Short Self-Compassion Break Meditation

This is a short guide-led meditation introducing self-compassion based on the 'Compassion Break' coined by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer. By learning to be with 'dukkha' - our difficulties, suffering, or dis-ease -and recognising that every human being suffers at some point during their life, we can stop struggling and accept what is actually happening at the moment.

Transcript

So we'll start the session,

I'll just lead through this very simple practice called the compassion break.

Breathing is always settling back into your posture.

A posture that supports awareness.

Supports relaxation and alertness.

And the first stage in this practice.

We begin with bringing to mind any difficulty or problem that you have that causes you to feel uneasy.

Some degree of difficulty.

If a very big difficulty comes into your mind and doesn't want to leave,

Just hold it very lightly.

Just allow yourself to feel how it feels to have this difficulty in your life.

Recognize that this is a moment of dukkha.

Physical stress.

Perhaps there's some validation of your experience in that recognition.

Naming that this is difficult,

That it hurts or it's tough or that it feels bad.

And recognizing these feelings in awareness can often give us a little bit of space around an experience of dukkha.

And then the second stage is where we remind ourselves that this recognition is something of an insight.

The insight is remembering that dukkha is part of living.

And that everyone's life contains struggle,

Suffering,

Difficulty.

Understanding when we struggle that we're not alone.

Others would likely find this situation difficult as well.

If there are other people on the end of your difficulty,

It's possible they also struggle with it.

It's hurtful in some way for them.

This suffering is part of being human.

Part of the human condition.

Not a mistake.

And this is how it feels or it can feel quite often to be alive.

Not really helpful to remember that we are not alone.

And in the third,

Final stage,

Stage of self-compassion.

Reminding ourselves this dukkha is an opportunity for self-compassion.

May I treat myself kindly as I would a good friend.

And you might ask yourself,

What would I most like to hear or say to myself for the rest of my life?

Your self-compassion might manifest through touch.

A hand on your heart,

One hand touching another.

Feeling yourself that you're here for you.

I'm here for you.

Taking something of the feeling from this practice into what follows,

Whatever that

Reviews

Wonderful. I am familiar with Neff's self-compassion break, and this teacher's delivery/ invitation to this was soothing, easily understood, and effective. I enjoyed considering my answer to: what i would want to tell myself for the rest of my life.

Soothing and comforting! A wonderful practice to be with life’s challenges. Thanks so much.
🙏🏽✨💚✨

Very calming. Great way to precede your own meditation.

Lovely, gentle practice very helpful way to be with life's difficulties and reconnect with a sense of this is how it is sometimes for everyone. I particularly liked the invitation to say something encouraging to myself. 🌅