Thank you for joining me for this mindful self-compassion break.
I will be guiding you through a brief reflection in the style of a meditation to explore the three components of self-compassion.
This includes mindfulness,
Common humanity,
And self-kindness.
Finding yourself a comfortable position,
And once you've arrived,
Just settling in,
Letting yourself land for this short practice.
And if it feels okay to do so,
I invite you to close your eyes partially or fully and begin to think of a situation in your life that is difficult.
That is causing you some stress right now,
Such as a health problem,
A problem in an important relationship,
A work problem,
Or another stress.
Please choose a specific problem in the mild to moderate range,
Not a huge problem.
You can check in with your body to know if you're in the right zone.
Noticing if you're feeling safe,
Or more challenged,
Or overwhelmed.
And just recognizing that we cannot learn in overwhelm,
So choosing a milder problem if this is where you are at.
If you feel overwhelmed now,
Or become overwhelmed throughout the practice,
I invite you to take care of yourself and offer yourself what you need.
This might be opening your eyes,
Feeling your feet on the floor,
Noticing the seat underneath you,
Or maybe taking a few long and slow breaths.
And again,
Recalling the situation in your life that is causing you stress.
And please allow yourself to drop into the situation and recall how it feels,
Or remember how you felt at the time.
And just noticing how distress feels in your body.
Maybe scanning your body and seeing 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.
You might try labeling the experience for yourself in a gentle and kind way.
Oof,
This is uncomfortable.
This hurts.
This is stressful.
This is a moment of suffering.
Validating your experience as you might for a good friend.
This is the mindfulness piece of self-compassion.
And knowing that what you are experiencing right now is part of the human experience.
You are not alone.
Others would feel just as you do or did in the same situation.
Suffering is part of being human.
This is the common humanity piece of self-compassion.
And now let's see if you can respond to distress in a new way.
Can you give yourself some kindness simply because you're having a moment of discomfort?
And if you like,
Perhaps placing a hand on the part of your body that feels the stress the most.
And if you like,
Sending kindness through your fingers into that part of your body that is holding the stress for you.
Or 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 are a good and kind person.
What might those words be for you?
And can you repeat those words for yourself in your own mind and in your own way?
And please take a moment and offer yourself this 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.
This is the self-kindness piece of self-compassion.
And now please begin to release the practice.
And just letting the practice settle.
And 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 perhaps offering yourself a nourishing breath or two.
And then in your own time and in your own way,
Slowly opening your eyes,
Looking around your space,
And continuing with your day.
