Hello and welcome to this intention setting of self-compassion.
I'd like for you to settle in and bring your awareness to your thoughts,
Your heart,
And your body.
Many of us have a tendency towards perfectionism.
Even in meditation we try to get it right.
We may be hard on ourselves for not having the experience or reaching the outcome that we think we should be having.
Something to remember when it comes to meditation is this.
Far more important than the outcome is our intention.
Having the intention to be present with what is and with what we are experiencing in the moment is how we unlock the ease to be discovered in meditation.
We will always get distracted.
We'll always have days where it's not very easy to be kind to ourselves or others.
We'll have days when it's much harder to fall asleep or not fall asleep.
And that's why our intention is important in self-compassion meditation as well.
Even when self-kindness does not come naturally or easily,
Our intention provides us with support and foundation.
This practice can be used on its own or as an introduction to another self-compassion meditation exercise.
If it feels right,
I invite you to close your eyes for this practice.
If it doesn't,
You can allow your gaze to be soft with a downward focus towards the floor.
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in through your nose and allow your body to release and exhale through your mouth.
One more time and with the exhale see if you can notice anywhere in your body where you might be contracting and allow those places to melt as feels comfortable and safe for you.
One more deep breath as you are breathing into your heart,
Your stomach,
And all the way to your legs and then release as you exhale.
Now gently place your right hand on your heart and your left hand on your belly and imagine what it would feel like right now if you were to hold yourself with a little more compassion.
Notice your body's response.
If there is no right way of experiencing this,
Just explore what it's like to open up a little more to the idea of self-compassion and then explore what it would feel like in your body to receive kindness right now.
And then what would receiving compassion sound like for you?
You might tune into a word or a phrase that feels compassionate and kind to you.
And if nothing is arising for you just yet or self-compassion feels difficult to access or process right now,
That's okay.
We're just warming up to the idea of what self-compassion feels like.
To strengthen your intention for being here,
You might repeat the following phrases silently or out loud to yourself.
May I be kind to myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
May I be at ease.
May I be compassionate to myself.
And then still with your hands on your heart and belly,
Consider would the experience of compassion feel different or what would it feel like as a sensation?
Would it be an experience of warmth,
Perhaps a softening,
Maybe a stroking of your cheek or even a hug from a loved one?
See if you can allow your body to explore the physical experience of compassion and what it would feel like to receive this care.
And if you like,
You can experiment with these sensations yourself.
You can try wrapping your arms around your body,
Giving yourself a hug.
You can gently rub your hands together,
Creating warmth from the friction,
And then gently place your hands on your arm,
Your cheek,
Or your feet.
You might imagine kindness flowing in and out with every breath you take.
While you continue to breathe,
Notice if there's been an opening within you to self-compassion today,
However small or large that opening might be.
If it doesn't feel like you've made much progress towards feeling a sense of self-compassion,
That's okay.
This can be a very challenging mental exercise for some of us and especially those of us who have experienced trauma or grief.
But in any case,
Just being here,
You have painted and planted the intention of your heart and mind.
The more you come back to this intention,
The more you will notice changes arising in your ability to harness self-compassion when you need it.
For now,
Take a few cleansing breaths,
Thanking yourself for this short intentional practice,
And then slowly open your eyes when you feel ready.
Come back to this practice anytime you wish to explore what it feels like to open even a small window in your soul for self-compassion.
