moderate range,
So not a big problem.
Something that feels manageable right now.
Maybe checking in with your body to know if you're in the right zone.
Is it feeling safe enough,
Challenged or overwhelmed?
We can't learn that much if we're overwhelmed,
So the invitation is to really make sure to the best of your ability you're feeling safe or challenged.
Just remember that if you feel overwhelmed now or become overwhelmed during the practice,
You're invited first and foremost to take good care of yourself,
Offering yourself whatever you may need.
For example,
You might want to open your eyes,
Feel your feet on the floor,
Your body in your seat or take a few long,
Slow breaths.
If at any point it's more self-compassionate to disengage from the exercise altogether,
Please do so,
Either mentally or physically by standing up or turning off the meditation.
Again,
Recalling the situation in your life that's causing you stress.
Please allow yourself to drop into the situation and recall how it feels or remember how you felt at the time.
Notice how distress feels in your body and see if you can discover where in your body the sensation of stress is most evident,
Allowing your experience to be just as it is,
Perhaps making just a little more room than usual for the experience of discomfort in your body.
Try labeling the experience for yourself in a gentle and kind way.
Perhaps this is uncomfortable,
This hurts,
This is stressful.
This is a moment of suffering.
Validating your experience as you might for a good friend.
Validating the experience knowing that you are experiencing right now something that is part of the human experience.
You are not alone.
Others would feel just as you do or you did in that same situation.
Suffering is part of being human.
Now,
Let's see if we can respond to distress in a new way.
Can you give yourself some kindness simply because you are having a moment of discomfort?
If you like,
Perhaps placing a hand on the part of your body that feels stressed the most.
Might be one hand over the heart space and one hand over the abdomen.
Maybe getting curious about what feels most supportive in this moment.
And if you like,
Sending kindness through your fingers into that part of your body that is holding the stress for you.
Maybe gently massaging that part of your body.
Or consider for a moment what you would most like to hear in a moment like this.
Perhaps words of comfort or support.
Just what you need to hear.
For example,
I'm here for you.
I love you.
You're a good person.
What might those words be for you?
Can you repeat those words for yourself in your own mind?
In your own way?
Please take a moment and offer yourself kindness in a way that feels just right for you.
Savoring compassionate touch or offering yourself words of kindness just because you feel distress.
Not trying to change it or make it go away.
Now,
Please begin to release the practice.
Letting the practice settle.
Allowing yourself to feel just as you do right now.
Letting the exercise be just as it was.
And allowing yourself,
If only for this moment,
To be just as you are.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
And take a moment to reorient to your space.
Perhaps taking a few moments now to settle and reflect.
Thank you.
