Hi there.
Thanks for joining me to practice a few moments of self-care.
Now,
Rather than think about self-care as an indulgence or a luxury,
It can be helpful to think about self-care as a way of fostering emotional preparedness for the journey of life,
By staying present with ourselves,
No matter what comes up.
Self-care here means not abandoning ourselves when stress or overwhelm is present,
But making the choice instead to be supportively available to our inner selves with patient,
Compassionate,
Loving attention in good moments and painful ones too.
We can do this for ourselves every day.
One way we can do this is by finding stillness.
Maybe you've heard the expression that goes something like muddy water becomes clear when still.
Think of the mind like a snow globe when shaken.
Anxiety,
Fear,
Insecurity,
Sadness,
Feelings of lack and emptiness or unworthiness swirl around inside.
When the globe is allowed to stand still,
Everything that has been swirling settles to the bottom and the water becomes clear.
So it can be with the mind.
Cultivating stillness,
Learning to pause as a way of caring for yourself by finding refuge within.
Now notice that everything swirling around did not go away in the snow globe example,
But it did get out of the way,
Making it possible to see what else is present.
Again,
It can also be this way with the mind.
Being able to see clearly can help us feel less stuck.
We might even be able to connect more easily with our inherent basic goodness.
When we don't feel assaulted by the swirling stories about everything that is wrong with us,
Our current circumstance or our lives.
When we find ourselves trapped in a maze of painful thoughts,
We can find,
Or we can even create an open path by cultivating stillness.
In this stillness,
We can allow some space to expand between ourselves and the story about the circumstance at hand.
This vantage point gives us a clearer view,
Allowing us to more easily see what is happening rather than be what is happening.
We are not our feelings and feelings are not fixed.
They come and they go.
Cultivating stillness does not mean that problems will go away.
But it does mean that we will have more clarity and mental energy to explore next best steps.
Let's just take a few moments now to just be.
To be still and notice.
I invite you now to just breathe deeply.
And give yourself a moment to arrive in this space.
In this moment.
To fully be where you are right now.
What is the temperature like in the room?
Do you feel chilly or warm?
Is it just right?
And what sounds do you hear?
What can you see?
Is the surface you're sitting or lying on hard or is it soft?
And notice the quality of your mind.
What are your thoughts like?
Are they helpful or supportive or are they scattered?
Is your mind going fast or slow?
Just notice.
And what is the quality of your breath?
Is it deep or shallow?
Is the pace comfortable and pleasant or is it unpleasant?
Just pay attention.
And what's happening inside right now?
Can you be with whatever you find there without judgment or resistance?
I know you can.
Stay with yourself supportively.
Be still and connect to the wisdom and strength within.
It is in you.
And you are enough.
Be still and remember that.
The wisdom and strength are within you and you are enough.
