Warm greetings and welcome to this self-compassion meditation.
Take a moment to get comfortable and find your seat.
And when you're ready,
Gently shut your eyes,
Allowing yourself to tune inwards,
Becoming present with your body,
With your breath,
And with all the sensations in between.
Feel into your entire body,
Moving like the waves of the ocean,
Gently rising and collapsing with each breath.
With each exhale,
Softening and relaxing the muscles,
Starting in the face,
The eyebrows,
The forehead.
Release your jaw.
As you inhale,
Drawing your awareness back into this present.
Exhaling,
Releasing the shoulders.
Relax.
Exhale to let go through the belly.
With your next breath out,
Feel your whole body relax.
Anchoring your awareness into those sensations of your breath across your body.
Feels present.
Allow those sensations to bring you.
Beginning together for a short breathing exercise.
Taking five of the longest,
Deepest breaths of the day together.
As we take 10,
Counting through those breaths.
Beginning together,
Inhaling slowly,
Deeply for one.
Softly exhale,
Release for two.
Inhaling deep into the lower abdomen for three.
Gently breathing out fully for four.
Inhale softly for five.
Exhale gently for six.
Full,
Long breath in for seven.
Full,
Long breath out for eight.
Completely release and let go for 10.
Continuing one more round at your own pace.
And when you've released,
That final long exhale.
Just allowing your breath to return to its own natural rhythm.
Just breathing organically.
While still inviting the breath all the way down to the belly.
Just resting the awareness and feeling into the breath across your chest.
Again,
Feeling your chest like the waves of the ocean gently ebbing and flowing.
Feel the breath moving through and across your chest.
Feeling that pranic energy moving through and across your heart space.
If it feels right,
Placing a palm or both hands across your chest.
Feeling into the heart.
With each conscious breath through the heart.
Just feeling that space beginning to open,
To soften.
So tuning and connecting with your heart as we breathe.
And as I invite you to bring to mind and contemplate.
With a gentle kindness from the heart.
What are you currently struggling with?
Where are you feeling conflict,
Guilt or shame within yourself?
Where are you not fully satisfied with a certain situation surrounding your current experience?
Just taking your time.
There's no need to rush.
Just noticing what thoughts arise as you contemplate these current struggles that you're facing.
And just noticing without reacting to the emotions that may also be arising.
As you reflect on your current struggles or conflicts with yourself.
Those areas where you may be feeling like not enough.
Or feeling guilt or shame.
Or perhaps you feel you've made a mistake.
Or you're doing or have done something wrong.
Just observing the feelings and emotions that arise as you reflect on these parts of yourself.
And just taking a moment to acknowledge how it feels.
If you feel that anywhere physically in your body.
Or noticing if there are feelings of frustration beginning to arise.
Feelings of judgment.
Perhaps impatience.
Just tuning into the thoughts that are coming up.
As we reflect and highlight for a moment these areas where we're struggling.
Listening to those thoughts.
Are they judgmental?
Are they harsh?
What is the tone or attitude of your voice?
That voice commentating in your mind.
Just observing.
Just noticing.
And now allowing a deep breath in.
As you exhale,
Just releasing those thoughts,
Those feelings.
Breathing and feeling back into the heart space.
Feeling the breath and energy moving through your body.
And now I'd like to invite you to bring to mind a person in your life.
Someone that you deeply care for.
Somebody you love unconditionally.
Perhaps someone you consider to be very innocent and pure.
Someone you only want the best for.
Just notice who rises in your awareness.
This person that you love.
Now I'd like to invite you to imagine this person coming to you right here and now.
Coming to you upset.
Frustrated.
And ashamed.
And they're coming to you to confide in their current struggles.
Imagining that the conflict and story that they share with you is the exact same story of the current struggles that you are currently facing.
Just imagine them expressing to you the exact same scenario for everything that you've just reflected on,
That you're feeling about yourself.
Hearing this person that you love and care about telling you this all too familiar story.
And now allowing yourself to respond.
Noticing how you would respond to this person after them sharing with you their roles.
What would be the look on your face as you address them?
What would be the tone of your voice?
Your body posture?
And what are the words that you would use and have to share in response to all they've said?
Just allow yourself to formulate this response.
To say it right now in your mind as if they were here and you were speaking directly to them.
Would these come across as judgmental?
Or would they be understanding?
Would you be speaking to them harshly?
What advice would you have to give?
What wisdoms would you share?
I'd like you to take all this advice,
All this wisdom,
And kindness and compassion that you would be showing towards this person for this situation.
And bring that into your own heart.
And deep within your own heart.
It's going to be so much easier and more natural to share understanding,
Kindness,
And compassion to those that we truly love and care about.
Just like it can be so much easier to be harsh,
Judgmental,
And hard on ourselves.
Just using this practice as a reminder of all the kindness,
Compassion,
And love that you have inside that comes out for others.
And to remind you that sometimes it's okay to offer that same love,
Compassion,
Kindness,
And forgiveness to yourself.
Just sitting for a moment as you reflect on all the wisdom and advice and love and compassion that you would have to share for that person.
That you've brought into your own heart and just feeling for a moment into that.
Feeling into how that lands and resonates with your soul.
Slowly starting to deepen your breath again now.
Feeling that breath moving through the heart space.
Moving through and across the entire body.
With each exhale just gently releasing the thoughts,
Feelings,
And emotions.
And just feeling back into the present moment.
Into the connection between your body and your breath.
Once again inviting that great big smile to your face.
That big teeth showing.
That obnoxiously big smile.
Again allowing yourself to just feel into that all across your body.
Taking a moment to show gratitude and thank yourself as you continue to smile for showing up.
For making this time to be compassionate with yourself.
When you're ready,
Softly and gently open your eyes.
Have a loving,
Beautiful day.
