Hello,
I'm Sadie Barr,
Sobriety mentor,
Yoga and meditation teacher,
And your fellow on the Sober Path.
Let's start with a grounding practice.
Interlace your hands,
Set them on top of your head,
And relax your shoulders down.
Inhale through your nose and exhale through pursed lips,
Like you're blowing through a tiny cocktail straw.
Need your breath to be smooth and slow,
No hurries,
No worries.
Continue this breath pattern and rest your attention at your low belly,
Just below your belly button.
As you inhale,
Feel your belly inflate like a balloon.
As you exhale through your straw,
Use just like 25% of your strength to squeeze your belly in.
Just a little squeeze as you exhale to encourage the energy to move downward.
And relax to inflate on the inhale,
So there's a squeeze release quality,
Like a pump sending the energy downward.
Great work!
When you feel ready,
You can open your eyes.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
It's also the thief of belonging.
We forget our shared humanity,
That we came into this life through a human,
We will all experience illness and health,
We'll lose loved ones,
We'll gain new ones,
And we'll all eventually die.
So today's practice is one of loving kindness.
Loving kindness softens the edges of comparison.
Please find a comfortable position,
Place your hand softly on the center of your chest,
And close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Call to mind a loved one,
Someone who you care deeply for,
Imagine them sitting across from you,
And to them say,
May you be free from comparison,
May you remember your goodness,
May you feel safe wherever you go,
May you know you belong.
And now call to mind someone neutral in your life,
Someone that you may see out and about,
The mail carrier,
The clerk at a store,
Picture them in your mind's eye sitting across from you,
And to them say,
May you be free from comparison,
May you remember your goodness,
May you feel safe wherever you go,
May you know you belong.
Call to mind someone who you compare yourself to,
May you be free from comparison,
May you remember your goodness,
May you feel safe wherever you go,
May you know you belong.
And now to a past version of yourself,
May you be free from comparison,
May you remember your goodness,
May you feel safe wherever you go,
May you know you belong.
And to present day you,
May you be free from comparison,
May you remember your goodness,
May you feel safe wherever you go,
May you know you belong.
And to a future version of yourself,
May you be free from comparison,
May you remember your goodness,
May you feel safe wherever you go,
May you know you belong.
Sit still,
As quiet as you can,
Be present with any body sensations.
As you go out into your day,
This is my wish for you,
May your thoughts be peaceful,
May your words be kind,
Especially toward yourself,
And may your heart be full of joy.
